[FAN ACCOUNT] 130627 - AIA K-pop Concert in Malaysia

[FAN ACCOUNT] 130627 - AIA K-pop Concert in Malaysia

I went to K-pop Dream Concert Live in Malaysia in the month of May and I enjoyed it.  One month later, I went to yet another concert!  This time, it was AIA K-pop Concert in Malaysia.  What made this concert extra special was the three performing acts who all came from the same company, Cube Entertainment.  My favourite K-pop company!  The three acts were 4Minute, BEAST, and G.NA.  In January 2011, the same lineups came to Malaysia for DiGi Live K-pop Party and I attended that one too with my dad and younger sister.  This time for AIA K-pop Concert, my dad tagged along again.

My dad and I took a flight to Kuala Lumpur on the same day of the concert.  We arrived at Kuala Lumpur about four hours before the tentative time of the concert.  We made our way to the stadium where the concert was held via Light Rail Transit (LRT).  The concert venue was only two stations away.  When we arrived at the stadium, we wandered around the stadium, which was already filled with fans and AIA (M) Berhad's agents, staffers, policyholders, and family members.  The concert was initially planned as a private concert for those related to AIA (M) Berhad only.  After discussing with Malaysian fanclubs and K-pop concert-goers, the company decided to make the concert open to public.  *cough* /Extra revenue/ *cough*  *cough again* /Nothing wrong with that/ *cough again*  I bought the concert tickets for my dad and I through Malaysian BEAST's fanclub, MYB2UTY.  About fifteen minutes before the concert started, we entered the concert area.  Upon hearing songs (which turned out to be music videos) by the Cube artists being played in the concert area, I felt excited and could not wait to see the performing artists live again, especially BEAST!

G.NA was the first performer.  Even as a solo singer, she did not fail to capture the audience's attention with her powerful yet sweet vocal and her friendly greetings.  Her first song for that evening was 'Supa Solo', one of my all-time favourite songs of hers!  G.NA also performed '2Hot', 'Bananas', and the English version of 'I'll Back Off, So Live Well' (in which, B2UTY went wild when BEAST's Jun Hyung came out to perform his rapping part) before performing a two-song medley of Rihanna's songs, 'Take a Bow' and 'Rude Boy'.  Her remaining performances of 'First Kiss', 'Top Girl', and 'Black and White' kept the crowd cheering.  I especially liked it when G.NA mentioned during her talk time that Malaysian fans have been doing great at supporting the United Cube family and asked for continuous interest and support.

The audience continued to gleefully scream, shout, and sing when 4Minute came on stage.  The girls appeared on the stage with their stylishly sassy performance of 'What's Your Name'.  They also performed 'Mirror Mirror', 'I'm Okay', 'HUH', and 'Muzik'.  I enjoyed every performance but I particularly liked their emotional balladry song 'Pretend'.  Before stepping out of the stage, the girls performed the bubbly 'Heart to Heart' and the catchy 'Hot Issue'.

