Homework:Defending Girls Generation's Win At The YouTube Music Awards

Girl's Generation was awarded Video of The Year for their redefining, genre mashing smash "I Got a Boy," beating out the likes of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. As I was going through the GG tag on Tumblr so I could find the acceptance speech, I noticed that were a lot of references to racist and rude Tweets made after the fact:

And these are tame compared to the others that followed:

But wait there's more!

Not done yet! (unfortunately...)

Aside from the fact that I think it's extremely hilarious that the people in these fanbases are pressed more than a good lacefront, it's disheartening as a music fan. So let me address the main arguments about why Girls' Generation deserved this award and your fave didn't.
1.It was rigged!
Your fave didn't win because your fan base didn't vote enough. Simple logic.
If your fandom is so large, so devoted and can make a trend for him/her/them every five seconds, then there is no reason why they shouldn't have snatched that award with ease. Just because they have 100 million+ views on YouTube and worldwide hits, doesn't make them entitled to anything. Plus, (no shade SONES) SM Entertainment doesn't even want to pay for a decent on location music video, what makes you think they're gonna shell out the coins for an award?
2.They aren't American! 
Justin Bieber is Canadian, One Direction are from the UK. Tiffany (the girl who accepted the award) was born in America. We're not coming at your faves about where they're from so please leave the person's nationality out this. Also, do your research before you jump to conclusions. #next
3.They didn't work as hard as our faves! 
Non-K-Pop fans are unaware of the process that most K-Pop idols have to go through in order to be even mildly successful. Years of dance, singing and language training while most of them are attending school on the side. They didn't get lucky because they were on some TV show or because they happened to be noticed by some big musician. They worked (bitch) for years. And Girls Generation is one of the most popular, just take at this convenient list of their accolades. (thanks to http://theonewhopostskoreanmen.tumblr.com for making that!)
A lot of people look at K-Pop as a joke rather than a legit musical genre that is acknowledged throughout the world and is growing. This was my problem with PSY's "Gangnam Style" becoming the first major K-Pop crossover. A lot of people were more about the portly Asian guy dancing like a horse with all the random stuff rather than appreciating the satire of the song itself. But as a fan of some the artists that were nominated, it's actually embarrassing. If I learned one thing, it's that music has no language barriers. K-Pop thrives on YouTube and for people to resort to racist, deprecating language to express their frustration because your fellow Bieliebers, Selenators, Lovatics, Smilers, Little Monsters and Directioners don't know how to vote, I honestly cannot. Just know that with every hateful comment, GIF set, Tweet, you're possibly exposing someone to K-Pop and it's many wonders, so in the end K-Pop wins. #staypressed

Homework:My Somewhat Tribute To Lou Reed (1942-2013)

I wasn’t sure how to approach this subject because I never wrote about an artist’s work posthumously. If you aren’t familiar with Lou Reed, you may be more or less familiar with some of his songs. “Perfect Day” was used during the overdose scene in “Trainspotting” and when Christina Ricci popped Molly for the first time in “Prozac Nation” (in which he makes a cameo). The Velvet Underground, the pioneering avant garde collective that Reed helped spearhead was mentioned in Disney’s underrated “Bandslam” film. I would add more, but I can’t think of any off the top of my head. I’m not going to sit here and lie saying that Lou Reed was a major musical figurehead in my life, that I own all his albums, how I’m such a major fan of his, because I’m not. I can tell you how the music that I have heard by him had some kind of influence on my musical tastes.
I was introduced to Mr. Reed’s music during my sophomore year at Towson. I was taking a class and we were assigned a five page paper in which we had to choose a certain era of music and research five songs from it. At this time, in the words of Sam from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” I was listening to the worst top forty. I decided to go with the glam/art rock period during the late 60s-early 70s because I wanted to be different since everyone was choosing to do The Beatles or Nirvana. Reed’s “Satellite of Love” was one of the songs that happened to pop up while I was doing my research and I remember being somewhat mesmerized by the song for a week or so after I turned the paper in and had it on repeat nonstop. Looking back on that paper, I’m kind of ashamed that I wrote about the song so robotically.
I didn’t revisit any of Reed’s music until about a year ago when I impulsively checked out Reed’s “Transformer” LP in full on YouTube for some reason and wound up enjoying that a lot, though I was never compelled to listen to any of his other works. I spent last week after hearing the news of his death actively listening to his music and contemplating if the praise that all of his peers and music publications was really worth it. Would I have cared if the guy hadn’t died so suddenly? Most likely not. Am I just being a bandwagoner by reblogging “Vicious” and “Sweet Jane” on Tumblr and writing this column make me seem more cool and cultured? Not at all. I think it’s selfish to for anyone to think that I can’t have any interest in an artist just because they are no longer on this Earth. Like it somehow taints their memory or something. This may sound terrible but if Reed hadn’t kicked the bucket last month, I wouldn’t have discovered how much I like his other stuff. From what I could gather Reed was a polarizing figure who didn’t care if he got another charting album/single in his half decade of being a musician. I mean he released an album full of questionable spoken word with Metallica and another that was just guitar feedback. However, Reed loved the music that he made and the following quote speaks volumes on what he sought to do during his career: “The music gave you back your beat so you could dream … The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not for music? Die for it. Isn’t it pretty? Wouldn’t you die for something pretty?” 
Some other songs I liked during my week listening to Reed's music
Walk on The Wild Side
Sweet Jane (Live Version)
Coney Island Baby
Make Up

