With love, a friend...

You might not remember this part of you, you might not want to acknowledge your past fragility. But hey! here I am or better said, here I was all this time. You might be living your dream somewhere in this big world or you might be wounded to death, hiding under layers of silence as you gave up on all humanity. Or you might have accepted that being plain is not bad at all and forgot all about our messy past and the pieces of your once broken heart.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, whomever you're with when you read this, just in case you come across this one day, I want to share with you this life philosophy that's stuck in my head for now (I'm putting it down 'cause I know I will forget it as soon as I go to bed):

1. Be someone's friend - befriend someone and be his or her friend even after midnight. Don't judge, don't hold a grudge, don't frown, don't wish they didn't exist. Help them if you can, be their best friend, give them courage, give them strength even if one day they could walk away. Just be their friend over a cup of tea, over the phone, in writing. Bear them in mind and heart and show them warmth. People are and will be people - always in need of company, always in need of warmth. Give a lil' of your light to a blind person and you'll walk around with a lighter heart.
2. Pet a dog or a cat. It soothes the heart, it makes you feel loved even for a little while. Animals don't hate, they don't hold grudges and are grateful for every touch, for every word, for every minute you give them.
3. Love. With all your heart, with all your soul. I know you've been brokenhearted before, I know it hurts when he leaves. But even so, love with all your might, give your best, be caring and bright, be supportive and attentive to the other's needs, show appreciation and respect. I doubt it will be left unrewarded. And even if it is, later on, when you'll be really old and cranky, you won't regret it. You'd have made someone feel special and loved even for a little while. It won't matter you weren't considered good enough, that you weren't the one, that you weren't perfect - 'cause even for a lil' while, you have made someone happy.
4. Sing along with your favourite songs. It doesn't matter you don't have a good voice or that you're making a total fool out of you. It doesn't matter you don't know the lyrics or the language. Hum along, dance with the beat, feel the music pour through all your pores, through your cells.
5. Don't be afraid of who you are, of what you think, of what you like. Life's too short for that!
6. Don't hurt others just for the sake of being a voice. In the end, it won't matter if you're remembered through the centuries if you'd be regretting it all your life or feel guilty. It's not worth the burden, trust me.
7. Don't hold grudges. Let it go, let it go, just let it go. If you stop caring about the past, the future will be easier to see and build. If they did you wrong, just forget it. If they hurt you in ways no one can understand your aching scars, if they left you bleeding without an explanation - it's alright. It's just fine. They went their way, you got your own path. And when your paths will cross again, there will be enough space  for "Hello.".
8. Be a good daughter even when your mom is no longer what you recalled her to be. Be supportive of her, be there with a nice word, be there to remind her that she'll never be alone and that no matter what, she has you.
9. Be a good mother. Be the mother your mother was: your children's best friend, their playmate, their protector, their teacher, their guiding light. Be attentive to their needs, to their fears, to their life philosophy. Don't be afraid to share your past with them, don't be afraid to scold them gently, don't be afraid of letting them be free in world where there they will be judged according to appearance, wealth, gadgets or what else. Their happiness is yours.
10. Be a good wife. Be a good life partner. Be supportive of his dreams, support him on his way, be there when he needs you, be his comforting silence, be his painkiller when he's in terrible pain. Listen well and think twice before saying something that you might regret later. Remember what you promised to yourself when you were younger and never let the other one behind in pain or anger. Talk your problems out, figure a way together, don't be silly and stubborn when it's not the case. Don't cause unnecessary pain to your partner. Don't be selfish - be selfless. And if he hurts you, be sincere and tell him. If he steps on your heart, try to talk things out. If it just doesn't work, part as friends. Don't cause unnecessary pain one to another. And don't be afraid of telling him you love him - you never know what can happen by the end of the day. Don't be just his partner and lover. Be his friend.

Ten rules for an easier  life - no, scratch that, rules for a happier life! And not rules, but just reminders on how to be a better person, on how to live with no regrets, on how to be everything you once promised yourself you'd be one day: a better human, a better person, a better you.

And if you are all these out there, then I am happy to have lived through the pain and misery, through the hardship and broken hearts. If you're leading a life like you dreamt, then I regret nothing and I am genuinely happy for you and those around you.

But don't forget the most important rule of them all, the golden one if I may say so: be yourself no matter what. The bright person your friends saw, the romantic one, the childish one, the silly one. Don't let the darkness you fear consume your bright light! You are the sun of your own universe! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

With love,

A Friend from the Past

Taeyang "Rise [Vol. 2]" Album Review

This review reflects personal opinions and not those of a professional!