Then...the most anticipated (for me, personally) act of the evening...the one, the only, the amazing BEAST!  As expected, the audience, including me, went wild when an introductory snippet featuring BEAST's members was played.  The next thing that came up was Gi Kwang's "Byeol-i bit na neun areumdawoon bam-iya-iya~".  The BEAST's members appeared on stage to perform their upbeat 'It's a Beautiful Night'.  What made the audience (at my area) even more hyped up was the members running towards the front part of the stage from the beginning of the song.  So, my eyes were pleasantly treated to the up close view of real life BEAST's members!  Dear God, thank you very much!  I frantically waved my rose-shaped lightstick and sang along while smiling ear-to-ear.  BEAST is known as one of the groups with outstanding fan-service.  That fact was really shown that evening even from their first performance.  The group performed 'Bad Girl' and 'Shock'.  These two songs are their first two title songs.  So, being able to see them perform those songs and dance the choreography meant so much to their B2UTY fans, trust me.  The other songs that BEAST performed so marvelously were 'Special', 'Fiction', 'On Rainy Days', 'I Knew It', and 'Freeze'.  Right after that, a new but familiar tune was played.  I immediately screamed joyfully when I heard the introduction music of one of BEAST's new songs, 'Will You Be Alright'.  I could tell that a few of the audience members who were near me turned their heads to look at me.  They must be wondering why I suddenly shrieked.  It was another special treat for B2UTY in Malaysia because that was the first time the song was performed overseas, and the second time it was ever performed live.  The first time the movingly sad song was performed was during B2UTY Party event at Maru Park, Seoul, South Korea.  Oh yea, now I remember something!  During 'Will You Be Alright', Jun Hyung missed a tempo and ended up giggling while doing his "Stay with me babe, stay with me babe.. Don't go, don't leave me babe.." part.  It was so cute!  Their last performances were 'Beautiful' and the encore song 'VIU'.  The members had lots of fun on stage, running around and making each other wet by splashing drinking water from bottles.  In fact, the members seemed to be in a very good mood from the beginning of their appearance on stage.  That made fans extra happy.  One of the things that the members said that I particularly remember is Dong Woon's "[Translated] Now I know why Malaysia is so hot.  It's because of your passion."  *o*  Smooth move, Son-Nam-Shin!  Another one is in Yo Seob's advice for everyone to take extra care of their health because of the haze, "[Translated] Please stay healthy.  Because you exist, I exist." *o*  Very sleek, Yang-Yo!

That evening is definitely a memorable evening for me.  I am sure many fans think so too.

We will continue to stand by your side, United Cube!

[FAN ACCOUNT] 130524 - K-pop Dream Concert Live in Malaysia (Cube Entertainment's Fan's POV)

[FAN ACCOUNT] 130524 - K-pop Dream Concert Live in Malaysia

(Cube Entertainment's Fan's POV)

The Evening Before (May 23rd)

My family and I arrived at Genting Highlands, Pahang on May 23rd.  Our flight was delayed for about an hour, so my energy was mostly drained by the time we arrived at the lobby of our hotel.  Before entering our hotel room, I had to first meet up with a few Melodies (Melody = Fan Name of BTOB's fan) to pass them their slogan towels and lightsticks.  (For those who did not know, the slogan towels and lightsticks that I am referring to are the official support merchandise produced and sold by the talent management company.)  The first day of the concert was happening on that evening.  The tickets that I bought for my family and I were for the second day. 

From our hotel room, we could hear the songs that the artists were performing.  Our hotel was right next to the main entrance of the concert venue.  I could particularly hear BTOB's 'I Stole Those Lips (Irresistible Lips)', 'Wow', 'Second Confession', and G.NA's 'Oops!' because when those songs were performed, my family and I were walking somewhere outside, looking for a place to eat. 

It was about half an hour past midnight and my family members were already sound asleep but I was still up, watching TV.  I then received a text message from a fellow Melody-and-K-popper.  I was supposed to pass her some slogan towels too but we could not meet up before the concert that evening because of my delay in arrival.  We then made a quick appointment to meet up outside of a coffee house near the lobby of the hotel where the artists were staying at.  There are a number of different hotels at Genting Highlands and those hotels are connected by walking paths and buildings.  So, I just followed the sign boards and some directions from that Melody friend of mine to get to our meet up place.  I finally reached the place and I knew that I was at the right place because I could see a number of people gathering and waiting outside of a coffee shop.  At that time, the artists were having a break after the first day of concert at the coffee house.  I met my Melody friend there and passed the slogan towels to her.  We had a little chat and I met some other K-pop fans.  I was told that BTOB, my favourite group out of the performing line-ups, had already gone back to their rooms.  I decided to wait with the other fans to try my luck at catching a glimpse of the other artists who were going to come out of the coffee house sooner or later.  BTOB's senior label-mate, G.NA (pronounced as "Ji-Na"), came out of the coffee house with a manager from Cube Entertainment and  some security guards.  They walked towards my direction, making me feel more excited but I tried to contain my excitement and I took a step back to give way.  G.NA was literally about one metre away from me.  I blurted out "Hi, G.NA~" and she looked at me while smiling, waving, and saying "Hi!" back.  That made me feel so happy and thankful!  She is not only a very beautiful woman, but she is also kind and genuine towards her fans and others.  Not long after that, 4Minute, also BTOB's senior label-mates, made their way out of the coffee house.  A manager went out first with a cake from 4Minute's fanclub.  The girls followed after that, surrounded by security guards.  The girls were all-smiles as they walked pass fans.  Like G.NA, they really looked like porcelain dolls up close.  Apart from BTOB, G.NA, and 4Minute, the other artists in the line-ups of K-pop Dream Concert Live in Malaysia were Sistar and Brown Eyed Girls.  I was not sure if Sistar and Brown Eyed Girls had already gone back to their rooms earlier on or not, but I decided not to wait any longer and walked back to my room. 

