Introducing Vibe of the Week!
Each week I'll be giving a special shout out to one K-hip-hop or K-R&B song.
As you guys are fully aware, my Korean is still veeeery much a work in progress. So these choices are definitely not lyrically based (unless it's an English version or I'm commenting on the inevitable bits of English in the song).
Even still, there are a lot of songs that either hit me right in the feels, lift my mood, amuse me with their lyrics/visuals, and/or make me desperately wish I were on a dance floor so I won't earn (even more) stares from Koreans walking past for trying to walk and dance at the same time.
The songs may be old or new as I'm always exploring and gaining a new appreciation for songs I may have overlooked before. So hopefully either you get a new song to add to your playlist or get a new perspective on a song you've already heard before.
So without further ado, the first Vibe of the week is (*cue drum roll*):
Lookin' by Xion (시온) ft. Woodie GoChild (우디고차일드)
Okay. I know what some of you guys maaay be thinking...but hear me out. I know there are tons of amazing, more established artist in this area. So why did I pick Xion and Woodie GoChild as my very first Vibe of the week?
There are a lot of reasons. Primarily, though? There is just something about Woodie GoChild that just makes me really happy. He is so ridiculous in the best kind of way to me. You cannot not be happy when listening to him. And if you see him while he is performing? It's a done deal.
I still can't forget watching him on Show Me the Money (SMTM) 6. When he first came on screen I really didn't know what to think--especially with the random bird noise he was making (that has now become a signature part of any song he does it seems). But over time he won me over with his happy-go-lucky party vibe and his habit of dancing around even when there was no music playing (seriously--he would just be standing there wiggling around).
Since that time I've decided to keep an eye on him. So when Lookin' came up on my Facebook feed when I first opened my heavy eyes one morning, I decided to watch the video despite having no idea who Xion was at the time.
And Neither of them disappointed.
I was suddenly very much awake. The video kicks off with exactly the light-hearted, low-key goofy vibe that I would expect from Woodie GoChild. The first few seconds had me chuckling at how ridiculous they were being (and the women's initial reaction to their advances shows that the silliness of the entire video is really all in good fun).
So through my laughter it took me a few seconds to register that Xion was a gem that had somehow managed to stay off my radar up until now. He is a newer artists that debuted a few months ago. His sound kind of reminds me of the R&B that I grew up listening to (I promise the sexiness of his voice is there--just listen to the song without watching the video as it threw me off too). The voice is just put on a different kind of upbeat track which makes it feel familiar and refreshing at the same time.
Final point: this song is an amazing mood setter. You could use it as a pick-me-up or to help warm up to a party vibe.
So if you need either,...
Take a look at the video here:
That's all for now. Good luck getting the song out of your head for the next few days!
