Friday, January 2, 2015

KPOPThisWay Awards 2014


Happy New Years everyone! We kicked off the New Year by having a special show on Aewen Radio called the KTW Awards, where we awarded who we thought were the best of each category in 2014! Check out our winners below: 

Rookie of the Year
Tessa: BTS
Rae: GOT7

Debut of the Year
Tessa: GOT7
Rae: AKMU

Comeback of the Year
Tessa: 2NE1
Rae: BTS

Collaboration of the Year
"Some" by SoYou x JungGiGo

Underrated Group of the Year
U-KISS

Scandal of the Year 
Tessa: Kim Hyun Joong 
Rae: SM Entertainment 

2015 Artist Takeover
Tessa: iKON 
Rae: Winner 

Best Male Group of 2014
Tessa: Teen Top 
Rae: VIXX

Best Female Group of 2014
Tessa: Sistar
Rae: Girl's Day

Best K-Pop Album of 2014
Tessa: B1A4's Solo DAy 
Rae: BTS' Skool in Luv 

Best K-Indie/Rock Album of 2014
Royal Pirates' Drawing the Line 

Best K-R&B Album of 2014
 Crush's Crush On You

Best K-Rap/Hip Hop Album of 2014
Jay Park's Evolution 

Solo Artist of the Year
Tessa: Jay Park 
Rae: Eric Nam 

Group of the Year 
2NE1

Song of the Year
Tessa: "Metronome" by Jay Park feat. Simon D & Gray 
Rae: "NaNa" by Jay Park feat. Loco 

Album of the Year 
Tessa: f(x)'s Red Light
Rae: BTS' Dark & Wild 


Those were our picks for 2014. Let us know your picks for each category in the comment section below! And click here for our Favorite Songs of 2014 playlist!




Sunday, November 23, 2014

AOMG Concert: Tessa's Fan Account



Hi everyone! Tessa V here, one half of KPOPThisWay!

So… it’s been over a week since the AOMG concert in LA and they are already back in Korea. My post-concert depression is definitely hitting me harder than normal! I miss the boys of AOMG so much! It was definitely one of the best concerts I have been to! I went all out and bought a VIP with Meet & Greet ticket! I just had to meet my boys! So here is my experience:

On the day of the concert, Rae and I left NorCal before 10:00 AM and we arrived around 3:30 PM. We checked in at our hotel and quickly got ready, since I had to be at the Meet & Greet before 5:30 PM. We got to the venue just in time! After checking in at will call, I was directed into a bar/lounge area, sat down, and talked to a few girls beside me. They were super nice! One of the organizers announced that we will have to go in groups of 5 and only one camera or phone can be used. When it was my group's turn, the first thing I saw was boxes of Costco pizza and hella In-N-Out fries lol. Then finally I saw the boys of AOMG! I did not hesitate and walked straight to Gray, since he is my ULTIMATE bias! With my gift in hand, I said with a huge smile, “Hi Gray, this is for you!” Gray was a bit surprised or taken aback that I was giving him a gift. (Made me wonder if he received another gift from a fan prior to me). He took it and said with a smile, “Annyeonghaseyo… Kamsahamida”. When he said that, I definitely was on cloud nine, because my favorite Korean artist freakin’ just talked to me! Just reminiscing about this is making me miss him even more. Then one of their assistants (I think) told him to give him my gift, since we had to take our picture.

Of course, I just had to zoom in at my part of the photo!
Gray and I were just standing next to each other kinda awkwardly. I gave him a gesture that I wanted to put my arm around his waist, but I had this feeling he was hesitant. But he let me anyways and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. LIKE AHHH! I couldn't believe it! First, my bias talked to me and now he’s touching me! One of the best moments of my life so far! Too bad we had to leave right away, since another group of fans was coming in. I wasn't able to give a hug or high five or something to the other members of AOMG... I just walked passed them by smiling and waving to them. I wish I did though! That would be the only thing I would do differently. But at least, I was able to stand next to Gray! That was the most important thing! As I was walking out of the Meet & Greet, I looked down at my phone and Rae texted me saying: “ARE YOU MEETING GRAY RIGHT NOW?!” It was pretty funny, because she texted it a little before I saw my phone. So yes, I was meeting Gray at that very moment she texted me! She got some telepathy going on lol!