G.NA coming out of the coffee house and walking towards my direction(!)

4Minute coming out of the coffee house and walking towards my direction too(!)

The Concert Day (May 24th)

From the afternoon, I joined the other fans lobby-stanning (Lobby-stanning, a.k.a. hotel-stanning, is a term used to refer to fans waiting at the hotel lobby where their favourite artists are staying at, hoping for a chance to see the artists with their own eyes when the artists go out to have a meal, walk somewhere else, or off to a rehearsal or show.)  Of course, security guards were there to make sure that fans did not go overboard and that the other guests of the hotel would not go through too much of a difficult time because of the hoarding of fans.  I felt bad for the other guests because there were times when they had to squeeze their way through the fans to get to the hotel lobby.  Fans were kind enough to make way when necessary but still, the overwhelming number of gathered fans at a hotel lobby can be quite frightening to anyone who is not used to that.  Nobody got hurt, though.  We patiently waited and queued at the hotel lobby for hours.  Our biggest 'enemy' at that time was not the long hours of standing but the cold highland wind that occasionally blew in from the front entrance of the hotel. 

The concert was about to start in a couple of hours, so G.NA walked out to the hotel lobby first, surrounded by an entourage of staff members and security guards.  Sistar and 4Minute then came out one after the other.  My Melody friends and I were anticipating BTOB the most.  We kept waiting.  The authority at the hotel lobby announced that BTOB (and Brown Eyed Girls) would not be coming out soon.  Some even claimed that they were already at the concert venue since rehearsal, but fans knew better that they were not at the venue yet because some fans really waited at the hotel lobby since morning.  Nice try but you cannot easily fool fans, okay?  Fans are extra alert, extra attentive, and extra informative.  Most fans were already on their way back or to the concert venue but a number of fans remained at the hotel lobby area.  I even had some time to briefly followed and 'stalked' managers from the talent management companies, especially Cube Entertainment, when they wandered at the lobby area.  My Melody friends and I wanted to stay at the hotel lobby until BTOB came out but it was already ten minutes before showtime.  We did not want to miss the start of the concert, so we decided to make our way to the concert venue, which was about fifteen minutes away by foot.

The managers

On the first day, the order of performing artists was BTOB-G.NA-4Minute-Brown Eyed Girls-Sistar.  I expected the order to be the same for the second day but it turned out that Sistar was the first performing act.  My seat was at the front row and the two seats on my right as well as the two seats on my left belonged to fanboys.  So, I was surrounded by fanboys!  I enjoyed Sistar's performances since I knew some of their songs.  In fact, I was familiar with all of the songs that the group performed that evening.  After Sistar, it was G.NA's turn to perform.  I screamed my lungs out especially when BTOB's Il Hoon came out to perform his part in G.NA's 'Oops!'.  G.NA also performed the English version of her debut song, 'I'll Back Off, So Live Well', among other songs.  Then, 4Minute went on stage to perform their songs.  4Minute is one of my top K-pop acts.  The second last performing act was BTOB!  Woohoo~~!  As expected, I went insane when BTOB came out.  From the first song, 'I Only Know Love', to 'Secret (Insane)', to 'Second Confession', to 'Wow', I gleefully sang along and followed some of the dance moves.  The guy sitting next to me was surprised and asked me, "Waa... You even know all their dance moves?".  I smilingly nodded and continued cheering.  Brown Eyed Girls was the last performing act.  I was not very familiar with some of their songs but I still enjoyed their performances.  During Brown Eyed Girl's turn to perform, the group's manager came to the front of the stage area among the security guards and stood near my seating area.  At one point, he briefly scanned the seating audience area and I happily waved at him.  He saw me and nodded.  

