secret #1

I Love Teddy Park

Hands down, this man is my all-time favourite song writer/producer.

Currently, I'm in love with Taeyang's new single "Wedding Dress".



It's such a good song - the lyrics, vocals, arrangements... oh, it's got me hooked. And so my curiousity gets the best of me (which it always usually does) and I decided to search who wrote the song.

Search Results: Teddy Park

This man just makes songs that I love!
Teddy Park started his music career by joining YG Entertainment where he became the leader and lead rapper for hip-hop group, 1TYM. Since his 1998 debut with the group, Teddy went on to produce some of South Korea's hottest music, ultimately being partly responsible for the success of his home company and their respective artists. In a recent interview, Teddy says this his producing skills are an outcome of a very conceptual process. When he's creating songs, he takes all things into consideration: the song's melody, beats and instrumentals; the vocals; the lyrics; the arrangement; how the artist should be styled; what the choreography, video and album jacket will look like... everything. For this reason, he only works with artists he knows well hence, the reason why he turned down Lady Gaga's request for his musical services.


Sorry Gaga.. Maybe next time

He started slowly... contributing as a lyricist on 1TYM's debut album: 1TYM: One Time For Your Mind. He started taking more control for their sophomore album and in the process created my favourite song of all-time (this includes all languages and genres) One Love



After 1TYM's 2nd Round album, Teddy went on to produce the rest of 1TYM's albums.

My favourite from their third album - Nasty



Favourite from their fourth album - Hot Ddeu Guh (It's Hot)



Favourite from their last album - Can't Let You Go



Although their released song, Ni Gah Nahl Ahl Ah (Do You Know Me?) is pretty dope too. This song is awesome in the car



Alas, due to 1TYM member Oh JinHwan's mandatory military service, 1TYM went on a hiatus and has not been back since. There were rumours that they were gonne be back last year since it would have been their 10th anniversary since their debut but we have yet to seen said album.

So that's Teddy's work for 1TYM.

So good right??

Here's a look at other favourite tracks from him

Se7en - La La La
This is my second favourite song of all time. It's soooo good and the lyrics are freaking sweet. Apparently, La La La was the turning point for Teddy the producer, as he finally figured out his formula to music making


Se7en is hot in this video. Was never a fan of lips on guys but his are so luscious looking. If I were single.... and met him again and oh baby, I am kissing those lips for sure!

Taeyang - Nah Mahn Bwa Ra Bah (Only Look At Me)
This guy looks like my brother... for serious



Taeyang - Gi Do (Prayer)
Teddy's featured here! He says that whenever he feels the need to be a rapper again, he just makes himself a featured guest in someone's song... haha



Taeyang - Where U At
I know, a lot of Taeyang stuff.... but the pairing of Teddy as the producer and Taeyang as the singer works the best here. Teddy's also featured in this one too - has the best line and is seen tossing an apple! I Love Apples! He looks hot in a suit. This song is a new one - currently my ringtone too ;) (i know how dorky that sounds especially since I'm nearing 26 years old and all :/)



Park Bom - You and I
My boyfriend likes this song but I think it's mostly because he thinks she's freaking cute and loves her voice. This one's a new song too



2NE1 - I Don't Care
Park Bom is the lead singer from girl group, 2NE1. Love these girls! So much spunk and by far the most talented from all the other girl idol groups that are taking over Korea at the moment



I can't think of anymore..

but you get the idea...
Teddy's one talented guy and I think the only way the Western world will hear his music is IF Se7en attempts at trying in the States again and Teddy gets to be a part of the production process. I really hope this happens. A talent like Teddy's deserves proper recognition

Vancouver International Film Festival - Film #1: Where Are You

So I went to my first film from this year's line-up and saw Where Are You

Basic synopsis: Ryo is a poor boy living in a single room shack in Japan. His mother is sick and on her death bed while his father has abandoned the two of them awhile ago. After getting fired from his part-time job at a local convenience store and facing hospital bills and funeral costs for his mother, Ryo resorts to stealing as a means to survive in Japan.

This was a depressing film, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Throughout the entire movie, there is no hope at all for the main character; everything about him and his situation is tragic. The director, Kobayashi Masahiro, has a great directing style - from the simplest scenes of Ryo scarfing down a bowl of instant noodles to Ryo sitting on a bench with his head down at the hospital - the director is able to show his audience exactly who Ryo is and dark world he faces at a very young age. The script, with its minimal lines, is very fitting for the film and may even strengthen the overall mood and tone of the storyline; the audience always knows what's going on. The script really helps to articulate just how lonely Ryo's life. While Where Are You? doesn't necessarily pull at the heart strings (I wasn't balling my eyes out and I'm a huge crybaby when it comes to sad dramas), it left me feeling very sad and depressed that such situations do occur for some children.

