So...as a result of my finding in my previous post....i ended up downloading the 2 episodes of jtbc show Sugarman(now already discontinued) that caught my attention(what,...i was supposed to download produce101 eps first...T^T...oh well, priorities lol)...though after going through the list...i'm tempted to download the Loveholic one too. since Loveholic was like my first fav band in my years of knowing kpop...before the boredom with mainstream kpop made me dug deeper and found more...i don't look down on fans of mainstream trendy music, it's personal preference(unless they start to trashtalk/look down on peeps who prefer nonmainstream stuffs...that'd make me look down on them)...but personally...those kinda stuffs didn't leave me with deep lasting impression unlike the non mainstream....and over the years...the songs have grown even lesser memorable or impactful...maybe i'm just a huge sack of sappy nostalgic...

 

so...i'm just gonna spazz/ramble about what i feel from watching these two episodes...namely ep5 n ep26...yes, even if this is outdated n i'm 1-2 yrs late...hey, i could fangirl my weather forecast oppars even twenty years too late so this is nothing right?

 

Generally i think it's a wonderful show to get different generations to bond over music...n to get the forgotten singers to relive their heyday n perhaps buried passion too if it's ever buried. but i also notice some glaring flaws since the show is done in competition format...

 

1. there are times when you wonder if the audience really turning on the lights bcuz they recognize the song, or they just get excited at seeing the singer that they don't even know was a singer...which happened with The Nuts...where the moment they came out...more lights went on when ppl see Ji Hyun Woo on guitar...i'm surprised ppl don't even know...The Nuts wasn't that unpopular/unknown/or last active that too long ago...and nobody know/cared for the singer...so they should at least be aware of Ji Hyun Woo at the least...

2. the remakes...again, you don't know whether they're getting votes bcuz audience really like the particular performance or if it's bcuz of the singer/producer/oppar/unnir...first in ep 5, there's Shinee Jonghyun VS Jung Seung Hwan...and although at one glance it look pretty obvious...i'm more surprised at the 40s age group votes. sure, Jonghyun's perf had more flair n flashy with dancers and all, but his perf i felt lacked the point...i kept waiting for it but it ended without a climactic point...and Seunghwan had the clearer pronunciation/singing that's nicer to listen to though he didn't have any fancy tricks n he seemed so nervous. remake/rearrangement wise...i'd say both are pretty much on the same level...it's not easy to remake songs that are already good/impactful on their own...especially Emergency Room...since that song is already so perfect...n still sounded relevant even now without being outdated or anything. the other song was alright...but since it's lesser known though i definitely have heard it despite not knowing the singer at all...and the kids said it's outdated...it's easier to create good impression...but with the age group 40s Jonghyun got most votes? ummm....that's a little hard for me to digest tbh...but to make myself feel better i shall assume they just like the original of emergency room so much that they compared the remake to that one n didn't like it. or on the flipside, maybe they just prefer the other original song so they're just giving their votes to Jonghyun for that, cuz for the remakes...i still feel Jung Seung Hwan deserved to win even though i don't even know him (didn't follow kpopstar or whatever show it was since it's smygjyp show which is uhm...not my taste...although later there's antenna replacing...was it sm? not enough to had me interested since there's still ygjyp)

Even in ep26...with Lee Hi VS Park Boram...which we need to take note that the park boram comes with CNblue Yonghwa package as the producer...it made me wonder whether they really liked Park Boram's remake better or they just want to vote for Yonghwa oppar seeing how they got so excited seeing him. At least for this one...it feels more justified since i actually think the winner had the fresher remake...Lee Hi came with YG tag so she had better chance...she's even doing the remake for the song i loved...and she had nice tone...but she totally overdid all the vibratos or whatever stylized singing she's doing that i felt like punching her in less than a couple seconds...like...u really don't need to vibrate every single line or so...ugh...my ears were irritated n she ruined one of my fav songs T^T. feel wise...both lacked feels the original singers brought in. of course it's not wise to compare with original...but i wished they had tried to feel the songs more rather than just showcasing their singing...it felt hollow. this is what's missing from most singers now...all vocals n flashy stuffs...little depth n emotions. But even though i love that song from The Nuts...i'd say i'm satisfied with the other team winning for this one since at least i didn't end up feeling annoyed...and i'm actually impressed with Yonghwa's rearrangement as a producer though it wasn't really groundbreaking new...it's still quite a fresh take on the ballad.