Sistar

G.NA

4Minute

BTOB

Brown Eyed Girls

When the concert was over, I walked to my hotel room, feeling tired but happy.  I simply love it when I can smile after a concert no matter how exhausting the day has been. 

Do you really know 귀요미?

** 귀요미 = Gwiyomi, pronounced as "ki-yo-mi" **

I've been wanting to write about this for weeks (probably a month already) but I've been heavily tied to back-to-back tasks and assignments.  So, here I am, stealing some of my scarce time, to write about an internet phenomenon called "귀요미".  And there's a reason why I want to write about this.  It's because the creator of the original 귀요미, the counting (known as 귀요미 Player), not the song, is none other than someone I adore as a fan of K-pop.  You'll see.

귀요미 is a slang used by netizens to refer to someone cute.  So, I guess you can say that the English equivalent to the word is "cutie".

My purpose of writing this post is divided into these:-

(1) To introduce the creator of 귀요미 to those who had no clue

(2) To distinguish between 귀요미 Player and 귀요미 Song

(3) To justify what 귀요미 is supposed to be about

All in all, I'm doing this because I feel like some individuals are taking it the wrong way and this 귀요미 deserves some justice.  It's my own two cents and it might differ from yours (except for the facts on the creator, player, song, etc.).  So, if you feel that you want to know the real 귀요미 just to get the record straight, read on.  ^o^

--- The 귀요미 Prince ---

K-popper, particularly Melodies, already know this.  The one who first introduced 귀요미 in the form of 귀요미 Player (Cutie Player), the addition counting, is the main rapper of BTOB named 정일훈 (Jung Il Hoon).  He's a charismatic rapper on stage but when he's not rapping or beatboxing, he's such a darling with his boyish face and personality.  In fact, he's the second youngest member of BTOB, born in October 1994.  The first time his 귀요미 Player was publicly broadcasted was in a variety show by SBS MTV called "MTV Diary".  In episode 24, [**Starting from minute 5:50 in the hyperlinked variety show's episode**] which was broadcasted in South Korea on the 9th of August 2012, 일훈 showed the "1 + 1 = 귀요미~" gesture till "7 + 7..." while all of BTOB members were signing their first mini albums at their agency building.  He was then often requested to do the counting in other variety shows or talk shows.  The counting went viral among idols and other celebrities in South Korea.  Then, it became worldwide, thanks to the lovable and addictive gestures in it.

--- 귀요미 Player & 귀요미 Song ---

So, 귀요미 Player was created and introduced by the main rapper of BTOB.  Since the counting was frequently shown on shows and interviews, other K-pop idols started to do their versions of it.  Then, it spread to other celebrities, including actors, actresses, hosts, announcers, and so on.  On the 18th of February 2013, about six months after the first public broadcast of 귀요미 Player by the 귀요미 Prince, a female South Korean singer named 하리 (Hari) from Danal Entertainment released the song version of 귀요미 and named it 귀요미 Song (Cutie Song).  The song was inspired by 귀요미 Player and the addition counting gesture is also included in the song.  By the time the 귀요미 Song was released, the "Gangnam Style" fever was starting to cool down.  Quite a number of those who came across the 귀요미 Player and subsequently the 귀요미 Song decided to do their own covers of the 귀요미.  On February 24th, Cube Entertainment revealed a video of the male version of 귀요미 Song by the 귀요미 Prince himself.