Rae & I outside the AOMG After Party venue! 
Then after the concert, Rae and I were like “YOLO! Let’s go to the AOMG After Party!”, which was held at Supperclub LA in Hollywood. AOMG arrived around 12:30 AM. They were in a secluded spot, but I had a pretty good view of them since I was wearing heels and was able to look over people’s heads haha! They looked like they were just chilling, since they were probably really tired from the concert and being jet lagged. Rae and I tried to get closer to see them better, but of course, the fangirls were pushing their way through. Then we saw Cha Cha and tried to get a picture with him, but some girls got there faster than us. Then Jay Park came down from their spot and thanked everyone for coming. I think Rae and I were about like 10 feet away from him, which was pretty cool! At around 1:30 AM, Rae and I decided to leave the venue to beat the crowd, since the club event ended at 2:00 AM. As Rae and I walked out, lo and behold, Loco was standing right across from us. Rae and I were definitely star struck and took us awhile to comprehend that he was right in front of us. I had the guts to go up to him, but a girl beat me first to it. Then I saw Jay Park was free, so I went up to him and said, “Hey, Jay can I get a picture?”. He told me and gestured, “Hold on, one second”. But soon after, one of their assistants or managers said, “Sorry, no pictures”. Maaan… I was so close!

Top: Jay Park at Supperclub LA in Hollywood. Bottom:
Simon D saying 'bye' to fans outside the club.
After Rae and I walked toward the valet, I made sure to say ‘bye’ to Loco and he acknowledged me by giving me a smile and a hand gesture. As we were waiting for our car, we realized they were waiting for their car too and we were able to see them leave! Simon D got in first, rolled down his window, and he waved back to us! Then according to Rae, she said there was a person sitting behind Simon D that kept looking our way and that she held eye contact with him. She said he waved back, but she was not sure who he was. She asked me about it later that night and I told her that it was Gray, since he was the last person to enter the car. I can’t believe he kept looking our way! I believe that he probably recognized me, because I was wearing the same shirt as the concert. He was probably like “hey, that’s the girl who gave me a present”. I strongly believe this, so don’t tell me otherwise lol!

My early birthday present to Gray: an Undefeated snapback! 
And so that was my AOMG concert experience. Like I said, the concert was amazing and I had so much fun! All of the AOMG members definitely know how to work the stage and I enjoyed every single song they performed. I definitely became an even bigger fan of AOMG after this concert. They are so chill and they really love their fans. I hope that one day soon that they will return for another U.S. Tour! I hope they choose to come to San Francisco next time, since it’s closer to home! ALSO! I hope that one day I see Gray wearing my gift that I got him! ^^




Oops… I didn’t expect this to be so long! I hope you guys enjoyed reading my fan account! Follow me next time as I KPOPThisWay at the next k-music event! <3

~ Tessa V



Saturday, November 22, 2014

AOMG in LA!

KPOPThisWay has the opportunity to represent Aewen Radio and go to the AOMG Concert at the Belasco Theatre in LA on November 14th! Check out the pics from the event! Also, check out our Instagram for some short clips from the concert! Enjoy!

Saturday, November 1, 2014

KPOPThisWay November Show Guest: Espio!

Happy November everyone! KPOPThisWay is back with a November show featuring London-based K-Pop DJ/producer Espio! Be sure to tune in this Friday, November 7th at 9AM PST to hear his mix and interview on the show! You don't want to miss this! 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

KPOPThisWay Exclusive: Interview with FamousAmos!

KPOPThisWay had the opportunity to host the October Show with Amos Yi, also known as, FamousAmos on Youtube! We got to know Amos more through our interview! Check it out below!
What was it like to host the Korus Festival?
Amos: It was wonderful! It was my second time going into the festival and the first time I went was 8 or 9 years ago and I was a little boy then and I was like, “Hey guys, one day I’m going to be the host.” And all my friends were like, “No, you can’t do it. You’re too shy.” Now, nine years later, BOOM! I’m the host. My face is on the poster and everything. So yeah, it was awesome. I loved it.
What inspires you to make your videos?
Amos: The truth is, I’ve actually been doing YouTube since the beginning. Back then, I used to have a partner and we used to go by the channel name “Babo Guapos”, which means “stupid handsome” guys and we talked about the same things we talked about now, except I had a partner and I was much younger. Even back then, I did pretty well. I had a lot of female viewers and I never know why I never have male viewers. It’s always female. (laughs) But we ended up breaking off ‘cuz we were embarrassed of what our friends were saying about us. Like our close friends. So we broke it off, so I kept on continuing with it by myself solo. So it’s kinda like a kpop group that disbands and the solo member has a successful solo career. So I guess that’s what happened.
How did you get your name? Is it from the cookies?

