Review: Taeyang's "Wedding Dress"

A little trivia before the main blog entry: Taeyang is the main vocalist of Big Bang, one of the more popular groups in the Korean music industry. He is scheduled to release his 2nd solo album in the first quarter of 2010. This year he released 2 songs, namely Where U At and Wedding Dress, which will be included in the album.

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As I type this, Taeyang's Wedding Dress is on loop in my iTunes. I've been listening to this song every freaking day ever since it was released last week. I also downloaded the music video with subtitles. Do watch it! I promise you that it is worth 4-5 minutes of your life. :D



I don't remember the last time that I have liked both a song and its music video as much as this release. Normally, when I listen to a new song and I like it, I play it more often than my other mp3s for a couple of days. After that, the novelty wears off and it becomes just another mp3 to add to my collection. For this one, however, I find myself playing it on repeat so often and I'm still not tired of it! And since I think it's just too awesome, this blog entry is dedicated to a quasi-review of the song as well as the music video. I'm dividing it in different categories since each part of the single just deserves its own review. :D

The Song

To be honest, when I first listened to the song it gave off a vibe similar to Ne-Yo's Mad. I don't know if it was because of the piano instrumental used throughout the song, but at that time I was fearing it'll sound too similar to one of Ne-Yo's songs and that would be grounds for plagiarism. Thankfully, though, it doesn't sound like other songs I'm familiar with and no one has accused Taeyang of copying at the moment.

Either way, I first fell in love with the song because of the piano instrumental. I loved it (and cried) even more when I found out what the song means. For all the brokenhearted guys out there, this song is for you! In a nutshell, the song's POV is of a guy who liked his girl best friend but never got to tell her his feelings. What's worse is that the girl is getting married to someone else. :(

For me, the lyrics are unusually poignant for a Korean R&B song. In Korea, one would normally hear this kind of song as a ballad. But meh, trust Taeyang and Teddy to write and compose such a catchy but sad song.

Apart from the lyrics, part of the melody also gives a feeling of irony. If you listen carefully to the instrumental before the bridge, it plays a sad tune of Here Comes The Bride. In most cases that particular melody is associated with happy feelings and well wishes.

The Music Video

As you have probably seen, the video is a fitting reflection of the song. Taeyang portrays the best friend who never got to tell his feelings. For the most part, the video is one of the best KPop MVs I've seen so far. It actually has a storyline, and (as expected) it doesn't end happily for the main character. :(

The biggest turn-off for me, though, was the scene wherein Taeyang's character was about to propose to the girl. If he sensed that his other friend would butt in, I think a normal guy would have had enough sense to tell his friend to leave them alone for a while, right?!? O_O But other than that, it's a good video for me. I also liked how they characterized Taeyang as a pianist. It is one of his talents that really needs to be showcased. :D

The Choreography

Unlike Where U At, the choreography of Wedding Dress is much more softer to fit with the over-all mood of the song. Still, it does not fail to showcase Taeyang's incredible ability to dance. :D I like how he has sharp moves but then there's a certain gentleness to them. Kudos to Shaun Evaristo and his team for the awesome, awesome choreography! They really know which moves are appropriate for a song. I especially like the part where Taeyang was dancing in the middle all alone and everyone else had a partner. Nice way to emphasize the loneliness, eh?

Overall, I think Wedding Dress is one of the best singles released in Korea for this year. :D Or maybe that's just the fangirl in me typing. Haha! But it is undeniably a song that will be stuck in my head and my iPod for a long, long time.

Only you can.

My most recent music-related acquisition is a copy of David Archuleta's self-titled debut album. Of course, people are more familiar with his songs "Crush" as well as "A Little Too Not Over You." Although these songs certainly have their charm, the track that seems to tug at my heartstrings is "You Can."

As with most of Archuleta's songs, "You Can" is a love song. I'm not too sure if I love the song because I have a feeling of longing for someone I miss terribly. The arrangement is quite simple and slow; there are only a few instruments playing in the background which further highlights David's sweet, soothing voice. :) The lyrics are not overly mushy. (Or maybe that's just me, since I'm a sucker for love songs. :P) Overall, it's something I won't mind listening to over and over again.

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Lyrics were taken from A-Z Lyrics Universe.

Take me where I've never been,
Help me on my feet again.
Show me that good things come to those who wait.
Tell me I'm not on my own.
Tell me I won't be alone.
Tell me what I'm feelin' isn't some mistake.
'cause if anyone can make me fall in love,
You can.

Save me from myself, you can.
And it's you and no one else.
If I could wish upon tomorrow,
Tonight would never end.
If you asked me, I would follow.
But for now, I just pretend.
'cause if anyone can make me fall in love,
You can.

Baby, when you look at me,
Tell me, what do you see?
Are these the eyes of someone you could love?
'Cause everything that brought me here,
Well, now it all seems so clear.
Baby, you're the one that I've been dreamin' of.
'cause if anyone can make me fall in love,
You can.

Save me from myself, you can.
And it's you and no one else.
If I could wish upon tomorrow,
Tonight would never end.
If you asked me, I would follow.
But for now, I just pretend.
'cause if anyone can make me fall in love...

Only you can take me sailin' in your deepest eyes.
Bring me to my knees and make me cry.
And no one's ever done this,
Everything was just a lie.
And I know, yes I know...

This is where it all begins,
So tell me it'll never end.
I can't fool myself,
It's you and no one else.
If I could wish upon tomorrow,
Tonight would never end.
If you asked me, I would follow.
But for now, I just pretend.
'Cause if anyone can make me fall in love,
You can.