--- The True 귀요미 ---

In one of their interviews in December 2012 [An interview with 8TV Nite Life in Malaysia when BTOB came for Asia Super Showcase 2012 **Starting from minute 5:10 in the hyperlinked interview footage**], the 귀요미 Prince explained that he got the idea of doing the 귀요미 Player when a trainee friend suggested some time before his debut with BTOB that he should prepare something special for the fans.  He thought of doing something new as a fan service, so he came up with the addition counting in his own style after his trainee friend showed him some 귀요미 moves.  [Note: To non-fangirls or non-fanboys, a fan service is a gesture or a brief action done by an artist or a celebrity to tease or reward fans.  Examples are winking, making heart signs, blowing flying kisses, giving intense eye contacts, showing peace signs, etc.]  Since August 2012, 일훈, and sometimes the other BTOB members, often gets requests to do the 귀요미 counting on stage, during interviews, and on variety shows.

These are BTOB members doing 귀요미 poses.

The member with a cap, sitting in front, in the middle, is the 귀요미 Prince, 정일훈.

[Pictures are from Haru Hana magazine, vol. 16.]

Now, there are many versions and re-interpretations of 귀요미.  It has indeed become viral, especially in Asian countries.  Some covers by various individuals are really adorable and make you go "Kyaa~~!" while some others are unfortunately off track and make you go "Err~~".

Regardless of how people remake the 귀요미 and how the viewers react to it, the original 귀요미 counting is the most brilliant and refreshing to me.  Well done, 일훈!

***** ***** *****

On another note, here's the music video of BTOB's 'Second Confession', a feel-good song that gives a warm and sweet feeling.

[Note: The first member to rap in the early part of the music video is 정일훈, the creator of 귀요미.]

Nice Little Escape

Update 130409 - Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVI8OYXxCs

----------

A few weekends ago, some of my closest friends joined my family and me on a little getaway.  We booked an overnight stay at Retreat & Training Centre of Siar Beach, Lundu.  I'm glad that we took some time out despite our piling assignments and upcoming midterm tests back then.  I felt like we really needed to unwind for a short while.

Before checking in at the resort, we stopped by at Lundu Town to have lunch.  We also visited the park for a short while.

Taking a stroll along the beach was calming and refreshing.

My friends and I played soccer at the sand-field provided there.  It was all of us girls against the goalkeeper.



During our BBQ session, we made a surprise birthday celebration for two of our friends.

 After an overnight stay, we checked out with tired bodies but happy faces.

I hope that there will be more chances for getaways like this to take place in the future.  It's refreshing, fun, and uplifting.

A Roller-Coaster Called Life

"Life is like . . . . ."

I'm sure a lot of us, if not all, have come across many different versions of the quote above.  Each person may interpret life in his or her own way.  Sometimes, the closest interpretation that we can relate to depends on a particular situation or event.  Therefore, there is no right or wrong interpretation, only relatable and non-relatable ones.

So, one of the quotes about life that I can personally relate to is "Life is like a roller-coaster.".  One day, we're so uplifted that we feel like we're on top of the world, another day, we may feel so down as if there's no possible lower ground than the one we're at.

Therefore, I would like to share this brilliant quote by a pastor/ preacher/ author named Charles Rozell Swindoll (a.k.a Chuck Swindoll).

"Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life.  The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it." - Swindoll, C.R.

In a nutshell, it's not what happens to us that matters the most.  It's how we respond to it.

What does that make me?

I'm writing this post because there's something related to my personal interests (fandoms, to be exact) that has been bugging me. Well, it's more like something that some other people have done or portrayed. I'll be as fair as I can in elaborating and I'll keep the anonymity of the individuals or groups of people involved, but each event or incident that I'm going to mention here is for real.  

