Sunday, May 29, 2011

K-Drama Baby-Faced Beauty: It's All About Fashion!


She’s single, pretty and has a stable job that most people would die for. What more could she ask for? For Lee So Young, her complex is her age, which most people wouldn’t believe even after a thorough look at her. At 34 years old, she is at a risk of becoming a spinster, but all she worries about is keeping her job to pay off her huge debt, incurred by her spendthrift younger sister.

So Young’s life is a harsh one, waking up and going to work early in the morning, sewing endless pieces of garments at a factory where she works as a seamstress. And finally one day she was fired from her job, only to be replaced by a much younger girl. Desperate for a job, she hunts down every shop in her neighbourhood, only to be placed in a more distressed situation by her ruthless younger sister who takes off with a customer’s branded coat at the shop where she was left to handle alone after being hired on the spot.

She followed her sister, So Jin, to a club where an accident involving a guy named Choi Jin Wook left the coat drowned and stained by pink liquor. Worse, So Young and Jin Wook also caused a huge damage to the audio system and were demanded to pay up for their mistakes. Being locked up in the washroom, they decided to escape. So Young managed to run, but Jin Wook was unfortunately left behind when guards spotted her escaping.

With a ruined coat, she was fired on the first day at her new job and was left to explain herself to the coat’s owner. Luck was on her side, the coat belongs to a friend from school. Off the hook, she went home and woke up the next day to discover that her sister had agreed to work as a fitting model at a fashion house but could not go. Can she turn up instead since the pay for the job is very high? Since it was a one off job, So Young decided to give it a go.

When she turned up at the job as the 25-year-old So Jin, people believed her white lie and worked her hard, thinking she was a gullible young girl. Hilarious moments ensued as So Young finds out that the part-time gig was for a week and paid far lesser than her sister had mentioned and screamed at her over the phone. What’s more, Jin Wook happens to be the MD of the company and demanded that she comes out a share of the money for the damage done at the club.

Being the youngest, she was blamed for the loss of a dress sample that the director wants to have a look at. Desperate and frantic, So Young sewed up an exact copy of the dress which she had worn just before it was lost. The design team was saved by her actions but they were not thankful. She was dismissed, but the director saw her talent in sewing and recreating pieces and he hired her back as a junior designer.

So Young was happy at the chance but by accepting the job she has to live the lie of being Lee So Jin, a 25-year-old graduate for the next 6 months. After much deliberation, she accepted the job, and went through sweaty moments at the HR department, producing her sister’s ID card instead.

What So Young didn’t know is So Jin entered one of her designs for a competition held by the company and her entry was picked as the winner. For the prize, she gets a job at the company as a designer, which is a notch higher than her current status. Can she tell her superiors the truth that she is not Lee So Jin, but in fact, Lee So Young, a 34-year-old retrenched seamstress?

Find out what will So Young decide by catching KBS World’s drama Baby-Faced Beauty on ASTRO Channel 391 every Monday and Tuesday at 9.00pm.

The author is a K-drama addict and spends every weekday evening in front of the TV watching dramas.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Kim Bo Kyung's Latest Single Even If I Forget And Erase


Superstar K2's Kim Bo Kyung has released a new single, titled Even If I Forget And Erase. The Korean equivalent to American Idol's Kelly Clarkson first debuted with her powerful ballad Day By Day. The talented singer was also the opening act for Taylor Swift's concert in South Korea.

Her powerful vocals gives her songs and lyrics emotions that even language barriers are not able to hold back, and thus she stands out from many idol groups in the K-pop scene.


Her latest single showcases a more softer and retro side of her, and the sad ballad gives off the feeling of someone who longs for a lost loved one.

Check out the audio clip for
Even If I Forget And Erase here. The slow tempo of the track will definitely soothe your tired mind after a long day. Do give it a listen!

The author discovered Kim Bo Kyung by chance and is amazed by the similarities she shared with a great American Idol.


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Thursday, May 19, 2011

JOO and Super Junior's Leeteuk Duets On Ice Cream


The latest hit on the K-pop scene is Ice Cream, a collaboration between JOO and Super Junior's Leeteuk. Since the track's release, it has been soaring to the top of popular music download websites' charts.