Demi Lovato "Let It Go" Music Video

Demi has been really raking in the coins this year! The release of her fourth self-titled album, her work on The X-Factor and all these soundtrack songs! When will Miley and her faux-ratchet weave ever?! Her latest musical contribution comes in the form of ballad "Let It Go", which will be included on Disney's upcoming animated movie "Frozen". The video shows Demi giving full emotional realness as she wanders around an old house with scenes from the movie placed in.

VIXX Made A Song With Some K-Indie Version of Tegan and Sara...

I've become a major fanboy of VIXX ever since this summer when their monster single "G.R.8.U" took over my playlist along with f(x)'s "Airplane" and Lady Gaga's "Applause". Being as behind as I am on K-Pop releases because of school (DAMN YOU!!!), I was unaware of the fact that the boys knows as Hongbin, Leo, Hyuk, Ravi, N and Ken released a song "Girls Why?" for a compilation album. "Girls" is similar "G.R.8.U" except that it is more orchestral, with the inclusion of violin strings and a female indie duo known as OKDAL. I'm guessing the duo (who I have never heard of ever) are either too obsure for my taste or they are brand new and haven't released any material yet, which they should ASAP.
While the boys are looking utterly cute (especially Ken) acting all lovestruck, OKDAL are sitting around looking unbothered, serving some Rihanna at the VMAs realness througout the video, just like I would expect two K-indie chicks to be! #girlpower

Trouble Maker Have a "We Found Love" Moment With "Now"

Trouble Maker was a winning formula for Cube Entertainment, enlisting Beast's lead vocalist Hyun-seung and 4Minute's diva HyunA. The duo is finally back after promotions with their respective groups. "Now" begins like a slow burning neo-noir jazz number sprinkled with stuttering before drums come in. The production is a bit anti-climatic as there is no major rises or falls and lacks the vocal conviction and chemistry that made the duo's first self-titled single such a bop! However, the song isn't bad because of these things, it's just a bit on the average side. Now let's talk about this video. It looks amazingly amazing and big budget. Not K-Pop big budget, like American music video big budget. They are getting a lot of flack for this, but I say it's better than doing some cheap recycle-a-set music video! There are many shots in the video that share similarities with Rihanna's "We Found Love" visuals, notably the shots of them making out in the car in the middle of a field, the shotty conditions in which HyunA and Hyun-seung live and the sprinker scene. I would do a .gif by .gif comparison of the two, but I'm too lazy to do that so just watch both videos and spot the similarities for yourself. Also, I hope that when they do promotions for the song that they make the choreography as electric as they do in the video. Not here for half-assed choreo onstage...

Oliver Tank "Different Speed" (feat. Ta-Ku)

I haven't heard much from Aussie producer Oliver Tank since I included him in my Best of 2011 list with "Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion" (before I redid my blog), the song that was also at the forefront of an equal marriage campaign down under. He was just on tour with Lorde and is prepping to release his second EP, "Slow Motion Music" in November. "Different Speed," the first single from the EP, features additional production from another Aussie producer Ta-Ku, so it's just as chilled and relaxed as you would expect, with distorted guitar, samples of ticking clocks and synths peaking out here and there.

U-KISS "She's Mine"

KISSMEs rejoice! Your boy band U-KISS is finally back with a brand new mini and title track! Instead of some upbeat midtempo or sappy K-ballad, U-KISS serve up some R&B realness with some electronic bleeps and understated dubstep wobbles thanks to the producers known as Brave Brothers and kinda sorta copy MBLAQ's "Smoky Girl" and Infinite H's "Without You" M/V motif.