Overall, a good movie. Probably wouldn't see it again though... it's just too heavy for the heart and mind.

Zombieland #1 in Its Opening Weekend

Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone, finally opened in theatres this past weekend and went on to take the box office for its opening weekend.

With a relatively small production budget of $23.6 million, Zombieland already made back its money by taking in $24, 733, 155 in the North American market. With Halloween just around the corner and movie-goer buzz surrounding this movie, it should have no problem making a nice tidy profit for its producers.

Interesting thing to note: Not since the ScaryMovie trilogy has a horror-comedy film opened at #1.

And Zombieland isn't even a spoof movie - it's just straight up fun.

So if you haven't seen it yet, or are unsure if you want to watch it.... just do yourself a favour and watch it.

Awesome Cover

For as long as I can remember, I've always been a huge fan of KPop.
When I was younger, my obsession for Kpop was so severe that when my mom rented me music shows from the Korean video store, I would convince my sister to mimic kpop's biggest stars with me. We used to dance and sing along to some of Korea's biggest musical acts - Roo'Ra, DJ Doc, Deux, Park Jin Young (before he became a super producer and wore plastic pants as part of his costume)... the list goes on...
Throughout my teenage years, the internet nursed this obsession as I found fellow Kpop fans from around the world. Not only was I getting the latest music from South Korea, but I was also interacting with people who knew why it was so dope to hear 1TYM's preview tracks even before the CD was released. I was a frequent forum visitor and would spend nights on end browsing through forums and sharing media files. I read people's fanfics and commented on them as I daydreamed about being Fly To The Sky's Brian Joo's girlfriend (hey, we're only two years apart and him being a Korean-American diminishes any communication/cultural barriers)

I was a Kpop geek... a die-hard fan... even my email address/instant messaging ID had the initials of my favourite Korean star (What up Yoo Seung Jun)

But as I've gotten older, I find that it more difficult to keep up to date with my beloved Kpop.

I don't belong to any forums. I don't rent music shows from the video store. I stopped buying CDs. I even stopped daydreaming about Korean stars...

Which ultimately sucks.

Because Kpop is unlike any other music.

Which is why I guess I try to still stay in touch with my favourite source of popular culture. My interest in Kpop helped to stir an interest in media and its influence on our society and encouraged me to study it to a greater extent in school. Even though it's harder for me now (primarily cause I'm an adult and I have a real life to tend to), I can't turn my back on the one thing that have consistently made me happy in my life.

That being said...

I found this awesome cover of G-Dragon's 'Heartbreaker' by this white guy.

This is the original MV.
(FYI: G-Dragon, real name Kwon Ji Yong (hey! we share a last name!) is the leader of Korean boy band, Big Bang. He's been wth YG Entertainment since he got into Yang Hyun Suk's car back in 2001 - A-Yo!)





Yeah, people think he looks like a Korean version of Lady Gaga. But the song's really catchy


This is the awesome cover




He freaking rocks. I love how the hallyu movement reaches beyond Korea and Koreans. It excites me that globalization allows others to enjoy the same music that I absolutely love.

I love NPH

So as I was just wasting time at work and browsing the world wide web when I came upon this story:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i04299584a9f4430c65e24d7c8b956c82

Apparently, CBS is close to signing him on to host the Emmys this year

I love Neil Patrick Harris.

I love How I Met Your Mother. (You should really watch it if you haven't done so already)

I love his cameo in the Harold and Kumar series.

I think he'll do a great job and hopefully, entice more viewers to HIMYM.

Turn my swag ooooooonnnnnnnn~~~!

God, I really want to see this concert!

Not so much for Lil' Wayne (who totally exploded in 2008)

But because I want to see Young Jeezy Put On for Vancouver, Soulja Boy to Turn His Swag On, Drake to sing about the Best [He] Ever Had and special guest, Jeremih to explain Birthday Sex

Plus, it's been awhile since I've been to an urban music concert and since I'm missing Rock the Bells (the lineup for this is crazy! Nas and Damian Marley headlining a stellar cast! Damn wedding that I RSVP'd for already) and the last concert I saw was New Kids on the Block (don't hate, it was actually a good concert. I've never seen so many 30-something year-old women scream like they were teenagers again), I'm kind of itching to see another show.

The show should be a good one

Can someone tell the Pussycat Dolls to pronounce things properly?

