Category: What’s New

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: Why Do I Have To Pick Just ONE???

You know, I wasn’t even planning on writing a TOTW post this week, but when I saw Moonbin and Sanha’s new MV, just waiting for me on my YouTube homepage first thing Monday morning, I just couldn’t help myself!

Once again, the imminent change in the season has inspired a darker, more serious concept, and I, for one, am loving it. I will forever be a fan of the broody side of K-Pop and its ability to combine darker images with the catchy beats. It’s one of the many undeniable charms of K-Pop and this “Bad Idea” MV has pulled it off swimmingly!

But while I was squealing over my little ASTRO babies, I saw that Stray Kids had released the MV for “Back Door” and wouldn’t you know, I fell just as in love with this video as I did “Bad Idea”. For some unimaginable reason, I just can’t help but smile, every time I watch both of these darn MVs. So then I thought, why the heck to do I have to pick just one tune to squeal over? Why can’t I just mention all the videos that have made me smile this week?

So that’s what I’m doing. Because let’s face it, life is all kinds of messed up right now and it doesn’t hurt to have more than one reason to smile. And boy, oh boy! This MV certainly makes me smile! The boys themselves are as cute as ever, the choreo is freaking fantastic, and the bass-line is so dang catchy, you’d have to be a corpse to not feel it inspire even the tiniest bit of a smile.

But K-Pop hasn’t been the only source of joy for me this week. Oh no! J-Rock is doing what it does best: giving me ample reasons to smile as it simultaneously makes my heart skip a beat. While ONE OK ROCK has been busy teasing the crap out of their upcoming live-streamed concert, and Crossfaith has been promoting the crap of the live-streamed concert they held last weekend, MIYAVI has released this little gem of a video and you know, I just couldn’t let a chance to squeal over one of my favorite guitar playing rock stars go by!

In all honesty, it really wouldn’t matter to me what MIYAVI played. It’d love it regardless. But there’s just something about this version of “Over the Rainbow” that has me smiling. Maybe it’s just the simple reminder that no matter how gray things might be now, there’s always the hope that they’ll brighten again… Someday… That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.

Until that day comes, I hope this week’s “Tunes” have brought a little sunshine your way and have given you as many reason to smile as they have given me.

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Making Mondays Better: ONE OK ROCK 2014 MIGHTY LONG FALL AT YOKOHAMA STADIUM ~A Playlist~

Remember last week, when I mentioned a little something about ONE OK ROCK’s upcoming LIVE-streamed concert, “Field of Wonder”? Well, I may be just a teensy bit excited about said concert and as such, I’ve been thinking that doing a little pre-concert celebrating might not be such a bad thing. But how does one celebrate a concert that is exactly 26 days, 13 hours, 16 minutes, and 21 seconds away? Why, with a heckin’ lot of OOR playlists, of course!

I’m very much aware that putting together a playlist comprised of the setlist from OOR’s 2014 show isn’t quite the same as being at the show. Heck, it’s not even the same as watching the show when OOR streamed it on YouTube this past spring. But let’s face it, we’re not going to be going to any shows in-person for who knows how long, so I figure this is the next best thing.

If you’re looking for an exact replica of that incredible 2014 show, this isn’t it. I’m sure you could find something like that out there, if you really tried, but I’m not gonna go there. Instead, I’ve tried to use as many of OOR’s official music videos as I possible can, to recreate the set-list itself and nothing more. Sadly, not every OOR song has an official video, so I’ve tried to use the best fan-made videos I can find. Is it a perfect playlist? No. But if nothing else, it gives me something fun to watch while I slowly kill myself during my treadmill runs. (Anyone else hate those painful torture devices disguised as fitness machines, or is that just me?)

My plan is to create a playlist for every one of the concerts OOR streamed for us poor, miserable, pandemic-plagued fans, earlier this year. There were seven concerts in all, so doing one a week will take us way past the “Field of Wonder” date. I suppose I could do two a week, but having a weekly dose of ONE OK ROCK might be kinda nice. Maybe it’ll help lessen the inevitable post-concert blues???

Because I’m such a ridiculous fangirl, I have every one of these concert setlists already saved as playlists on iTunes (which you can find, if you really wanted to, by searching for me @TheZombieMamma). I also have the “Listening Together” playlist OOR created for Spotify, which I may turn into a YT playlist as well someday. It all depends on how crazy life gets and how interested anyone is in having it. I mean, I’m cool with endlessly sharing my love of ONE OK ROCK but I’m also aware that not everyone in the world shares my enthusiasm for this fantabulous rock band. After all, I really can curb the inner fangirl. When I have to.

