Hey. Ho. Rain. Go.

•March 27, 2010 • 4 Comments

[Cloud USA important notice] Leaked photos.

•March 27, 2010 • 4 Comments

This just in from The Cloud on behalf of J.Tune Entertainment, to all Kpop blogs and websites (original translation by nycuckoo @RainLegend):

Images from Rain’s special album Back To The Basic have been leaked by an overseas website.  Please note: If any information is not specifically released by J.Tune authorized media press or official notices, then it has been stolen by spy news organizations.  The images are already widespread, but please don’t upload them to your websites.  If they have already been uploaded, please kindly delete them.  Many people have worked hard for this album, and the media release time line is imperative to the success of this project.

Let us do our best to avoid information leaks for the sake of the album, Rain, and the fans.  Thank you.

Apparently, this notice is specifically talking about the two “Love Song” picture compilations that were sourced from BaiDu (they are tagged as being from JTune_Rain_Cafe).  Clouds, we didn’t know they were leaked and I have immediately taken the three posted on this WebBlog down, because it is the right thing to do.  The ones on our home page will be removed as soon as possible (Terri is at an event and won’t return until this evening).  If you have uploaded them, please do the same until J.Tune gives everyone the okay.  (One of our posts in particular is unique and can be directly attributed to Cloud USA; I am asking you not to use it until J.Tune says we can all re-post.)

Thanks!  — Stephe ^@@^

Bi yourself topic #5.

•March 27, 2010 • 4 Comments

It is inevitable that our Ji-Hoon will do another Hollywood movie.  More than likely not this year—his 2010 plate is ridiculously full—but it will happen.  So… if the choice was completely yours, what type of role would you cast Rain in for his second leading role in an American film?  What part are you desperate to see him play?  One that he already has—a gigolo with a good heart?  A very famous, very spoiled actor who has everything he could ever want but love?  An in-ring fighter plagued by inner demons and » driven by his “Han”?  A multi-faceted mental patient (We absolutely loved him in Cyborg.  What talent!)  ?  A martial artist?

OR something completely new?  A modern-day soldier.  An ancient king.  A bodyguard.  A crime lord.  A thief.  A sorcerer.  Or hey… how about a car salesman or an accountant?

You are in charge.  What script would you give Rain when he walked into your office, and why?

— Stephe ^@@^

Aladdin.com has a US site for ordering Back To The Basic.

•March 27, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Rain Europe has posted Cuckoo @rain-cloud (The Cloud)’s extensive guidelines that help English-speaking fans who wish to pre-order Rain’s special mini-album from Aladdin(dot)com.  The good thing about Aladdin is that, like DVD Heaven, their sales should count on » the Hanteo Music Charts, which regularly compile CD sales figures overseas.

» You can see Cuckoo’s guidelines, complete with visual screenshots, on the Rain Europe fan site HERE.  Click on Article #560 at the top of the list, and then scroll down until you see UPDATE.

— ^@@^

Ninja Assassin one of the top ten movies on demand.

•March 27, 2010 • 1 Comment

This off the PRNewswire… Yesterday, the Rentrak Corporation announced the top ten movies-on-demand (VOD) titles based on consumer transaction rate for the week ending March 21st. Movies-on-demand are transactional (pay-per-purchase) films available through cable and telco providers.

Ninja Assassin fell right in the middle of that list at #5. 🙂  — ^@@^

» You can read the Wall Street Journal Market Watch article HERE.

New on the Blog.

•March 27, 2010 • Leave a Comment

*  YouTuber AsiaMagix sings “Love Story” along with the recording, and really well, over on our Incredible Fan Love The World Over page.

*  Terri has added new images and re-imagined the layout of our Favorite Pics page over on » our Cloud USA home.

*  Terri has also put up a new Korean Culture In Atlanta page on our Cloud USA home pages.  There you will find items of interest related to Korean and Korean-American cultural news and events that will be taking place right here, in our hometown.  The calendar will be populated with more events soon, so stay tuned.

*  Earlier in the month, recipes for March were added to our Food, Glorious Food page.  Oh, I wonder what we’ll be adding for the month of April?

Enjoy, Clouds!  — Stephe ^@@^

Seeing as a King and Queen of Kpop battle is expected…

•March 26, 2010 • 4 Comments

… let us take a moment to experience some Rain and Lee Hyo-Ri getting their groove on, waaaay back in the day.  Enjoy this blast from the past, Clouds. — ^@@^

(courtesy of totovun)

Let’s go without the title across the hips…

•March 26, 2010 • 9 Comments

One more time—peek-a-boo. ^@@^

[new] B2TB images: more of Rain in character.

•March 26, 2010 • 1 Comment

(wallpaper images: Ashes / source: 어택00@Rain’s DC / credit: rainvietnam.com)

Notice from Rain’s official website concerning his activities.

•March 26, 2010 • 2 Comments

Cloud Master @rain-jihoon has announced that Rain will start off his stage activities with an appearance on Mnet’s music program “M Countdown” on April 1st, which will be followed by MBC TV’s “Music Core” AND KBS’s “Music Bank”, both on April 2nd.  All performances will be pre-recorded.  Updated info about each broadcast will be provided on » The Cloud’s official website.  (Thank you to rain bird @Rain-eu. for this important information.)  — Stephe ^@@^

°

Back To The Basic is doing well at YesAsia today.  (BEAST’s “Shock” is just underneath Rain, in the #4 position.)  And YesAsia’s editorial description of Rain is a pretty nice write-up, yes indeed.