Show me that good things come to those who wait.

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To end, here's a video of David singing the song in AOL Sessions.

Splurging on Music!

Since I promised to rekindle myself to Western music, I decided to buy records of various Western artists whenever I had a "valid reason" to do so. True enough, I perfected my Microsoft exam earlier. :D That was more than a valid reason for me to head off to Music One at Greenbelt and buy not just one, but four CDs.

Upon the suggestion of a friend, I decided to try listening to Hey Monday's music. I've always been a sucker for girl-fronted bands, though weirdly enough Paramore never really caught my ears. This band is said to be a "clone" of Paramore, though I personally think they're more pop than punk. I like the girl's voice, though. Hold on Tight is their debut album under Decaydance, and for newcomers on the music scene they certainly don't disappoint. What makes me happier about this purchase is that this was the last copy on the shelf!

I got hooked to the Plain White T's through the music video of their song 1, 2, 3, 4 which always manages to leave me going "aaaaaawww." I just realized later that they're behind the hit single Hey There, Delilah. I like the mix of their songs, and their lyrics are simple yet manage to strike a chord. Big Bad World is their fifth album, and I do hope it won't be their last.

Colbie Caillat has been around for quite some time, and I've always wanted to buy her album but it's either I didn't have the money or I simply forgot to visit the music store whenever I went out. I managed to get the deluxe edition of Coco, which includes 21 tracks. I especially like her renditions of Kiss the Girl and Here Comes the Sun. No fancy singing like most singers who revive songs.

Although I did say I wanted to rekindle myself with Western music, I couldn't pass an opportunity to buy something of Utada Hikaru. Simply titled Single Collection Volume 1, it contains her best songs from 1998-2003. Listening to this brings me back to my high school days when I was first introduced to Japanese culture. Since then, I've been a follower of select JPop and JRock singers and bands. Of course, no collection would be complete without songs from Hikki.

I do believe in supporting the artists and the companies who provide music for us to enjoy, so I don't want to pirate music as much as possible. Now if only Japanese and Korean music were much more accessible. Haha!

The keeper of the keys has nothing more to keep.

Work-related paraphernalia should be treated as nothing more than mere objects designed to aid us in our work. I should detach myself emotionally from my work and everything that goes with it, from big things such as project documents to little things such as door and cabinet keys. 

Last December 2008, CRC Batch 2 turned over the Datacraft office at AdRIC to CRC Batch 3. Nothing formal, it was more of them returning their laptops and briefing us as to what type of projects to expect from upper management. Along with all that, Nathz gave to me a set of keys that he used for the entire year he was with Datacraft. To most people, it could well be an ordinary set of keys. To me, it meant much more than that.

When I see that particular set of keys, I am taken back to the last 4 months of 2008, when 12 people were officially made part of Datacraft-CRC, and when one-half of AdRIC was occupied by at least 10 people at any given time. I got to know some people who can be so adamant about playing DotA, and I also found out that these same people knew when to put down everything and work their butts off. These were the times when Batch 3 was still unsure on how to go about studying for MS and MCSE at the same time, and Batch 2 was always there to lend a helping hand.

When I had that particular set of keys, I felt useful. Because I was the only one who had a set of keys for the cabinet, I was the go-to person whenever people needed a set of headphones or a replacement for busted hard drives. Being the keeper of the keys placed in me a certain degree of responsibility. It made me feel that I can do something that I am actually capable of, something that didn't require me to read 1000 pages of material just to understand what I'm supposed to do.

When I lent that particular set of keys, I thought I'd have them in my hands again soon. I was greatly mistaken, because they now have another keeper. I am confident that he will keep them well as he is supposed to, but to him it will just be another set of keys. It's probably better if it will stay that way.

Gratefulness, Positivity and Hope

Experts said that yesterday was the most depressing day in history. Yesterday, I did one of the stupidest things in my entire life and ended up really hurting someone whom I hold dear. Yesterday, I really cried after repressing my emotions for a long time. Yesterday, I slept with that heavy feeling in my heart and with thoughts of not wanting to get up the next day. Those thoughts were so strong to the point that I was even thinking I'd be in a coma just because of the mere thought that I don't want to wake up.

But then again, it's weird how seemingly down and depressing days can turn out to be those days you wouldn't want to forget. And it's not just because of all the negative emotions you feel. For me, it is during these days when I find out how much my friends care about me, and these are the moments when I appreciate my life even more.

I'm not really trying to be preachy, and I don't mean to offend anyone with what I'm typing right now. For me, I guess it's all about finding the good in even the worst of situations. It's all about being more understanding of the people who seem to bring out the worst in you. It's all about not giving up even when it seems there's no hope anymore. As long as people live, there will always be hope. That's the last thing that came out of Pandora's box as Greek mythology narrates it. It seemed insignificant, especially when compared to all the dark forces that came out before it. But for me it is much stronger than all the dark forces combined, as long as people recognize it and allow it to fill them up. (Sounds cheesy, but I can't find other words to describe it. :P)

And so today, I woke up. Admittedly, I'm still not as happy as I usually am. But I do not harbor anger of any sort towards anyone. Instead, I'm filled with gratefulness to everyone around me, and especially to God for allowing me to live out another day. Most of all, I'm filled with hope. Yes, even if people say that I should stop or that I am wrong in doing so, I will continue hoping. That's one of the things no one can ever take away from me.