When i went through the list of guests and winners...some of the remake performers(not the sugarmans) really raised my eyebrows...bcuz they didn't gave me good impression as capable singers yet they won...n they're obviously the more popular ones. i noticed Yoo Jae Suk teams tend to get more of these trendy popular names for the remakes...n that kinda took down points from him...and he seemed to favour yg too which...eh...yeah...i actually really like Yoo Jaesuk(who doesn't) n Yoo Heeyeol...they're funny n attractive...yeah i said that. lol. but too much love n attention for flashy trendy biggest popular stuffs leaves me kinda sour.

 

So aside of the flaws....i'll just continue blabbering on the stuffs i want to talk about the 2 episodes i watched...

1. i have particularly a lot to say abt the ep with The Nuts...wow...i actually ended up feeling bad for Ji Hyun Woo...i guess there's a lot of pent up emotion/frustration/anger from Park Joon Shik towards Ji Hyun Woo afterall...it'd be easy to call him petty...at how he kept dragging JHW's popularity but who are we to judge? as much as i felt sorry to jhw...i could understand pjs's frustration...imagine that he's doing all the singing n not a single cheer for him but all for jhw...imagine him doing all the singing but jhw getting all the credit in their mvs...with how the mvs made it as if jhw was the singer...and he even got the center...and even the main character in plot part...basically everything. in that sense PJS is just as faceless singer as Izi's Oh Jin Seong...although the latter didn't have as much issue since his whole band probly had the same level of nopopularity/faceless...n ppl always knew him as his band's name anyway...for The Nuts...the situation was more muddled and complex...since the frontman/singer is always the most popular member and even if not they'd have considerable recognition/popularity...but here, he's basically completely ignored. he must've felt so hurt...but i understand JHW must've felt so torn too...and awkwardly placed...like when he said he tried to step back n chose not to promote after doing his part in album production n mv...then suddenly they ended up barely promoting for that album...he tried...but it seemed the company thought it's pointless for the band to promote without their shiny most popular/relevant member....but the fact that they could let out the frustration on tv show and the members even joked about it...mostly at PJS's expense...i tried to console myself that maybe they've gotten over it or hold no hard grudges even if it's still hurtful...and both parties were aware of it...i can't blame either one...i understand each of their situations...and i find it extremely unfortunate....but i guess jhw is a nice guy n the more matured one n would be able to handle things at the very least...and the other band members helped in mediating n bringing humor to what otherwise would be a really uncomfortable awkward situation. from their interactions...i still hold out hopes for this band to reband together...for the 3 members at the very least...but hold up...speaking of that...i've always read the other member is kim hyunjoong, the drummer...but it turned out the drummer is kim wookyung n kim hyunjoong was the bassist who had left the group earlier but regrouped with them for the sugarman perf....? what? so all these while...i had been served with false information?...ji hyunwoo said the member who didn't come was their true visual...probly to try take off the awkwardness n burden of his popularity that made the atmosphere between him n joonshik so tensed....but the true visual...i'd say is the bassist...even now he still looked good...n i think it's pretty cool of him to leave the group early on bcuz the music they did weren't the one he imagined...when he's the one who brought the vocalist into the group...lol. but it's cool that he knew what he wanted n left to pursue the music he wanted....cool guy. and wookyung was funny in evil kinda way, i guess thanks to him joonshik n hyunwoo could coexist...i always thought dude looked so pure n innocent in the nuts pics i saw back then but turned out he's the evil one...but also good mediator to ease the tension. their story sounds like it's angst drama material worthy. i guess the lesson is...if you wanna be a frontman of a band....you need to be handsomer than the rest...ehh...doesn't make sense right? i know...sigh...or...maybe you can be less handsome but you need to already have bigger popularity....like in Moonband....jmg obviously couldn't win against his younger n conventionally goodlooking members....but he's the only one with any public recognition so it worked...and he's older n had more experience so s adored him n he adored them...i guess bcuz they already started at such different stages...there were less greed n jealousy n pain...and not like they're even mainstream at all.