So....my friends and family would most definitely know that I enjoy learning foreign cultures, particularly Asian cultures. To be even more specific, I absolutely adore Japanese and Korean cultures. Yes, both Japanese and Korean. Now, don't jump into conclusion and assume that I don't have the slightest care about my own culture or country. If you think so, man, you're dead wrong! I am proud of my country and constantly pray for its continuous growth and harmony. How can I easily turn my back on a land that has given me a chance to grow up in a peaceful and welcoming surrounding? Therefore, my interest in other cultures doesn't change my root as a Malaysian. It's simply that my interest (or you may call it hobby) is to learn about other cultures, especially in terms of languages and lifestyles. I see it as a positive thing as it helps me to expand the horizon of my knowledge and awareness on other parts of the world. It prevents me from being 'katak di bawah tempurung' [Literally: a frog under a coconut shell; Interpretation: someone who has absolutely no idea about the things outside of his or her own secluded space].  

And let me tell you here that the hardest part about learning foreign cultures is not the unfamiliarity of the foreign cultures. The real hardest part to me is being bugged by skeptics or antis. Some people are just full of hatred, aren't they? Even worse, they choose to grow that hatred inside of them and eventually show it out to the public. How uncivilised! You might say that if the antis are being a pain in the neck, why not just ignore them? That's exactly what I had been doing in the beginning. I figured that those antis are definitely not worthy of my time and attention. But I'm sorry, my patience isn't as high as Mount Everest or as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. I can tolerate some rudeness or unprofessionalism but not when it's too much.  

Now, let's get to the specific incidents that I would like to address, shall we?  

--Haters at Public Performances--
It's usually not an issue at all when the event is by only one act or many acts from the same genre. In fact, you can see the warmth and unity among the audience members at this kind of event. The problem arises when it's an event with a mixture of acts, genres, or places of origin. Let me ask you this. What is the original purpose of going to a concert? The most sensible answer would be to enjoy the show, right? That's why organisers hold concerts in the first place. It's for music lovers to unwind and see the performers live on stage. It's really unfortunate to see how low someone can act just to express his or her dissatisfaction towards others who haven't even done anything wrong. If someone doesn't like a particular performance during a concert, that someone should just clench his/ her fist and bear it throughout the performance. But to 'passionately' shout "boo~", show thumbs-down, throw garbage or other items towards the stage, all WHILE the artists concerned are performing...that's just so thoughtless and childish. Nobody forces anyone to like every performer. Just keep your basic manner. It's as simple as that.  

--Antis on Social Network--
This group of people are, without a doubt, attention-seekers. First of all, being an anti (or hater) is already a negative thing that shows one's narrow state of mind. Please be clear here that antis are those who truly HATE someone or something, not those who harmlessly DISLIKE them. Secondly, these people, knowingly or unknowingly, call out for attention from the whole world by bashing or insulting whoever they're dissatisfied with on social network. Sadly, some of my own acquaintances are like this. I've seen posts and comments like [*rephrased/ translated but with the same meanings*] "...plastic idols...", "...go back to your own place...", "...waste of money and time...", "...delusional fans...", "...pretty faces with no talents...", etc. Those are pretty accusative and presumptive words, don't you think? Shame on those who have stated such things on public platforms! What bugs me more is that all of the negative comments are proclaimed based on the antis' substance-less ASSUMPTIONS only. I mean, have you actually checked out their full performances, trainings, and documentaries? Have you done your research on what they had to face (and for how long) before debuting? Have you tried to see and greet them in person? Have you surveyed why their fans support them so much? And...do you even know who they really are? (i) Expressing your honest opinions and (ii) recklessly mortifying others are two different things that every mentally sane human should be able to differentiate.  

--Disfavouritism by Influential Personalities--
Influential personalities refer to individuals who have regular followers, supporters, or fanbase. They can be celebrities, socialites, gurus, bloggers, and such. What these people have that is so valuable is power in their words and actions. The public listens to what they have to say and watches their actions. Good things are great to share but controversial and sensitive things are better discussed in more private platforms. Just because you're angered by certain incidents, that doesn't give you the right to forcefully retaliate against specific people (or country?). Are you expecting your followers to blindly fight your fight along with you? It's just so unprofessional to go as far as badmouthing others even if there have been past incidents that may have made you feel irritated or upset. You have good intentions, I believe so. But how you choose to act or react mirrors your depth of rationality and your heart's true content. Especially when you're a public figure, your simple words or actions can greatly influence other people, particularly the youngsters. So, please please please be more aware of your choice of words before attacking a particular person or group of people.  