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: TAEMIN’s “Criminal”

Earlier this week, Taemin made his comeback with the release of his third solo album and wouldn’t you know it, the title track is so freaking fantastic, it has inspired me to crawl out of my pandemic-y hole of solitude long enough to share my squeals of delight with the world. (With a mask on, of course.)

It comes as no surprise that “Criminal” meets every single one of my expectations for solo track from SHINEE’s maknae. The combination of Taemin’s sultry, yet slightly haunting vocals, mixed with that slightly dark, yet still somehow poppy beat that makes you want to move your feet, is exactly what I love about Taemin’s music. It’s a brilliant combination of light and dark, emotional pop, that makes my little fangirl heart so happy! And I haven’t even started talking about the MV yet!

To say I love this music video feels like such an understatement. The concept is as strong as any other Taemin comeback. The visuals are gorgeous on every level and I love that there’s this not-so-hidden feel of sinister intent that’s been glossed over by that beautiful K-Pop shine. In short, it’s the perfect concept for this time of year, when the bright neon obnoxiousness of summer gives way to the more muted and somewhat spooky tones of autumn.

Of course, as much as I love the concept of the video, it’s the choreography that has really moved me. As always, I’m mesmerized by the fluidity of Taemin’s choreo. I find myself perpetually in awe of the way this man moves. It is art in motion and I cannot even begin to express the feelings that this beauty invokes. It really is nothing short of perfection and all I can say is, well done, my dude. Well done indeed!

Honestly, the same could be said for the entirety of Taemin’s third album. I’ve been listening to “Never Gonna Dance Again: Act 1” on repeat this week and I can’t get over how much I love it. The vibe of the entire album is so very, very Taemin, which might seem like a dumb thing to say but hear me out. Every once in a while, an artist will try branching out into new sounds. Sometimes it works, other times, not so much. It makes me happy that Taemin has found a sound that works for him and is sticking with it. Because this sound really, REALLY, works for him.

As far as tracks go, I found the collaboration with Kid milli on “Black Rose” to be an unexpected and rather fabulous treat. But it’s “2 KIDS” that really stands out to me. I think it’s because the lyrics just hit on a much more personal note than most. To be honest, it’s a bit of an unexpected surprise, which might be why I like it so much.

If you’re looking for a new album to add to your K-Pop collection, I would highly recommend Taemin’s third solo offering. I might even go so far as to promise that it won’t disappoint. But maybe that’s just my inner fangirl talking…

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Wha… Wha… What???

Okay, okay, okay. So I know it’s been about 19 million years since I last wrote anything. And to be perfectly honest, it’s feels pretty weird to be writing this now but HOLY HECKIN’ HECK, GUYS!!!

About three weeks ago, the members of ONE OK ROCK began posting cryptic photos on their Instagram accounts that seemed to hint very strongly about an upcoming concert. Of course, I spent a lot of time discussing what all of this might mean with some of my most devoted OORer friends, and it didn’t take long for us to decide that yes, this was going to be some sort of online concert. (Yeah, we’re super clever like that!)

Then about two weeks ago, the members (and all of OOR’s official SNS accounts) started posting this short video, confirming our suspicions that “Field of Wonder” would, in fact, be an online concert and that tickets were now on sale.

Naturally, I had to buy my ticket the second I finished watching that short little video of instant joy and death. (I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a ticket so quickly in my life!) Needless to say, I’ve been counting down the days until October 11th ever since. And yes, I do mean literally. Because I really am that pathetic.

Then yesterday, the members of OOR started posting a link to this little gem of a teaser video and DEAR SWEET BABY FLYING MONKEYS! Those 65 seconds have made me happier than I have been in freaking ages!

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I am suffering from some very serious pandemic-induced concert withdrawals. So maybe my reaction to all of this is a bit more exaggerated than it might otherwise be. But honestly, considering the way this year has gone, having something to look forward to is a frickin’ godsend and October can’t come soon enough!

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HOLY VANISHING ZOMBIE, BATMAN!

Holy crickets, it’s been a long time since I sat down to write anything here! What the heck!?! You’d think I’d dropped off the face of the planet or something!