Living in Vancouver, our major radio station The Beat 94.5 constantly plays the Pussycat Dolls' version of A.R. Rahman's hit "Jai Ho" from 2008's Oscar darling, Slumdog Millionaire

What bothers me tremendously about the PCD version is how they pronouce Jai Ho

The song title is spelled "Jai Ho", Rahman sings "Jai Ho" and yet they say "Jay Ho"!!

ARG!

It's annoys me so much because I find it disrespectful on many levels

1) It's Rahman's song! Why did get he shafted to little 1 second clips of him throughout the video? I understand Nicole and the rest of the girls are much nicer to look at but he got demoted to cameo status in the video

2) If the original singer says "Jai Ho", why are they saying "Jay Ho"? It's not like the English tongue cannot pronouce "Jai". That's almost as bad as people who can't pronouce ethnic names and instead brutally butcher the pronounciation instead.

3) The song is so damn catchy! I hate the song, it really annoys me but damn, I can't stop singing it...

Jay Ho you guys.... jay ho.

Looks like Chris Brown's channeling Will Smith's Hancock look

Found this picture at Reuters.com
Apparently Brown was seen sitting courtside during Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando, Florida, June 14, 2009.

Chris Brown and his legal team are currently seeking to prolong his court hearing on the account that his lawyer wants the court to rule on a probe into the information leak from the police department.

Honestly, a delay in the hearing won't really help the fallen R&B star.

People are already up in arms over his alleged beating of R&B sweetheart, Rihanna. A majority of the vast public have already declared Brown guilty and have turned their backs on the star. Exactly how his team will work to rebuild his tarnished image is beyond me. Even if he owns up to the allegations, he will serve prison time and will most likely be subject to PSAs galore (I can see the ad now: Domestic Violence Hurts Us All). In addition, if he in indeed found guilty, can people (namely his female listeners) really take him seriously when he goes back to singing his sweet love songs?
Cause I highly doubt he'll be singing about 'thug life'.

If I were him, I'd be pissed and walk out too

Recap: Last night, at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Sasha Baron Cohen flew in from the rafters wearing only a thong, knee-high boots and wings to present the Best Male Performance Award. Instead of swooping onto the stage, Cohen hovered above Eminem, who was sitting in the audience with his entourage, and proceeded to fall head-first onto Eminem's lap. While Eminem was obviously disgusted and struggled to free himself from this involuntary '69', Cohen seemed rather calm.

The debate that seems to be circulating the pop culture world is whether this incident that happened at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards last night was staged or not.

So what do I think?

I think that maybe Cohen's camp probably planned to land on Eminem but failed to let Eminem in on the joke.

But is this really a joke?

If anything, it did create a buzz in the media world.
This works fine for Eminem, whose latest album 'Relapse' was released two weeks ago. The encounter reminds the world of his angst that Mathers is so well known for. It proves to show us the very reason why so many people fell in love with Eminem and his clever lyrics over sick Dr. Dre-produced beats as listeners felt he was speaking for all them and really understood the reality where the average person lives in. It also shows Eminem as a very 'real' rapper that hasn't softened during his time in the media spotlight; he's willing to be the person he is, not what should be expected of him.
For Cohen, his much anticipated movie 'Bruno' is slated for release this summer. A follow-up to his Golden Globe nominated role in 'Borat', his 'Bruno' character shows us that Cohen has the balls to be the most outrageous character onscreen. He fully embraces his carefully crafted personnas. With what looks to be a very competitive summer movie season ahead, this escapade with Eminem keeps people talking about Bruno .
It also worked for MTV too. They got the much anticipated Eminem comeback performance before he walked out on the show. The whole incident kept people talking about the show even after it was all over and done with. In addition, the constant 'MTV name drop' that happens during those water cooler conversations, can only help the network.

Joke or not, it proved to make the awards show very interesting and told me that there was more to movies than 'Twilight' (Could that movie win any more awards last night?)

Pleased to meet you, my name is Cynthia

You know, I always wanted to have a blog....

Not because it was a narcissistic thing or anything...


But rather because sometimes I feel like I don't have the right avenues to fully express my thoughts, feelings and observations about the world you and I live in

My intentions for having this blog is to write about things that I think about... how I feel about stuff... the people I come across and meet in my daily travels... and perhaps even, tell the worldwide web a little bit about myself.

I am actually a very complex person :)

And it might even be good practice since I do want to eventually write a book and publish it and finally cross that off my ever-growing life list.


So in conclusion..

Pleased to meet you. My name is Cynthia