Personal rating: 4.5/5

The impression: To be honest, when YG Ent. posted that famous picture on their official Facebook, asking fans "Who's next?" I was sincerely hoping for WINNER's debut and was quite disappointed when they announced Taeyang's new album. But, and there's a big but in here, I no longer regret. Giving a listen to this album made me fall in love with every single musical note, with every single word.

I like how this album is an overall throw back Thursday and how even the album cover is made to remember us of that old Taeyang that used to be called Sol or Solar, a nickname that died with time as he raised to fame and became known more for his swag-ish and dance tracks. Take the title of the album as it's written on the album cover "Rise Taeyang" and you'll understand just how awesome this album is meant to be and just what's its purpose - Taeyang rises once again like the Sol that reached the peak of all charts back in 2008.

So, let's welcome this little piece of the past that has been caught and dressed up in this beautiful, brand new album, shall we?

The tracks:

01. Intro (Rise) - I really needed to say some words about the intro of the album since not only that is an awesome introduction to the album, but there are some pretty impressive elements mixed in this short track.

First of all, Taeyang's English. Just... WOW! I'm not a native speaker or whatever, but wow, did he manage to impress me with a clean pronunciation! For a non-Korean speaker, a clean English will always impress and most of the times, it will make us sing along. So, there goes a point to Taeyang for his hard work!

Secondly, the beat. It just made me move along with the rhythm even though I'm not the greatest dancer out there. I always thought that an intro that makes you move or sing along with it introduces a great album! And guess what? Up till now, I was never wrong!

And thirdly, the message. Most of the intros don't usually have that much consistency since it's only a fragment of a song. Ok, it has to be catchy, to make people want to hear the full version of it, but most of them just make you skip them and just go for the next track. But this one- this one is one of those intros I really wish it had a full version. I'm not joking! Even though it's pretty short (1:45 minutes), I personally think it manages to capture pretty well Taeyang's intention/thoughts. Something happened - in between the release of "Ringa Linga" and this album, something caused Taeyang to feel the need for a public declaration "I'm not going anywhere, 'cause I worked my ass up here! I'll show you that I am Sol and I will rise brighter than the morning sun!". Or that's what I felt he was saying through this intro...

02. Eyes, Nose, Lips - Maybe this is a real-life dedication, maybe be not... Whatever it is, it was turned in a beautiful long song that got sing along with it and wanna scream to the whole world "THIS IS THE REAL TAEYANG! THIS IS OUR SOL! THIS IS HIS REAL POTENTIAL!" (fan-girl mode deactivated).

If I were to ignore the already existing MV and close my eyes to imagine a new one for this track, I would more than surely see Taeyang in a black-and-white suit under the spotlight, singing to this invisible female that causes him to feel sorry and at the same time long for those better times when they were together. I think it would suit the whole song so much better than the real MV, where Taeyang insisted to appear half naked, thing I don't quite fancy since... it's distracting me from the whole feeling of the song, alright?! Yes, he looks great (even though in my opinion, his abs looked so much better before), but his nice, naked body doesn't go along that well with the feeling of loneliness this track gives away. Or is it just me who sees it like this? Ok, maybe his bareness is used to show his vulnerability , but still... it's distracting to one's eyes!

Anyway, this R&B song, combined with the piano and the acoustic guitar really highlights Taeyang's vocals, proving that he's not only a great dancer (with one of the nicest smiles, if you ask me), but a full artist that debuted displaying a range of colours through his voice. I think that's the most important thing about this song.

But what I love the most about this track is the jerky way he sings the chorus. To me, it sounds so much more personal since it sounds like a regretful enumeration of all the things that were taken from him...

03. 1AM - If the previous track was probably the immediate reaction of the guy after being dumped, this is clearly the later attitude of the very same guy. The track is fun and has an upbeat rhythm, displaying the cool attitude of the guy that really tries his best to get over everything, but still catches himself thinking of her at 1am sharp.

The rhythm is so silly that it just makes you move your feet along with it, move your fingers in the air, wanna go to this guy and just offer him a solution to get over the whole break-up thing. It's fun! It makes me think of Taeyang in a colourful MV or a street performance where he could show a silly acting to display his incapability to get over that girl he speak about. Or it could be a meeting between old lovers where he just gets up and starts showing just how hard it was for him to get over her...

04. Stay With Me (ft. G-Dragon) - Ok, I have to admit that I was waiting to listen to this ever since I saw it was featuring GD.  I really think Taeyang's R&B tone goes really well with the relaxed rap of his best friend, G-Dragon-sshi. And they make me smile since in this song, they are one and the same guy: GD is the cool part, the one who acts all macho and doesn't show his soft spot for the girl, while Taeyang is the sweet side that says everything he bears in his heart (you know, like a male best friend that usually gets friend zoned?).