Thankfully, I haven’t dropped off of anything. Not yet anyway… Except maybe the deep end, but that’s not really anything new, now is it? ㅋㅋㅋ

Actually, I just popped in for a second because I had the sudden realization that the last time I was here, I didn’t have a lot of good news to share with anyone and honestly, I made life sound pretty freaking awful. Which, let’s be honest, at the time, it was. But things have gotten so much better since then, I felt it was only right to pop in and let you all know that I’m still here, I’m doing infinitely better than I was back in January, and that even though I’m not writing anything in this particular space, I’m actually still very active in the great and glorious world of Hallyu.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that some of you read my work very frequently. You just don’t know it’s me. Because I’m actually a ninja…

Okay, no. I’m not really a ninja, just a writer who’s picked up some freelance gigs over the past six months or so. I’ve covered a few concerts in Chicago, got to interview M.O.N.T (who are completely adorable, and super sweet, and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you totally should), I have a few more concerts I may be covering in the next month or so (so if you see me, be sure to stop and say hi), and on top of all this, I’ve been working as a content writer for a certain video streaming website all you drama lovers out there will know very well. 😉

I have to say, as awful as this year started out, 2019 is proving to be one of the best years I’ve had in a L-O-N-G time. Not only have things on the work front gone surprisingly well, but on the personal front as well. I finally reached a point (thanks to a certain string of events, a handful of amazing friends, and a couple of back-to-back concerts with a band who possesses an uncanny ability to waltz into my life at the very moment I need them most) where I decided I was done letting my health (or lack thereof) control my life. So I took it back. Believe me, it’s a lot easier to write that than it is to actually live it but nonetheless, it’s what I’ve done. Or am attempting to do, slowly and steadily, over the past eight months or so, and I’m happy to report that I’m in a much better place physically, mentally, and emotionally, than I’ve been in years. I’ve found new inspiration to be creative and crafty. (I’ve gone so far as to make myself a set of plushies and even a mini-me, which felt really weird making at the time, but I have to admit, now, I kinda love her.) I planted a garden (and watched with tears in my eyes as the squirrels and skunks ate EVERYTHING I grew 😭). I reconnected with my first love, Japanese rock (Coldrain is kinda killing me right now… Then again, so is One OK Rock… But that’s nothing new!) I’ve started going on food adventures with friends, in which we explore new and delicious restaurants around the Chicagoland area. (And oh man, have we found some delicious places to eat!) I’ve even started running again! (Which is something I honestly never thought I’d be able to do again, but here I am! 10 weeks in and still not dead. Woohoo!)

(Can we say inspiration?)

I will admit that I still have bad days, but don’t we all? I’ve just decided to take a more active role in deciding just how bad those days get. Making a conscious effort to live each day to the fullest is hard (and sometimes exhausting) but a good friend and I vowed (after that aforementioned string of events) that we wouldn’t let there be any more wasted nights in our lives and though I can’t speak for my friend, I can assure you, I’m doing my best to stick to my word. Because as I’ve been made painfully aware, you only get one life so you’d better make the most of it while you still can. So I am. And I hope you are too.

((HUGS))

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Hello From the Other Side

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I last sat down to write a blog post. It just doesn’t seem possible and yet, here we are…

When I walked away from my computer last February, I had no idea it would take me a year to come back. My plan was to take a short break while I got some health issues figured out and them come back, stronger (healthier) and better than ever. But that didn’t happen. Instead of finding answers, I now have more questions. Instead of getting better, I got worse. Much worse.

Overdramatic much?

Over the course of this past year I’ve seen 11 different doctors, been to 3 different emergency rooms, taken my first emergency ambulance ride (which is waaaay less fun than what they make it appear in dramas… Go figure!), had more tests done than I can even count and have an entire pharmacy’s worth of medications sitting on top of my refrigerator. My quality of life has dropped significantly as I attempt (rather unsuccessfully) to find ways to deal with the pain that has become a permanent fixture in my life. I often find myself explaining to others, “I’m not really living anymore, I’m just existing” and to be perfectly honest, it sucks! I’ve really struggled with this whole transition from “wonder mom” (which isn’t really me but people seem to think I am anyway) to barely function human being. Despite what some might think, it’s not easy, going from productive member of society to useless pile of whacked out nerves and endless pain. What makes this whole thing even worse is the fact that I still haven’t been able to find a doctor who can figure out what’s wrong with me. Most of them either look at me and go “Oh… well… that’s odd” or treat me like I’m an attention-seeking, hypochondriacal, wackadoo Hausfrau with too much time on her hands. Sometimes it’s both.