I'm glad at least one girl in the 20s age group chose joonshik as the most handsome one n she seemed like a genuine fan of the band n their songs n not just know the band cuz of ji hyunwoo unlike the rest interviewed...i was so relieved for hyunwoo's sake...n i bet he's just as relieved haa...joonshik asking if she's married n saying he's not either though...lmao. yoo heeyeol getting secondhand embarrassment. i love the part when random people were describing the song lyrics though...about good person, loving only one woman, drama, goodlooking...n yoo heeyeol was like....'is it me? but i haven't acted in drama?' bcuz apparently he had a song called 'good person'...i'm really disappointed with Lee Hi's rendition though...totally killed the endearing feel of the song...you don't need to sound edgy for this song bcuz even the lyrics weren't edgy at all...it's about a fool who loves unconditionally n cherish the one he loved so much even when he's stepped on n being used. so much, that he felt there's nothing to be sorry about his situation bcuz he's happy to see her happy...n Joonshik's singing style n even his not so striking visual really brought our the characteristics of the lyrics so damn perfectly. if only he knew he's not as inferior as he sees himself...but then again...everyone...his company, the broadcast companies, and how everyone treated him must've impacted his self worth so much even if he knew he's a good singer...it made his anger towards hyunwoo amped up even if it's not hyunwoo's fault n he probably knew it too or so i hope. it just couldn't be helped...their very unfortunate situations.

 

I still think the ep with Izi's Emergency Room deserve to go down history as the most dramatic epic one even without watching the rest of episodes. The song was so popular n loved by all age groups(i love when they interviewed a lady in 40s age group...she didn't even know the song but it captured her feels on the first listen lol)...yet the singer was completely unknown that nobody even realized he's in the audience...such a crazy irony...sad n overwhelming awesome at the same time...it's even sadder to relate his story of how he came to Seoul with dreams to make great meaningful music n all...like your typical youngsters...but then realized how different reality was n how it all crumbled even though his band song was so popular...his story of being forced to promote in Japan instead bcuz of his company problem that made him unable to perform in SK kinda reminds me of Park Jung Min...always thought he had great sense of music n even as the first one to debut solo from SS501...i thought he did extremely well but then with company problem he stopped making music in Korea n now everyone thought he doesn't exist anymroe when he's released lots of great stuffs in Japan. i'm so proud of him bcuz he didn't caved in to typical trendy sound that'd worked now n remained relevant but seemed he continued to pursue the kinda stuffs/genre he likes...though i wished he could've watched sugarman n learn how good remakes/rearrangement can be made since his remakes of his group's songs almost never impress me...

Anyway, back to Izi/Oh Jin Seong...comparing him to The Nuts who came together (sans one member who they couldn't get in contact with for the show)...at least they're still able to come together despite the tensed atmosphere n the scars they had...but Oh Jin Seong still seemed to hold his passion for music n for his band's name highly...despite now standing alone with s all went their own paths already...young boy with big dreams who ended up being hurt so bad yet still hold his shattered dreams dearly...my heart just bleeds for him n frankly that undying love despite all he went thru makes him the handsomest. like i said before, a singer is the handsomest/prettiest when they sing with their heart n passion, nope...acrobatic rollercoaster showoff of vocal techniques can't impress me one bit...if you have no passion or feels. and i love how he didn't play coy like he didn't know his song's popularity n just said he expected that much. haa...and of course the epic shocked reactions of Yoo Heeyeol...n i love how the other sugarman, Rich or sth(i really never heard of him but he sings really good still, n it's cute how Sandara seems like genuinely a fan)...even said he fought with his wife bcuz of that song....that song was really that popular that everybody knows...n even if they don't...they'd love it anyway when they hear it....like those ahjummas...and some other parts i love were like the part when Yoo Jaesuk n Yoo Heeyeol kept exaggerating their reactions towards their producers lmao...Jaesuk even kissed his producer's head n Heeyeol was like...what's that for...it wasn't even good... when it's his song he already had his handkerchief out to sob in...lmao n when yoo heeyeol was first introducing his sugarman...he asked yoo jaesuk whether he had been to karaoke, and then yjs answered yes, he asked why did you even go there lol. n when Kim Eana said abt how Seunghwan's rendition made her think of the girl...but Jonghyun's more like he's in love with himself lmao....but i love the most when Oh Jinseong said he hasn't sung his best in his life yet n to anticipate it...that's some inspiring shiet. if it's not bcuz i'm down with fever/flu right now i'd be a crying mess already...but yeah...i can't afford to....i did noticed he sounded completely nervous on his sugarman stage...n i could totally get behind it....