I really respect all YG artists since their use of English in songs really makes sense. I think I've heard so much broken English that makes no sense in other k-pop songs that I no longer find it silly. But this song's English lines really act as bridges between how the man acts and how he feels, which is awesome!

Another thing I absolutely love is the choir bridge mixed with GD's laid back rap pleading! It's just brilliant! Ok, ok, you caught me, this is my second favourite song on this whole album!

05. Beautiful (Body) (ft. CL) - This is exactly that type of dance track that absolutely makes no sense to me! First of all, it's disappointing to all those fangirls that don't look like Young Bae's ideal type... kiddin', but really I personally felt like hiding after hearing this song.

Unfortunately, I don't find the song anything special. The beat is alright and easy to move along to, but otherwise, the lyrics don't have that much of consistency and the message is quite shallow... Heck, let's be honest here, the whole song pretty much says "I wanna have your babies!"... Sorry, this track is disappointing from this perspective. Otherwise, the way he admits he howls like a wolf when he thinks of her body - that's damn funny!

06. Ringa Linga - Another dance track. Should I stop here? I mean, I don't want anyone to think that I insult Taeyang or anything, but I personally don't think this type of song or style suits him. He has a great body, hands down, and great dancing skills, I'll give him credit for that. But this type of songs don't display his vocals like his other songs do. Ok, here he raps quite coolly and the singing bridge put some of his vocals into the spotlight. But that's pretty much all, I'm sorry to say this...

I have to admit that when I first listened to it, I wasn't thrilled at all. It just didn't grabbed my attention. It was someone else's dance cover that made me take a liking into this song, which is quite strange since I usually go for the original version...

07. This Isn't It - Is this the aftermath of that courageous approach to the new break-up in track 03? I think so. But still, I like this song very much for the sweet display of emotional vocals, for the acoustic guitar arrangement, for the piano accompanying Taeyang, for the sincerity of the lyrics. I like how it's soft as a lullaby and full of the regrets of a man that doesn't know how to be happy after a break-up (really now, Taeyang dear, who broke your heart to so many pieces? VIPs will protect you, don't you worry!).

And if the other tracks were somehow familiar to me, this one really brings out a new type of rhythm and a new melodic line, which makes me take a different type of liking of it. It's a song to listen during rainy days, or when the summer wind blows strongly...

08. Throw Away - Another track that sounds fresh and really nice! And sincerely? It's my absolute number one from this album! Why? Because is one of the best love confessions ever (second after 'ROD' of GD). The best thing someone can do for the person he/she likes is to change completely so that they match, so that they meet halfway. And here, Taeyang sings exactly about he throws away everything he held tightly onto before: selfishness, greed, thinking he's better on his own. And that's really sweet and nice of him!

I also love the melody's arrangements - I think they used a band for it and some classical instruments like violins (I can hear them on the background at times) and of course, the piano. Where to put that awesome featuring of the choir once again! Really nicely composed and arranged!

Curiously, I have nothing to complain about! The track is incredible, Taeyang's vocals were in great shape, the instrumental to die for... I absolutely love it! Really! It's already stuck inside my head :) 

09. Love You to Death - Now this is another song that I really love and that is number one for me as well. I love Taeyang's way of singing it - relaxed, laid-back, with sex-appeal. This song would be perfect to display Taeyang's dancing skills as well as nice vocals.

And I absolutely love the rock-ish feeling of it, the intoxicating darkness infused in the instrumental. And the oscillation between high and low tones Taeyang creates with his own voice - man, now that's what I call sexy! I wonder if Kang Seung Yoon participated in composing the instrumental...

Oh, and there's also CL's participation in the song. Usually, I'm not that much of a fan of auto-tunning, but here it only sustains the sexy feeling Taeyang himself creates, so I cannot do anything else but like it just as much as I like the rest of the song.

As for the message, it's a clear confession and promise of everlasting love. Is there anything else to add? Nope.

Overall: Taeyang's 'Rise' is definitely a mixture of fresh sounds with those of throw-back-Thursday, thing which I really like. He manages to remind his fans of the old times when he was Sol and when he sang just as much as he danced, where the swag of YG was yet to be established. I love how there's familiarity in some of the songs, while some are just amazing through their new beats. I think Taeyang really managed to re-create himself back as Sol while keeping that cool image he has built over the years.