It's tiring to keep telling my side of the story with regards to the assumptions and perceptions made by non-fans of particular individuals or groups. I usually let it slip but when someone is far off track, I feel that I have to do something in my attempt to save his/ her soul from further demonic-like sentiments. *Dramatic word-usage mode, on!*  

If haters at public performances act the way they do with the so-called reason to protect their country's own music industry, what does that make me? Am I a liar when I say that I love my country even though I'm a big fan of J-pop and K-pop?  

If antis on social network claim that so-and-so is not worthy of our support, what does that make me? Am I oblivious for finding joy and comfort in foreign entertainment?  

If influential personalities who are supposed to be the wise and knowledgeable ones show obvious disfavouritism towards a certain genre or even culture, what does that make me? Am I the foolish one for liking to learn a foreign culture, left alone at least two foreign cultures?  

Just stop with the aggressive or passive-aggressive hating and choose the more mature actions. I like what I like, you like what you like. I don't ever want to put you down for what you're interested in, so please don't bring negativity into the picture. Just stay away from the subject matter if all you have to say is your spirit-breaking, fun-killing, conclusion-jumping opinion. Don't rain on someone else's parade. It's shallow. You're better than that.  

Peace, lovely world! ♥

La li la la la~ ♩ ♪ ♫

♪ 이젠 널 지울게.. 다 버릴게.. 지난 추억에서 보내줄게.. I don't know why-y-y-y.. Please tell me why-y-y-y.. 왜 넌 항상 또 그 자리에.. ♫
[My rough translation:] I'll erase you now.. I'll throw it all away.. I'll send you away from past memories.. I don't know why-y-y-y.. Please tell me why-y-y-y.. Why are you always there..

The lines above have been playing in my mind over and over again for a few days.  They're from a new song called 'Sadness' by a K-pop/ Mandarin pop group called Mystical Formula (M4M).  The one I'm particularly referring to right now is the Korean version.  There's also a Mandarin version of the song.  I don't exactly know why but this song has been on my playlist since the day it was released.  In fact, my phone is playing the exact song on repeat as I'm typing this now.  I have also been listening to this song while driving to campus and back home.  You can say that I've been intoxicated by this song.  Haha...it's kind of true.  The song is catchy and upbeat in a way that intrigues my musical interest.  The official music video for the song is in Mandarin.  A few days after the release of the music video, M4M performed the Korean version of the song on Mnet's M!Countdown.  The group also performed the Korean version at its debut showcase the day before.  When I watched a video of the M!Countdown performance, I was blown away by how good the group performed the song live, along with the dancing routine.

The official music video in Mandarin version

Live performance of the Korean version

Considering that this group is a fresh rookie group, the members seem to have tremendous talents as well as charm.  The fact that this new group has been diligently trained by Cube Entertainment, my favourite entertainment agency, adds to its charm.  Of course, I can't simply like a group or a soloist just because they come from my favourite agency.  I usually check them out first and give them a chance.  I think it has a lot to do with personal preferences on the styles and concepts of music.  Cube's style just fits me.  It is important to mention here that this group is not completely under Cube Entertainment.  It's a collaboration between South Korea's Cube Entertainment and China's Starry Sky Entertainment.

I've been considering to purchase 'Mystery Formula', M4M's first mini album, but I don't think it has been released  as physical album in South Korea yet.  I'm not even sure if there will be a physical release of the album in South Korea.  They would probably release it in China only.  But then, I can't be so sure about this yet since M4M hasn't had its official debut showcase in China.  Very soon, though.  The members will depart to China and debut there.  I don't know how often they will promote in both South Korea and China, but I hope that they will promote in South Korea actively too because I want to see them on South Korean music shows.  ^^  All the best to Mystical Formula!

And guess what...?
It's BTOB's first anniversary~~~!!