aka Winner. Ok, so I still can't make myself call them Winner. Team A is actually a group of teenagers who had been training for years to be an idol in Korea. The members trained for years honing their skills, and mind you, they sing, dance, choreograph, write, compose, arrange tracks, pretty much do everything from the ground up. Now, the CEO of the agency they're training under, YG, can't make up his mind over who to debut (launch) between his current two groups of trainees. The other group is called Team B. Very generic I know, but that is K-Pop for you, which is why he decided to make the people choose. Hence, the reality show WIN or Who Is Next was born. For 100 days, they are to battle and whoever gets the most votes during three separate voting periods gets to debut right away and earn the group name Winner. See? The name sucks but it means everything for them. So to make the long story short, I've been hooked on them for a hundred days, it was a hell of a ride for the artist-on-training and the fans too but fortunately, we won!!!
To be honest, I feel like I shouldn't be into stuff like these, like it's not for my age group. But then, once you watch them, you really can't help but fall in love with them. The kids are damn talented and inspiring, and such a bunch of cuties too! Haha my noona feels all over. Or to be more precise, I seriously feel like an ahjumma. But whatever, I'd rather be a noona to them ^__^
So anyway, I didn't plan on rambling about them but I just want this episode recorded into this journal-of-my-life or blog as people call it since the primary reason I started this years ago is to chronicle whatever lame things I have been doing in my life, including, people I went gaga over haha.
Disclosure: photo credits as tagged. Sorry if the others are unlabeled. I'm in the habit of saving photos randomly when I see something I like so these are from my Team A album. Please let me know if you own any of these so I can give you proper credit.
Let me introduce them:
Kang Seung Yoon - Leader, Vocal
Aigoo, this kid! Good thing I am no longer a teenager or else I would seriously go crazy over him. He can be so funny and dorky and yet so calm and sensible at the same time. Despite his young age, he gives off that grown up vibe, and that look of being amuse over something that's running on his mind. I can't quite grasp it at first but I think it's his cool and confident demeanor. And oh, he writes songs and wields a guitar and has a voice that can handle ballad or rock. Such a shame he was born too late! He is just my style. Hurry up Seungyoonie, I'll wait for you round the bend of the time warp. Now, that just sounds creepy haha. *_^
Nam Tae Hyun - Lead Vocal
My second bias in the group aka the diva. Lol I just love his being such a flower boy and his diva moments. His voice can make you forget you've just had a shitty day. In addition to being the lead vocal, he produces tracks, write songs, and breakdance. He is the prettiest and the most popular member.
Song Min Ho - badass rapper
Mino is like the love child of GD and Taeyang haha. This is one hell of a determined guy. Almost debuting with Block B, debuting with BoM only to disband a couple of years after, and being part of the Win boys is third attempt. He really loves YG too! So happy he finally made it. He is one-half of NamSong. Yea people ship him and Taehyun haha, cute bromance. What's awesome is people initially thought these two would never jive together but they've become inseparable in latter episodes.
Kim Jin Woo - vocal
One member of Team B said he thought Jinwoo was a Japanese actor the first time he saw him. Who could blame him, Jin Woo's eyes is the very definition of innocent doe eyes. He's the oldest in the group and trained the longest.
Lee Seunghoon - rapper, the group's choreographer
Seunghoon is also someone who's just fated to be in YG. He wanted to be in YG soooo bad that he lives on a rooftop just a stone's throw away from YG's headquarters. From there he would stare at the building thinking how he would want to one day spend time making music inside the agency. And oh, in high school he pulled a ninja move just outside YG and had a friend record a video of him dancing in front of the building. L-o-L
More of my favorite photos from the final battle. I sooo love these kids!
And here are their stages during the competition in no particular order.
I'll start it with their cover of Tamia's Officially Missing You in episode 7 since it was a crucial turning point for them. I especially love it since they incorporated their own stories and struggles into the song.
And this is from way back, it's a dance cover during one of their earlier practices, taken even before the competition started airing.
This dance is my favorite of all their dances as it was the most meaningful and emotional one. It conveys their feelings and emotions after the competition has ended and no matter what the result, they don't want the music to stop.
And some behind-the-scene/ unreleased/practice clips. If anything, I think these are more precious to me than their stages. They're freakin' hilarious!
So, here I'll ruin the cool image of our charismatic leader haha. just kiddin'. I love this guy! He knows when to play and when to get serious. His humor is also daebak!
My NamSong feels ^_^
Here's my second bias Nam Taehyun. That audition video though hahaha. And the other members related how he kneeled right in front of the CEO during the audition wondering why the others didn't have the guts to do it to show confidence. But it sort of backfired meaning the CEO wasn't pleased at all hahhhaha.
This is another epic episode when Seunghoon gifted his members with a uniform underwears to somehow bring good luck for next day's evaluation. What's funny was he thought they were boxers and it turned out they were briefs lol.
My favorite Team A and Team B interaction.