Anyway, upon some investigation...i find oh jinseong managed to get back his izi bassist to regrouped n released album this year...yay! i like to support inspiring people with passion...they don't have to be trendy or generic...even if that would win love from the majority...people who could make me feel for their passion n their music can be my oppars anyday...

the intro scene already make me wanna bawl my eyes out....practicing signature....

another song...

it's easy to say holding on to nostalgia is bad n it's better to move forward blabla...but if you haven't walked on their shoes...or rather...their feet...you have no rights to judge...it's easy to think we could do/be better...when we haven't/won't ever prove it. but that's what people always do. i can be very judgmental too...won't be pretentious n delusional to think the otherwise...but i try my best from judging things i'm totally not in the place to judge...like intention/characteristics/anything beyond what can be judged on surface level....i'm still trying to be a better person...it won't be easy...life is a neverending journey. it doesn't end up with perfect ending like in fictions,dramas.

 

since i mentioned loveholic ep....i was curious enough to at least check out their appearance...

sad that it's just Jisun though she's the only one people cared n know about Loveholic anyway...n when she left the band...both theirs n hers popularity n relevancy dropped. even though they carried on n so did she. (n lol at no one in 10s age group even know the song...ur missing out kids....though they might know if the show had chosen loveholic's song from ost instead...)

but Jisun isn't the only part of Loveholic...their masterpieces of music were all the products of Kang Hyun Min n Lee Jae Hak though she brought a lot on the vocals n lyrics. n i know kang hyun min is still active so seeing just jisun kinda bummed me...n it's kinda awkward...while most people might associate loveholic=jisun. but truth is...after jisun left....the guys continued using the name loveholic with an added s....while jisun used her own name to continue do music....so when you call it loveholic but have only the ex member,....that's....awkward. honestly...i'm kinda sad sugarman didn't have Weather Forecast instead!!! they'd be better fit than loveholic...bcuz they're from a more distant era...i need hyunmin n nadle reunion so badly...my oppars...besides, a lot of loveholic's major hit songs were actually remakes of Weather Forecast oppars songs. now sugarman has ended...no hope for that....how could you not think of Weather Forecast? they had some solid hits...a string of 'em actually. i want to see oppars together on stage again T^T....

i checked out the remake ver of Loveholic's Loveholic though...by Gummy...

and just a few seconds in...i was already so pissed off n couldn't finish it....one of my favs by Loveholic totally butchered. should've remade their more ballady songs instead...i feel like the producer totally didn't know how to work with remaking rock song since it's already so upbeat(not to mention Gummy's singing style annoyed me too...kinda like how Lee Hi annoyed me in her remake, i guess their singing style is supposed to make me feel they're soulful or whatever...)....from the ones i watched...i feel rock songs suffer the short end of sticks when it comes to remake....since they already have the beat n sound that transcends time...compared to ballad/pop....that would evolve to different style throughout years n could make the older style sound outdated...

And i'm kinda sad all my beloved songs lost to the other songs they competed with...but other than in Jung Seunghwan remake...i can't say i'm all that disappointed or dissatisfied with the results hearing the remakes....

 

and since i liked ZE:A n it's relevant to the topic...leaving you with this cover...

maybe i'm just biased since i'm not a fan of Hyungsik/Dongjun voices....but i really feel Minwoo suits this the best. so much that i wished he had sang this song all by himself. his voice just suits rock. well, if they need to have three members singing it...i'll reccomend Siwan n Taeheon...i always feel Siwan's sharp voice would suit rock n many other things. n Taeheon has really strong, stable tone too despite being their rapper. hyungsik n dongjun...too ballady...but really though...Minwoo is so perfect here i want to cry....when he pull off high notes...he just had that rock sound to his voice...n his straight way of singing without making his rendition any stylized...is just fitting for rock...

 

of course i love the original ver the most. comparison with covers though would be stupid. but yeah i love the original ver...even more than the drama ver which most would consider the original ver but isn't. even though yes technically the ost ver was released a couple months before the band released their album...but even in their album there's 'ost ver' an 'original ver'...so....

 

and just cuz i'm so greedy n indulgent n indecisive....let's add in another band i love that i knew thru drama ost...

this song is from the drama ost....but their other songs/music overall is so cool n awesome n rockin n not as ballady as this...if only Sugarman had gotten them too...T^T....oh man...the nostalgia...

if ever Subway got on the show it's probly gonna be this song...

though it's not my fav...Subway has diverse of sounds/feels even rooted in rock...that it's easy to fall for at least one of their songs or more regardless of your preference in sound....of course unless you have really bad taste...lol.

 

okay so i'll end with this instead....

just a remake...but i love it cuz it got dem feels yaknow, .And i hate those who nitpick engrish so don't make me hate you pls.