2AM and 2NE1 COMING TO MANILA!!! [UPDATED]

I can seriously just float away from happiness right now. I took this time out of my hiatus just to spread the great great news that two of my most favorite k-pop bands are coming HERE!!! TO MANILAAAA!!!

First up will be 2AM, who will be here from April 28-30 (3 whole days!!! Imma hound them I swear!), 2011. Its not yet sure whether or not it will be a concert, a fan meet or a mall tour, since MCA Universal Philippines is still keeping it under wraps what they'll be doing.

I bet its a showcase like the one they did in Singapore.

They will be at the following venues on these dates:
APRIL 28, 6PM-  Newport Plaza at Resorts World, Manila (meet and greet)
APRIL 29, 6PM- The Venice Piazza at Mckinley Hill, The Fort (meet and greet)
APRIL 30, 5PM-  Eastwood Mall Open Park (Grand Showcase)

For the meet and greet, you have to purchase a copy of their Philippine limited edition so you can have it signed and meet the boys in person!!!:D

For more information, you can follow their updates on either of these sites:
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/2AMLiveInManila2011
TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/2AM_Manila2011
They keep teasing us with what's going to happen, but I am sooo soo excited!!!

Next up is 2NE1, who will be having their concert here in Manila on May 15, 2011 at the Araneta Coliseum. Better start saving up guys, because for sure YG will price the tickets high.

No other details yet as when tickets will be released, but keep checking out TICKETNET so you can buy your tickets as soon as they come out!

For more information, check our Manila Concert Scene: http://manilaconcertscene.tumblr.com/post/3953265735 

P.S. The 2ne1 concert has been moved to June 4, 2011! Check here for more details: http://manilaconcertscene.tumblr.com/post/4160202224

I hope someone can sponsor me covering these events (ahem ahem!!!)...are you guys as excited as I am!?!?

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MBLAQ's Blaq Style: A Look Inside!

Okay okay so I kinda cheated on the whole buying Korean stuff because I knew someone who was going to Korea--and because of my restraint for my own self, I only asked for one thing...MBLAQ's firsl full-length album, BLAQ STYLE!

The thing I love most about this k-pop group is that they're so demn hardworking (I meant to spell it that way btw)! Plus the songs they released so far (Stay and Cry) made me want to buy this album even more, so on to the contents:

Album looks so cool but that "M" part is pretty fragile.

The album contains the actual CD, a small photobook, plus photo cards of the members.

1. "Sad Memories (Intro)" Composed by MBLAQ's Seungho.
Arranged by Park Se Hyun 1:40
2. "Stay" Rado, Jean, Won Taek and Gilmi Composed by Rado, Jin and Won Taek
Arranged by Rado 3:20
3. "Cry" E-Tribe Composed by E-Tribe
Arranged by E-Tribe & Lee Chi Woo 3:47
4. "그대여 (Darling)" Rain Composed by Rain, Bae Jin Ryul
Arranged by Bae Jin Ryul 3:13
5. "버린다 (Throw Away)" Bae Jin Ryul Composed by Bae Jin Ryul & Choi Ji Yeong
Arranged by Bae Jin Ryul 3:25
6. "녹 (Rust)" Jean & Won Taek Composed by Jean & Won Taek
Arranged by Jean 3:54
7. "Tonight" Bae Jin Ryul Composed by Lee Jae Yeong
Arranged by Lee Jae Yeong & Jo Sung Kwang 3:53
8. "이러지 않았으면 해 (Wish You Hadn't)" Bae Jin Ryul Composed by Bae Jin Ryul & Choi Ji Yeong
Arranged by Bae Jin Ryul & Choi Ji Yeong 3:25
9. "You're My +" Rado, Jean, Won Taek, MBLAQ's Mir Composed by Rado, Jean & Won Taek
Arranged by Rado & Jean 3:51
10. "Rolling U" Bae Jin Ryul Composed by Bae Jin Ryul
Arranged by Bae Jin Ryul 3:30
11. "Oh Yeah (C-Luv & Blue Magic Remix)" Rain Composed by Rain, Kim Tae Hwan, Jang Jae Min 4:41
12. "Y (JR GROOVE Remix)" Rain Composed by Rain, Bae Jin Ryul 3:29
13. "또다른 시작 (A Different Beginning) (Outro)" Bae Jin Ryul Composed by Bae Jin Ryul 0:41

A close-up of that CD:

Their album concept is all about that wet look--rain cascading on them and even on the CD! (Rain on the MBLAQ cd? Get it?)