I tried to put off writing a post like this for as long as possible because I wanted to be able to come in at the end with a happy “But now I’m back and better than ever!” But I can’t. I wanted to have all my questions answered. But they’re not. I wanted to have my life back on track. But it isn’t. I wanted to be able to say, to all of you who may be suffering with your own chronic illnesses, “Hang in there! An answer is on the way! You’ve got this!” Which really, is the only thing I can say, not just to others but to myself as well. Some days I believe it, some days I don’t. But I have to keep trying because what’s the alternative?

Like so many others going through life with a chronic illness, I often find myself wondering why life decided to throw me this curve ball but I never come up with an answer. I don’t know why my nervous system has decided to go completely wacky, or why my spine feels like it’s a flaming lightning rod all. the. frickin’. time. I don’t know why I’ve had a migraine-like headache every second of every day for the past 2 years. I don’t know why some days my legs are like “NOPE! You’re not going to walk today!” I don’t know why I can’t talk someone into doing that Mortal Kombat finishing move on me and pull my head off, Sub-Zero-style, taking my spine out with it. (For some reason people seem to think that one might not actually help me feel any better… Weird.)

There are a lot of things I don’t know. But one thing I do know is, I’m not giving up. Not now. Not ever. I’m going to keep fighting. I’m going to keep searching for answers. I’m going to keep doing the absolute best I can; even if that means that some days all I do is drag myself from my bed to the couch and back again. Because, again, what’s the alternative? Giving up isn’t an option so I’m just going to keep trying.

I hope that some day soon, I’ll be able to hop back on here with the happy news that I’ve finally found answers, that I’m finally starting to feel like my old zombie self, that life is finally starting to get back to normal. Believe me, stepping away from writing for this long has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But as Yong Junhyung says in his first album intro, “nothing is forever” and I have to believe that someday “this too shall pass.” Until then, know that I’m still here. I’m still watching as many dramas as I can. I’m still squealing over K-Pop comebacks and life-ending teaser photos and heart-stopping music videos. I’m still trying to make it to as many concerts as I can. I’m still doing everything I can to keep as much of me “me” as I can. Because life doesn’t end just because you have a chronic illness, it just has to slow down every now and then. (A fact I’m still not willing to accept without much grumbling… *grumble grumble grumble*)

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: DAY6 “If We Meet Again”

Last week DAY6 dropped a stellar MV on the world as they prepare for their official Japanese debut and quite honestly, I’ve been shaken to my very core. This single has become life and death and everything in between. It’s absolutely everything I ever could have hoped for and so much more! Which is why, even though more than a week has passed since it’s release, I’ve decided to feature “If We Meet Again” as this week’s “Tune.” Continue reading “TUNE OF THE WEEK: DAY6 “If We Meet Again””

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: iKON “Love Scenario”

I’m pretty sure this week’s “Tune” comes as a HUGE surprise to… absolutely no one! Yeah… I know. I should probably work on keeping my biases more in check. But really, where’s the fun in that? Besides, with a song as flipping fantastic as “Love Scenario” well… There’s every reason in the world to be freaking out right now. So here. I. Goooooooooooo… Continue reading “TUNE OF THE WEEK: iKON “Love Scenario””

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: JBJ “My Flower”

Okay, so I know it’s been about a million years since I last let my inner fangirl out to squeal over a new K-Pop release; mostly because my head is stupid and looking at a computer screen for any amount of time kinda makes me want to rip it off. Despite all that head-ripping off, I feel it’s time to let my long-contained fangirl run free, at least long enough to squeal her little heart out over JBJ’s newest MV release, “My Flower.” Continue reading “TUNE OF THE WEEK: JBJ “My Flower””

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For Jonghyun: You Did Well

Three weeks ago, a brilliant star let his light fade from this world and in his absence, I have struggled to find a way to deal with his passing. I know that to some it seems so silly, mourning the loss of someone so wholly unconnected to me, but I’m not writing this for those people. I’m writing this for me and for those out there who may be struggling, as I am, to find some way to say this last goodbye. Continue reading “For Jonghyun: You Did Well”