Amos: No. It’s not from the cookies. Basically, everyone has been calling me that since I was two or three years old. Then I found out there was cookies called “Famous Amos” in middle school. So I was like, “Okay, cool!” Coincidence.

You said earlier you wanted to change your name? Or you might change it?

Amos: Umm. No, I don’t remember that. (laughs) Sometimes I feel like my name, since it’s “Famous Amos”, it’s like me being cocky or a jerk. So sometimes I feel like I should change it to something not pretentious. So maybe I’ll just go by my kpop name which is “F. Amos” and if you say it fast it’s just “Famous” kinda like K. Will. I don’t know. Maybe. One day I will. Cuz Famous Amos. I don’t know. I don’t want to sound like a jerk.

How did you come up with your slogan “Smiling is Contagious”?

Amos: In college, I was a psychology major and we learned that emotions tend to run off on one another right? So emotions… what if the world had more smiles? This is cheesy by the way. But what if we were a little bit more kinder or nicer to each other? The world will be a better place, right? And I found out through my guy friends that were like, “Dude you have a cute smile.” And I was like, “Do I?” And we found out that emotions are contagious, so “Smiling is Contagious.” It’s pretty catchy and then I’m just stuck with it.

What is your ideal type?

Amos: There is three things: She has to have a kind heart, nice. Let’s be honest, could you picture me with a girl who’s kinda mean or a negative nancy? I can’t either. Second, she needs to have a sense of humor. ‘Cuz no matter what I’m always joking around and poking around at things. So if she doesn’t have a sense of humor then I don’t know if we can get along. And three, the last criteria I look for is good hair. I don’t care if it’s a wig, weave, or afro; as long as she has good hair. See I’m the kind of guy who’d stroke the hair. Run the fingers on the hair and massage it. I love hair. Not eyebrows. But just hair.

What was it like to live in Korea for three months?

Amos: It was life changing because it was my first time going there. Everything, 99% culturally, was different from America. I picked up everything there. When I came back, I took with me aegyo, so I’m kind of nervous how that’s going to go. So far it’s going well. They like the new aegyo.

What was your most memorable memory there?

Amos: So my most memorable memory. Here’s a little back story. So for college, I went to military school. Very strict, disciplined, structured, mostly guys. So when I went to Korea, I was actually, for the first time in awhile, a normal guy. And when the World Cup happened, I actually went to Sinchon, which is home to three universities, and I went there to watch the game and I was like, “Oh my gosh. This is what I’ve been missing out on.” Like being a normal kid, a normal college student. So that was the most memorable moment. Just being normal and having fun.

What is your most popular video?

Amos: It would be “How to be happy after divorce after your balding pt. 3”... No! Just kidding! My most successful video is “Date a Korean Man”. And it’s just me pleeing with the girls out there to give us a chance. And low and behold, it ended up being popular. But here’s the thing, when I make videos, I don’t make videos that I want to go viral. I make videos that I want to make. So for a video to become a hit like that, I was like “Whoa! That’s cool.” It was something I wanted to talked about.

What is your favorite video filming so far?

Amos: It’s several because I’ve been doing collab videos now with other YouTubers and I have to say that’s my favorite. ‘Cuz I’ve done collab videos with ChoNunMiGookSaram, ItsJRE, MisterPopo, Crazy Korean Cooking; and I just love working with other YouTubers because we’re such a small community and we’re all kind of weird in a way. Trust me, we’re all just a little bit weird.

So what can we look forward from you in the future?

Amos: Well, a long term goal I have is to be in a Korean drama. I know I can’t be a male lead because I don’t have that kind of looks but if I get a second male lead part or the guy who works at the cash register, I’ll be happy. So that’s the long term dream. Hopefully, I’ll be in a Korean drama in three to five years.

Is there any YouTuber you want to collab with?

Amos: I guess WongFu Productions. I’ve been watching them since the beginning.