Plus the mini-photobook:

 underwater group shot

 Seungho and his blonde hair

 G.O looking all gorgeous and manly (my fave shot out of the five!)

 Mireu, my favorite maknae rapper

Lee Joon--very charismatic as always

Doongie all blonde (I prefer him being non-blonde) 

It contains a lot more photos than these but I just took a shot for the individual members so you have a general idea of how it looks like.

I have to be perfectly honest, I like the concept of the Y mini-album better than this. The guys on motorbikes are so much better than them in water. Also the Y mini-album is actually bigger and packs more on what's inside than Blaq Style.

But Blaq Style has been receiving a lot of love in sales!

Photo cards also inserted in the album:

These are GORGEOUUUUS, especially those of G.O and Mir. I literally just drooled on the floor while looking at these. Wet look concept worked for me right here!

A minor complaint on the packaging is that its so hard to put everything back into that M! :((

The good news (for you guys, definitely not for me grrr) is that MBLAQ is repackaging Blaq Style with 3 new songs so if you haven't gotten yourself a copy, wait it out and just buy the repackaged one.

As for the songs, I do listen to this album all the way through, compared with the Y mini-album. My favorite has to be Stay, which immediately caught my ears on the first listen, as well as 그대여 (Darling), a song that's actually written by Rain for the boys. Cry took me a while to like it, but now I can't stop listening to it. Tonight is also a favorite of mine!

Love this album, extra points for no auto-tune!

Got the MBLAQ Blaq Style for 15,000won, or around P600 in a OK! in Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center.
Also available in YesAsia HERE.


Note: MBLAQ always repackages their albums which I hate the most.

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SNSD's Hoot 3rd Mini-Album: A Look Inside!

This might be the last of my "look inside" entries for awhile, because I have officially banned myself from buying any more Korean-related goodies because I'm becoming so addicted!
Anyway this album isn't even mine, I borrowed it from a friend and wanted to show those who are interested:

Here is So Nyuh Shi Dae's (or Girls' Generation) 3rd mini-album, Hoot! Its packaged in a paper cover--about as thick as a cardboard which you just flip open.

Tracklist:
1. 훗 (Hoot)
2. Wake up
3. 단짝 (My Best Friend)
4. 내 잘못이죠 (Mistake)
5. 첫눈에…(Snowy Wish)

Contents of the album:

There's a discount coupon for WeSing (SM Entertainment's Karaoke Place in Korea), a trading card (Taeyeon) and a pack of stickers!

How the CD looks like:

And the album leaflet which features all the members:

 Tiffany in a short blonde wig

 L: Tiffany;; R: Jessica, who looks really hot in this photoshoot and her newly darkened hair

 L: Jessica; R: Seohyun

 L: Seohyun; R: Sunny who has this gorgeous purple outfit on!!!

 R: Sunny; L: Hyoyeon, who I think got overly edited by Photoshop because her face looks way weird here

 R: Hyoyeon (see how different her real face is from the one above!?); L: Taeyeon who looks oddly like Katrina Halili

 L: Taeyeon; R: Yoona

 L: Yoona; R: Yuri, hottest SNSD member in my opinion

 L: Yuri; R: Sooyoung wearing a wig

 L: Sooyoung; R: Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny and Yuri

I had second thoughts about buying this album because it only had 5 songs, I thought I'd wait it out first to see if they will repackage it (which they usually do which I think is totally CHEATING).
Songs all in all were great, "Hoot", their title track is very catchy and bouncy. I like "Mistake" the best, which is a ballad and was written by Yuri!

SNSD's Hoot is available at Yesasia at $14.99.

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2AM's Saint O'Clock Limited Edition: A Look Inside!

Ahhhh 2AM, where do I begin? I have been totally in love with this boyband for every album they release, and their latest did NOT disappoint me at all.

As I've previously mentioned before, I won in the GMarket Bloggers' Event and this was the first item I pre-ordered as a prize for myself. I tell you even though I didn't get this for free, I would've still spent for this limited edition.

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MBLAQ's Y 2nd Single Album: A Look Inside!

