SeoulNicole 서울니콜

This update is SO OVERDUE. I've tried to keep most of the songs on this list from 2016-2017, but since my last Kpop Workout Playlist  was from January 2015 (haha) there are some songs that came out in 2015 which really had staying/slaying power to me, so they're on the list. When I'm running, I generally want high tempo songs to motivate me and distract me from working out. With that in mind, here we go...... 1). Winner "Really Really" SLAY. I know it's not even summer but...Kpop song of the summer? This is such an earworm and really has a Western sound to me. If they released an English version, maybe it would do well...??? 2). CL "Hello Bitches" I was not on board with this release at first and NOW I LIVE FOR IT. If the intent was to make listeners reject the song at first then get on board for over two years then IT WORKED.  3). KARD "Rumor" KARD have been slaying my life since they debuted their first song a ...

WARNING: Sentimental post ahead. You've been warned! 4 years in Korea. 4 birthdays. 3 different apartments. 2 cities. 2 jobs. 16 seasons.  I find myself thinking about these things. As though breaking my "Korean experience" down into something quantifiable will make it easier to understand. I want to mentally compartmentalize my time there so I can try to make sense of my experiences. I recently returned to New Jersey after 2 years in Jamsil, Seoul. (This is my second "homecoming", as I lived in Suwon for 2 years, then moved back home, then back to Seoul for round two from Feb 2015- March 2017).  Despite this being my second time saying "goodbye" to Korea, the reverse culture shock is hitting me much harder than I anticipated, since I've already gone through this before. Right now I'm trying to relax in my home country before deciding if I should go back to Korea or try and put some roots down in America. For anyone who recently re...

K-Pop Workout Playlist: Truth. We're 11 days into the New Year. If you're like me, you're still telling yourself you've committed to a healthier lifestyle, and vowing this is the year  you'll stop eating Nutella with chopsticks at 2 am. I need to make working out as fun as possible otherwise iHate it. Listening to the right music is crucial. I narrowed down my Kpop workout playlist to these 13 songs that reflect the 4 phases of any workout: warming up, the workout, when you want to die, and cooling down. WARMING UP: Songs that put you in a good mood, and raise your energy level. "It's Me" by Kahi This is always my first song. I think I've primed my body to associate this song with exercising. In this song, Kahi exudes a subtle sensuality that I find believable and appealing. Gain and Sunmi are two others, that to me, can carry a sexy concept without it seeming forced or cheap. "Itaewon Freedom" with JYP ...

It took a few months, but I finally feel like I get it  : I am fangirling all over my apartment watching and listening to K-Pop music. The combination of catchy choruses, beautiful people, and music videos with memorable dances is what allows K-Pop to appeal to fans with no Korean language skills. Additionally I find that in Korea these performers are so accessible to their fans - much more so than American pop artists (*with the exception of Lady Gaga). The over-exposure of K-Pop idols in Korean media creates a feeling of intimacy with the fans that I haven't seen replicated in American pop culture. (*) I think Lady Gaga acts most like a K-Pop artist...she is A. obsessed with recreating her image and B. was the first American artist to release singles at a more rapid pace similar to the way in which K-Pop artists release their songs in "Mini-Albums". There is no K-Pop equivalent of Lindsay Lohan. This is probably due to the manufactured nature of K-Pop and the ...