With the combined power of fans from both sides, there is no reason why this song will not be a success. With that aside, JOO demonstrates her cutesy side in this upbeat and fun song, breaking from her usual image of singing ballads, while Leeteuk's first attempt at a duet shows off his softer side.


With a fun melody and catchy rhythm, the song expresses the feelings of a man and woman who are in love. The duo also released a music video for Ice Cream as a sweet treat for all their fans. Do check it out!

PS: Here's a link to allkpop's page where you can check out super duper cute photo shots of JOO and Leeteuk for Ice Cream.

The author is a fan of JOO's ballads, particularly her latest one titled Bad Guy.

As always, do follow me on Twitter for the latest updates!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

miss A Releases English Track Love Alone

The nimble girls of miss A has finally released a new track, and it’s an English one to boot! They performed the song live ahead of their album’s release for Kim Yuna’s “Ice Show”.

Titled Love Alone, the song was written and produced by big names in the music industry who had worked with Rihanna and Jason DeRulo and has a catchy beat and a simple repetitive chorus which induces you to sing along!

There were many fancams of their performance on Kim Yuna’s “Ice Show” and fans also clamoured for more from the girls. Due to demand, they have released a music video for the track which features behind the scenes of their live performance. Do check out the music video for Love Alone here.

The girls’ smooth vocals coupled together with their perfect pronunciation on this track blows me away and I think they have what it takes to cross over international borders in the near future.

The members have all recently pursued solo paths in acting as well as variety shows, so their comeback to the music scene had been highly anticipated. Can’t wait for their new album to be released!

The author was first introduced to miss A when JYP parodied their Bad Girl Good Girl song.

As always, do follow me on Twitter for the latest updates!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Lady Antebellum Releases New Single: Just A Kiss


The talented trio Lady Antebellum is back in the music scene with a new track, Just A Kiss. Their last album Need You Now had churned out the hit single of the same name, as well as a few notable songs such as American Honey and Hello World.

Not surprising, they have maintained the same recipe (ie. sound) behind their hit single Need You Now on their latest track, Just A Kiss, and their melodious harmony keeps you wanting more by hitting the replay button over and over again.


So far they have not yet released a full album and music video for this song, and that's probably their strategy to keep their fans waiting with bated breath for their next release.


But just to keep fans happy, they have released a lyric video for fans to familiarize themselves with the song and as well as for those karaoke sessions! Do check out the lyric video for Just A Kiss here.


Do I smell another chart-topper hit from these amazing singers? Only time will tell, I guess. I will be updating when their full album is released.


The author first listened to Lady Antebellum's song I Run To You and came to be a huge fan of country music. Read more on her past writings on Lady Antebellum.

As always, do follow me on Twitter for the latest updates!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Lenka's Latest Album Two

Lenka is back with a new album, Two, which I had greatly anticipated since I loved her previous works. Her previous self-titled album had churned out hits such as The Show and Trouble Is a Friend, and the former was featured on many soundtracks and television commercials.

The Australian singer’s sound is refreshing compared to many other artists, whose songs rotate on the radio airwaves daily. Her childlike-voice, slapstick melody and meaningful lyrics are qualities which made her stand out from the rest.

Two, the title track off the album, kicks off the album in a cowboy fashion with the guitar strumming the background.

My personal favourites are Heart Skips A Beat and Roll with the Punches. The former (appropriately) opens with the sound of a heart beating, and the catchy beat of the song keeps you tapping away throughout the entire song. I foresee this track being the successor of The Show as it could be used for advertisements, while the latter has a catchy and repetitive chorus which gets you on a roll.

Do check out the music video for Lenka’s Heart Skips A Beat, as she also continues to work with the same artist behind her previous videos such as The Show, and I assure you it’s a fun one to watch!

Everything At Once and Shock Me Into Love are tracks which retains Lenka’s quirky music style, and proves to be great listens too. Other tracks on the album include Sad Song, Blinded By Love, Here To Stay, You Will Be Mine, Everything’s OK, and The End Of The World.

Overall, Lenka’s album is a great piece to spin whenever you need an instant pick-me-up. It is great to see her retaining some of her previous musical style and hopefully she will continue to create great tunes!

The author loved Lenka’s quirky musical style ever since she came up with the hit song The Show.

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