Even though this album has been released for quite some time, I still received an e-mail or 2 from some A+'s requesting to see the contents of MBLAQ's Y album.

Before I start, here's a short background of the k-pop boy group:

MBLAQ (stands for Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality) is a boy band discovered by Korean world superstar Rain, and is composed of Seungho, G.O, Joon, Cheondung, and Mir. Cheondung is actually Dara's little bro who also lived here in the Philippines when he was younger! And yes he does speak in Filipino as well! I like them because they have a different sound, they're all very energetic and work hard at what they do. Plus the fact that they're good-looking is also a plus!

Now that you know the band, on to the insides!

Thought this was pretty clever!

Tracklist:
1. 4 Ya’ Stereo – Intro (feat Taewan aka C.Luv)
2. Y – [title track]
3. One Better Day
4. What U Want
5. Last Luv
6. Y (instrumental)
7. One Better Day (instrumental)

As with other k-pop CDs, also has a photobook attached to the album containing gorgeous photos of the boys as well as their solo shots:

 

I really liked this biker concept for them! 

But this photo of the black and blue--I have to say this really brought out their handsomeness!!!^^

 Yang Seungho

 Jung Byung Hee (G.O)

 Lee Chang Sun (Joon)

 Park Sang Hyun (Cheondung)

Bang Cheolyeong (Mir)

I honestly loved their single "Y" as well as "One Better Day", thought this was definitely better than their first single "Oh Yeah" (which I also have). Compared to the first single album, this one contains more songs. I honestly thought they should've made this into a mini-album instead.

Got this from YesAsia at $10.99 as a gift from my guy! He also got me the poster that comes along with this.
If you're still planning on buying this album at the said site, I suggest you just get the Taiwan version, which comes with a DVD of all their music videos that they previously released (imagine my exasperation when this came out a few weeks after mine was delivered).

But I also heard that they're releasing this album in the Philippines after Rain's Back to the Basic album, so maybe you can check out our local record stores to see if its already there!

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2NE1's To Anyone Album: A Look Inside!

I received a few emails awhile back asking me if I could do posts on the k-pop albums I buy, and of course, I am more than happy to oblige! I hope these posts will encourage you to get a copy of their album as a sign of support for the artist.

For those who don't know, the Korean music industry puts a lot of effort into creating their albums--especially for the packaging! I don't have any Korean album that isn't elaborate and makes me go "wooooow so worth it!" just on the packaging alone.

So, without further ado, here's 2NE1's To Anyone album:

For Filipinos, 2NE1 is the girl group which Sandara Park is a part of.
2NE1 was the first Korean girl group I ever liked (first k-pop artists I liked? HAS TO BE RAAAAIN!), which is why I make it a point to always buy their albums. On to the contents!

Doesn't that CD design make you go ooooh and aaaaah? 

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RAIN LIVE IN MANILA!

The event that I've been waiting and waiting and waaaiting for is finally coming!
Rain (aka Jung Ji-hoon) is finally coming to Manila!^^
After weeks of pestering TicketWorld whether its true or not, there's now a settled date and will you be coming?

It's all happening on September 11, 2010 Saturday (8:00pm) at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds.
Ticket Prices:
Mosh Pit - PhP 8,240.00
VIP - PhP 4,635.00
Gold -  PhP 3,090.00
Silver -  PhP 1,545.00
Bronze - PhP 515.00

It's all happening right before my birthday!!! Bi oppa has heard my plea and is now coming to grace me with his presence.

Oh and just right in: the SPECIAL GUESTS are MBLAQ!!! Source here.
Can't even think right now from too much excitement.

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Jjang Events Present: KPOP AND CULTURE FEST

Hey everyone! Get your eyeliners, light sticks and fanchants ready because Jjang Events is bringing to you the first ever KPOP and Culture Fest on the 8th of August, 2010 at Megatrade Hall , Building A, SM Mega Mall.  The event is also going to be participated by the different fanclubs here in the Philippines and will showcase not only Pinoys' love for k-pop, fashion and culture.

Ticketing Info

Pre-sold tickets - P100
Regular tickets (tickets available on the event) - P150

* All tickets are entitled to one raffle entry for a chance to win a brand new LG LOLLIPOP GD580 Clamshell Phone.*

I'll be going there to cover the event for ELOSOUL Online! What will you be wearing to the event? Will I be seeing you there? Don't forget to have your picture taken by me so you can see yourself up on your website!