If I were to be really sincere, I wasn't expecting much of this album as the past singles and songs disappointed me. But this album managed to make me fall in love with Taeyang the artist, with Taeyang the singer, with Taeyang the performer and with Taeyang the man (the public one since I never met him in person :D). I think all VIPs will like this as well as other k-pop fans! And he'll definitely gain some new fans through this new release!

But, although I praised this album all throughout this review, I still couldn't give him 5 out of 5 as the dance tracks weren't really my cup of tea and a track or two sounded like some American R&B songs, not that it's a bad thing or anything, but I pretty much prefer Taeyang to sound like himself and not like Chris Brown... get what I mean?

I wish his album to get first place in different charts! :)

I don't want to be lonely anymore

I am a shy person that doesn't have a lot of friends because 1- I don't know how to deal with other people's feelings and 2- I am myself a difficult person to start with, so it takes a lot of time to come to like me for real. so I often walk alone. But being all alone doesn't mean I like being alone. Loneliness is like a sickness - no one wants to have it and yet, we are the ones that transmit it to other people around us.

Why do we push people away? 

Why can't we have enough patience?

Why do we throw away the ones who want to stick around?

Why can't we give a chance to those who are willing to approach enough?

As a person who's lonely most of the times, I will tell you that it's not nice to be one against so many groups of friends. It's like the people around you are a colourful mass that zooms pass you, while you're sulking in shades of gray, in slow-motion. And you want to catch up with all of them, hold someone's hand and go with the flow, but everyone seems just too damn busy to even look at you. So you give up: on people, on colours, on laughter, on wishing for tomorrow, on trying to approach anyone. It's like calling someone while you're mute, trying to move when you're nothing but numb... it's torturing you from the inside.

And then they ask you why haven't you said anything... They're funny - these people.

Here I am, telling you "I don't want to be lonely anymore.". But how many will hear and how many will actually listen?

None.

Kat - The Reviewer's Introduction

Ok, so, who are you after all? 
I'm Kat, the possessor of this 'wonderful blog', a writer, dreamer, singer in bathroom, kid when it comes to candies, an incurable romantic during the night and lately, a very dedicated reviewer.
Oh, and a student! Let's not forget I'm still depending on my teachers. 선생님,잘 부탁합니다!~~

What do you review? 
Dramas. Korean dramas I really enjoy. Oh, and music albums. Of course, Korean albums.

Why only Korean dramas and music?Do we want to go there? Do we really want to get down to that topic? :))
Well, keeping the long story short, I am a k-addict, meaning I heave a sweet tooth for Korean culture, which, in this case, implies watching dramas and listening to Korean music apart from learning the language (which I do, really^^). I mostly review dramas that have a great impact on me and which make me want to start a debate over their topic, or which have characters that make me go all gaga over them :)) You know the feeling, right?

What have you reviewed till now?
In matter of music, I remember talking about Beast's last album (How to Love), SHINee's last 2 albums (Misconceptions of You & Misconceptions of Me) and G-Dragon's 'Coup D'Etat', about which I still wonder where did I get the courage to review it taking that YG artists are so popular (the review for this GD's album is on this blog if you're curious on what I had to say about it).
As for dramas, I can only talk about 'Empress Ki' as an almost reviewed-by-episode drama I watched. It started as a game, to vent my frustrations on the characters, but in the end it was more than that and I discovered I actually enjoyed writing about it in an informal way, challenging people to take part in the conversation since it was all made as statuses on my FB profile :)

Any plans to review any of the airing dramas?
To be honest, I wasn't going to watch any of those or review them. But then I started watching 'Doctor Stranger' and everything went to hell! *-* I mean, I just couldn't stop myself from fan-girling over the characters and over the plot that swept me off my feet! Just WOW! I highly recommend it to all drama lovers out there!

How do you write your reviews? Any plans you're following?
Are my reviews recaps of episodes? Well, kind of, sort of, but no. I write them to cool my head and to vent my feelings on what's happening in an episode. And since I don't assume everyone saw the episode, I try not to give spoilers on major events and mostly pick on feelings and the expressiveness of the actors and how well they make their characters come to life. So, no plans to follow, I just write whatever comes into my mind.

Lastly, do you take requests?
For music albums, I am, why not? I pretty much listen to anything that means k-pop, so yeah, feel free to ask for a review if you have on in mind^^
When it comes to dramas... well, the thing is that I'm picky when it comes to stories and actors, so it's usually hard. But if it's a good drama, without any noona-dongsaeng romantic relationships, yeah, sure, I'll give it a try!

So, this was me aka Kat and an introduction on me as a reviewer - a very briefly one :D Hope you'll enjoy my reviews and leave feedback!
Thank you!