Follow Amos on Social Media: 

KPOPThisWay Exclusive: Interview with Jeremy Thurber



KPOPThisWay had an opportunity to interview Jeremy Thurber; a singer, songwriter, and performer in this year's KCON2014! He is based in Los Angeles, California and has performed in previous KCON events! He's worked with many of our favorite KPOP artists, such as TVXQ's Japanese song "Champion" which has hit platinum! Check out our exclusive interview with him below: 
When did you know you wanted to be an entertainer?
Jeremy: I always knew. When I was little, I would always watch the VMAs and TRL. I always knew, I did not want to do anything else.
And what inspires you to write/produce music?
Jeremy: Life experiences, relationships, hanging out with friends, and coming up with jokes with friends.  Justin Timberlake is a big inspiration. I saw him growing up in NSYNC and always singing and dancing. He was a huge influence. 
Do you enjoy listening to kpop? Who is your favorite kpop artist?
Jeremy: Yes, a lot of it. G-Dragon is my favorite solo artist. I also like F(x), 2ne1, and TVXQ because I recently wrote for them.
Did you watch GD at KCON after your set?
Jeremy: I did not stay after my set but I got to watch them rehearse. It was really cool to see him do his thing and rehearse and be the professional that he is.
Did you meet any kpop artists while you were there?
Jeremy: I got to meet Teen Top and VIXX. I got to meet IU very shortly.
Do you have a kpop bias?
Jeremy: Hmm… That’s tough. I don’t know! There is so many. I probably will say G-Dragon.
Any female bias?
Jeremy: I have to say Amber Lui, I love her so much. She probably going to hear this and say “what are you saying?”
What was your journey at KCON 2014? Describe how you were invited and able to perform. And how did it feel to perform at MCountdown?
Jeremy: Actually, Amber’s sister Jackie helped me out with the performance. Also, I’ve spoken and performed at KCON before. I’ve been part of KCON every year. So this year, I wanted to do it bigger and better. It was an awesome experience! It was great to perform on one of the biggest stages I ever got to play on and the biggest crowd.
How did you enter the kpop industry as a songwriter? You recently worked with TVXQ right?
Jeremy: I actually worked with quite a few groups. I have some CPOP, JPOP, and KPOP songs coming out. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal too much information until they’re released. They’re very hush hush. Sean Alexander and Jeremy Scott got me into the whole kpop scene. Chad Future, too, because I worked on his first single. That was the time I was really boiling underground in America and was lucky enough to become a part of growth and international presence.
Since you have produced music for Korean artists TVXQ, how does it feel to produce for foreign artists? would you like to keep working for the kpop industry as a songwriter?
Jeremy: It was definitely a different experience. You get to learn different things, you wouldn’t be able to learn here.  I always try to tell up and coming writers and artists that it’s not all about one place; it’s not all about the US, not all about Korea. Music is an international thing. There are so many different types of music around the world you can put into your style. And it’s all about having your own style. But it’s fun to work with international artists because the way they make music is so different, so you learn a lot in a short amount of time.
Was there a language barrier to overcome?
Jeremy: Yeah, there’s always a little bit but when I was in Korea hanging out with Amber and Girls Generation and other people, most of them speak really good english. And there’s a lot of them who are American. But there’s always a little barrier, like when going to the studio and certain things there is a slang for it but we just laugh about it and move on.
Who would you like to work with in the future? Kpop or non-kpop?
Jeremy: Kpop-wise, I would like to work with Girl’s Generation. US-wise, Chris Brown. He’s a very talented musician. Him and Rihanna would be awesome to work with.
You are coming out with a new single in the fall. What can we expect?
Jeremy: Well right now my EP #SOLO is out, which anyone can get on iTunes. But I’m working on a really cool new sound. I don’t want to give away too much but all I can say it’s funky. It’s super funky and sexy!
What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
Jeremy: Wow. That’s a tough question. There are so many things that I done recently that I’m proud of. Definitely KCON was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. Biggest crowd, biggest stage. It was like a dream realization that makes me want to work harder. Of course, working with TVXQ and it was the first platinum song I’ve written. That was major of me. I’m all about the kpop world. It definitely made a lot of my dreams come true.
This is a typical “kpop” question, how would your describe your ideal type?
Jeremy: My ideal type. That’s tough… I like tall, dark features, and I like someone I can play pranks on; who can laugh at themselves and play pranks on me and have a lot of fun. Because when I’m not in the studio with super stress on me or dealing with labels or being on stages, I just want to chill and be normal and weird. I just like to do fun, weird things and go on adventures. I definitely need a buddy.

Be on the lookout for Jeremy's future single and events! This guy is talented and we're excited to see where he performs next! Also, check out his KCON pre-show here
Follow Jeremy Thurber on social media! 

Sunday, October 19, 2014

KPOPThisWay "Solo Day" Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to our first KPOPThisWay Giveaway winner @i_am_a_paradox from Instagram! Be on the look out because we are having more giveaways in the future! So follow us next time as we #KPOPThisWay~!