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Charice Gets Her Face Done for 'Glee'

I can't believe they actually disclosed this.

Okay I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say that I totally condone cosmetic surgery. I even asked my mom to pay for my nose job if I pass the Bar (yes that's what I asked for, not a car, nor a house, I just want my nose fixed!).

I mean I know there was a time that Charice looked pretty unfortunate compared to the celebrities we have here, but hasn't that been fixed with great make-up and a stylist?
She has already gone from this:

 to this:

Is her face something that really can't be remedied by a few strokes of some bronzer and a highlighter? Dr. Vicky Belo apparently thinks not. Her face can be a little chunky, but she's only 18. I honestly don't think her face has developed into its full potential and has to be worked on.

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Miss A: A Girl Group to Watch Out For!,

JYP Entertainment recently debuted this girl group whom I have been loving:

Here's their newest MV:



Their name is Miss A, and the girl group is composed of Wang Fei Fei (페이) ; Meng Jia (지아) ; Min (민) ; Suzy Bae (수지). Fei and Jia are Chinese and the rest are Korean. Their debut single is entitled "Bad but Good". Yay girl power!
I think their song is pretty catchy and they look so fierce!
I'm looking forward to hearing more great songs from them.

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Oh-oh-oh-oh Usher Live in Manila!!!

Pardon the sad attempt for the title, but this is really a big news-worthy event!!!
USHER is coming to Manila!

The concert's going to be at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on July 9, 2010 (Friday).
Tickets are already available at Ticketworld, with the following prices:
GOLD Php 6,236.00 (Reserved Seating)
SILVER Php 4,157.00 (Standing)
BRONZE Php 2,079.00 (Standing)
GEN. AD. Php 624.00 (Standing)

If you're a true Usher fan, I suggest go for the Gold tickets since the seats are a LOT and it's kinda far away if you're just standing.

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Korea Post #1: K-pop CDs and Posters! (SNSD, 2AM and Rain)

Annyeooong everyone! Okay since internship ended for me last Friday, I'll be starting my Korean trip entries. I postponed doing this because its going to be lengthy plus FULL of pictures. If you guys remember, I went to Korea for my parents' 25th wedding anniversary and just literally fell in love with Seoul and everything in it. The food, the culture, the people...and of course, the music!

Anyone who knows me can easily tell you that I'm a HUGE k-pop fan, especially of Big Bang, 2NE1, SNSD (Girls' Generation), 2AM, MBLAQ and Rain. The entry that has the most comments here in my blog is my YesAsia order which a lot of you were pretty interested in. So I thought my first entry should contain the albums I bought while I was there (don't worry make-up lovers, the beauty haul is coming up!).
Okay, before I start foaming at the mouth at the incredible deals I got, well when I was there, Rain just made his comeback and SNSD had started promoted Run Devil Run. 2AM was also doing their goodbye stages for I Did Wrong. These 3 artists were whose albums I bought: (btw I got all 3 albums in this music store underground in the Myeong-dong shopping area.)

(clockwise fr left: Run Devil Run by SNSD, I Did Wrong by 2AM, and Back to the Basic by Rain (Bi))

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Legally Blonde, The Musical!

Atlantis Productions is proud to bring Elle Woods to the Philippines in Legally Blonde, The Musical! The show stars Nikki Gil and is directed by Chari Arespacochaga.

Are there other stars joining in the production? Gretchen Barretto will play the role of Brooke Wyndham, Elle’s client (you know, Ali Larter in the movie) while Nyoy Volante will be Emmett Richmond.

Their gala night will be on the 25th of June, 2010. But my sorority, Regina Iustitiae, is sponsoring a show together with UP's Portia on June 27, 2010 for the 3PM show at the Meralco Theater. If you're interested, please contact me through this blog or through my email! We're already accepting advance reservations.

Ticket Prices:
P1200 = ORCH center
P1000 = ORCH side
P 800 = ORCH side OBSTR
P 900 = Loge center
P 800 = Loge side
P 600 = Balcony center
P 500 = Balcony side

For more info on tickets, you can visit Ticketworld.

In fairness, Nikki Gil does not look bad in that blonde wig.
The movie version of Legally Blonde seriously made me take up Law. Not kidding!

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Timbaland Concert feat. Justin Timberlake & Jojo and U-Kiss Tour on March 27!

