While watching South-Korean GSL Starcraft TV matches late at night at 5am (morning is evening relative to Korea) I caught a glimpse of “K-pop” (Korean Pop Music) during the match interstitials. While everyone in the livestream chatroom LOL-ed at the K-pop I found myself liking it… as a *guilty-pleasure*. I sought out the titles for the music vids I saw featured and found the youtube performances and posted them below. Things seem pretty over-the-top over there in Korea (kind of like everyone is lady gaga or hip-hop inspired, definitely American-inspired with all the mixed-in English), yet the difference is it seems much more harmless (nonthreatening) and just silly at times. Plus I just love dat contrast (you’ll see). I posted some “@timestamp” notes to lookout for while watching. But for full-on K-mersion watch ‘em all fullscreen with headphones on before viewing my notes (and it will, indeed, sound better this way). Come… let us experience… K-town gansta styleu!:
(@0:06) take that babies (@0:24) I am intrigued by dat contrast *nod* (@1:15) dem jimmy legs (@1:19) no longer intrigued w/dat hand rubbing (@1:35, @1:38) WTFLOL
I wanted to start with the most over-the-top *and catchy* tune of the bunch. These guys, “DJ Doc,” the Blink 182 of Korea, did another diddy called bounce wit me and performed it at the opening of the GSL where people thought they were singing about Zerg “Ultraling.” Btw, Neon tracksuits are totally OP!
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(@0:14) dat #1 fingerwag is so BM sassy!
This is my favorite performance. Their choreography is so tight (get it tight, get it right w/ pop-lock!) and they each get to do their own unique solo (saying hey we’re all ragtag equals here). Reminds of Black Eyed Peas. It’s got the slow asian tempo with catchy-mix. Plus Batman and 1-800-Collect shirts are a great nod to the best golden decades 80s-90s: here they are in their alternative 80′s outfits [2]. And let’s not forget all these girls are yeo weo cute and sassy. *Smitten* they are mai future waifus 
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(@0:10) is it the cocaine? 
(0:25) anutha triple H *guile hair swoosh-jiggle* (@2:14) Hwoo the train
“Defcon” is so high he doesn’t seem to belong in the building (he cannot be contained!) and the woman with the sad eyes, Goo Ji Sung, is way toned down (you know Defcon is somehow responsible). For some reason Defcon reminds of that tv host Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive ins, and Dives – feels like he almost trolled the whole song. Just break the wall kool-aid man style oh yeah(!) Gotta admit that great contrast. See chatroom response to the intro here.
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(@0:58) hardcore techno and lights, but lookout for that tech-switch: innocent airplane dance ^_^ (@2:12) Prince fusion w/ Michael Jackson so full of win (@2:52) dat solo
Gotta watch this fullscreen! The Korean version of Justin Timberlake or Lady Gaga is named Se7en. His voice even sounds American and Korean at different moments in the song. I like how innocent and sensitive the song jarringly becomes with the airplane dance cooldown. Oh the contrast!
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(@1:13) ‘stop’… get serious (@2:23) SWAT-stomp **edit: the original vid was deleted so the timestamps aren’t accurate**
Ok, a lot of people thought this was racist but someone in the comments said he is just saying “you are” in Korean a lot. Overall, this guy seems the most hardcore and gansta (as indicated by NY Yankees hat). But seriously, I wouldn’t mess w/ him… moving on!
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(@:47) funky chicky dance. (@3:11) gotta give props-back! kudos for all y’all
This is the most successful K-pop song ever: Gee-Gee. I thought they were saying the SC version of GG, but it just stands for Girls’ Generation or is an analogue to ‘Oh, my goodness!’ I can’t really listen to this song too much as it would melt my brain from that odd Korean-youth-cute-culture-overload, and whatever you do don’t click this “Bo-Peep” link… just don’t, you’ll go to jail!
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(@1:48) stimpack upgrade complete [SC2 drug to make your units do everything faster temporarily] (@2:37) bungie dancers jip-jumpin and prancin round
Save the most-deserved-best for last. The mime performance feels like something you’d expect from the World Olympics Ceremony. And the twista-fast rap mixed with a slow song (contrast!) let’s you know it’s something serious: [le translation and interview on the song]. Everyone was impressed with his rap (once fastest in the world) and thought he was on those Terran stimpack drugs (don’t forget to heal with the medivacs you Terran players).
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Anyway, if you are wondering why I stay-up or wake-up early to watch these matches it’s because the best players are in Korea. GSL #1 just recently ended but will startup again on October 18. The winner of the tournament got $86,500 US, 2nd got $26,000, 3rd $8,600 and more went home with $1000 and it will take place again in 2 weeks. Here are the English GSL #1 gameplay VODs video on demand if you want to see it all and get into the hype that is SC2. Be sure to checkout TLO’s epic Terran vs Terran match (my favorite player is TLO, a European foreigner-favorite, and probably the most popular player because of his unorthodox-style — keeping the creativity in SC2 so fresh).
Also I bought a 2nd copy of StarCraft 2 — if anyone is interested in playing email or pm me for the login details ($60 value) and then you can get in on all the SC2-injokes I tried to make in this post.