This Saturday, forget about the Justin Timberlake's only going to be on a big-ass screen rumor and know that he's coming over FOR REAL (with Jessica Biel in tow as they say) and watch the Timbaland Shock Value II Tour entitled, Changing Lives together with Jojo and a Special Appearance by Justin Timberlake.

Its going to happen on Saturday, March 24, 2010 at the SM Mall of Asia Open Concert Grounds and its being brought to you by Smart Buddy.

Tickets as priced:
VIP PhP 4,651.20
GOLD PhP 3,100.80
SILVER PhP 1,550.40
BRONZE PhP 310.08

There's also a mosh pit area or the VVIP section for PhP8,268.80 but is not available for purchasing through the website. Call TicketWorld at (+632) 891.9999 for more details.

This is a fund raising project courtesy of the Smart Foundation. There's still time, so buy your tickets here.
Apparently Justin Timberlake is on the PAL flight bound for Manila and Gary Valenciano is sitting 2 seats away from him! Info courtesy of Ruffa Gutierrez's twitter.

But if you're a bit strapped for cash and want to see something for free instead, head over to any of the SM Malls where U-Kiss, a South Korean boy band will be having their Philippine Promo tour!

Their mall tour will consist of going to:
March 26 (Fri) @ 5pm- SM Megamall
March 27 (Sat) @ 6pm- SM Clark, Pampanga
March 28 (Sun) @ 5pm- SM North Edsa Annex

I'm actually impressed that they're heading over to Pampanga as well! There's a fan signing of their CDs for those who come early, so U-Kiss fans, remember this info and get there early!

I honestly heard only of U-Kiss through the show Makbanshi (Maknae Rebellion) where Dongho is part of, and I think I've seen this video once. All South Korean artists are very impressive to watch so if you're not doing anything, go go go!:D

ADDED: Just also received word that U-Kiss' latest album "Only One" will be released FIRST in all the three venues of U-Kiss mall shows. When you buy the "Only One" CD at these three venues, you will get an EXCLUSIVE U-Kiss Philippine Promo Tour POSTER, which will not be available in the regular record stores.

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What's your go-to Christmas Song/Album?

My friend was asking me the other day what was my go-to Christmas album whenever December rolls around and I already want to feel the holiday spirit. I immediately answered this album, Taylor Swift's Sounds of the Season. This was released back in 2007 after her debut album.

We all know how Taylor Swift dominated country music at a young age, her sweet voice is just too endearing!

Tracklist includes:

1. "Last Christmas" 3:29 (George Michael)
2. "Christmases When You Were Mine" 3:06 (Taylor Swift, Liz Rose, Nathan Chapman)
3. "Santa Baby" 2:41 (Joan Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer)
4. "Silent Night" 3:32 (Josef Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber)
5. "Christmas Must Be Something More" 3:53 (Taylor Swift)
6. "White Christmas" 2:53 (Irving Berlin)

Christmases when you were mine sounds a bit like Teardrops on my Guitar but Christmas version. 

What about you? What's your go-to Christmas album? Or song?

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PARAMORE Live in Manila!

Get ready as Paramore will rock Manila on MARCH 9,2010 in the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds at 8pm!

Tickets ARE PRICED AT:

P10K (super vip)
P3670 (vip)
P1838 (gold)
P520 (silver).

All sections are free standing.

I guess we'll be hearing ang pambansang kanta ng Pilipinas..."that's what you get when you let your heart wiiiin whoaaaaaaaaa..."

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In Fairness to You, Sarah G.!

So I was driving on my way to my friends' Asian Fusion Day over at Manila Ocean Park when around 3 giant billboards of my least favorite singer caught my eye. First was this one:

The other was this one:

Of course both had her respective sponsors on it, but then again I thought she was promoting a clothes brand or something. But no, it was a poster for her upcoming concert entitled 'Record Breaker'.

Sarah Geronimo, unlike Charice Pempengco, knows when it's time to make an upgrade on her image because she, as well as her fans, are getting older. And IN FAIRNESS to her, these photos make her look more mature, and more importantly, FIERCE. Great job, Sarah G.! Charice Pempengco should hire your stylist so she can earn my respect.

I am loving the black and silver theme for this. But the font of the RECORD BREAKER needs work. But as long as she looks good, it's okay.

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