After starring in the Hollywood actioner Ninja Assassin, completing a world tour, and taking a hand at producing his own boy band, Rain is back in Korea, and back at what he does best. Rain’s anticipated special mini-album Back to the Basic comes with five new cuts, including one English song. The album’s title is a reflection that Rain, though now an international superstar, has never forgotten where he started, and approaches his music with the same ambition and attitude as he did eight years ago as a newcomer.

°

I couldn’t quite locate any bestseller charts on DVD Heaven, but I will tell you this:  if you shop over there, you can hit Back To The Basic and Nature Republic in one swoop.  Give both your brain and your skin a thrill.

[new] B2TB: Suffering in the street.

•March 26, 2010 • 1 Comment

[ *ETA: I’m going on record with something that just crossed my mind.  Mostly everyone is thinking back on “Love Story” as an idea of what the new “Love Song” will be like.  But wasn’t “Bad Guy” Rain’s first?  Didn’t he break a girl’s heart AND come to a bad end in the middle of the street? Wasn’t there a helicopter?  Just sayin’.]

No one does it better than Rain, you know.

Incidentally, we have this personal observation directly from rain bird @Rain Europe: “Now that I’ve watched the MV teaser, I think the name of the title track (‘ Neol Bootjabul Norae’ by phonetic spellings of ‘널 붙잡을 노래’) for Rain’s new album is closest in meaning to ‘The Song To Make You Want To Stay.'” Very interesting…!

The Back To The Basic music video was shot back on the 21st through the 24th, in Seoul’s ‘Kangnam-goo’ and Incheon’s ‘Songdo’.  Word is a helicopter was used, and police were brought in to control the crowds.

(images: Rain-eu.) — Stephe ^@@^

Another Rain Check. The news just won’t stop.

•March 26, 2010 • 2 Comments

» Son Dam-Bi or Rain: Who Rocks Eyelashes Better? HERE.  A blogger makes a personal observation, and hopes Rain won’t go ninja on him.  This gave me a chuckle. 🙂 Dam-Bi is my girl and I love the look on her, seriously love it… Rain had me hog-tied in love before his falsies hit the scene, and I’ve always thought men with sweeping lashes were exotically magnetic anyway, so… I can’t say.  With them being different genders, seems like comparing apples and oranges.  (I honestly don’t understand why, after years and years, eyeliner and lashes on a male entertainer still freak people out.  What’s the big deal?) What do you think?

» Lee Hyo-Ri’s comeback date officially set for April 2! HERE.  After constantly pushing back her album drop, along with someone else we know.  Gee, what a surprise.  I don’t suppose she’s going to be on Music Bank that day too, eh? *just shaking my head*  All I can say is bring something HUGE to the table, honey, because as you can see, Rain is seriously bringing his.  (Tiffny, are you ready to see what Hyo-Ri’s going to do?)

» Rain Wins Three Green Planet Movie Awards HERE.  The Chosun Ilbo gets in on the action.

» Korean Comic “Full House” To Become An Animated 3D Film HERE.  A little more information on the story that first came out earlier this month.

— Stephe ^@@^

Rain reveals B2TB Love Song teaser.

•March 25, 2010 • 6 Comments

Allkpop 3/25/2010—”Earlier we revealed that Rain’s title track would be called ‘The Song That Will Get You’ (널 붙잡을 노래) and that it would also shockingly be a ballad track. Now the official music video teaser has been released and it has a shorter title – Love Song.”

» Read the entire allkpop post HERE.

» Read the previous post Rain’s Title Track Revealed with a Surprise HERE.

Word on the street is the teaser was released on Rain’s official site at noon on March 26th, Korea time (about half an hour ago, our time).  And that the music and lyrics for this song are quite special and were written by Rain himself.

(I’m good with a ballad!  Who in their right mind wouldn’t be?  Rain’s Back To The Basic LOVE SONG teaser, courtesy of firstcupidity. ) — ^@@^ 11:20 pm EST

[new] Back To The Basic, latest image.

•March 25, 2010 • 5 Comments

The Song That Will Get You (널 붙잡을 노래).  And… the B2TB plot thickens. — ^@@^

Gimme some of that, girl.

•March 25, 2010 • 3 Comments

Rain is one smart cookie. Really.

•March 25, 2010 • 4 Comments

Remember our post from a few days ago on » Glam Rock, Glitter Rock, Electric Rock, Glam Metal, Steam Punk, Gothic, et cetera… and the big names that used it successfully during spans of their careers?

Seriously, folks.  Rain knows exactly what he’s doing.  He does not make a move that he hasn’t thoroughly researched, thought out, and carefully planned to a “T”.  He has studied what worked in the past, what should work in the present, and what will probably work in the future.  And he’s intelligent enough to use that information well, along with a good dose of his own original creativity.

Voilà.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the revolutionary ride.  — Stephe ^@@^

(Rain and Mr. Guns N’ Roses himself.)

Rain Showcase.

•March 25, 2010 • 1 Comment

Rain plans to revolutionize us all in a way that will probably wipe our minds clean of the previous eras in his career… so we should enjoy some wonderful past and present stuff NOW, while there is still time. 🙂  — ^@@^

A 3/25 newscast in Asia reports Rain’s three GPMA wins (he wasn’t there because, as dates indicate, he was shooting the new BTTB music drama film).  Courtesy of rakota 5.

°

Fan made video of Rain’s scenes in France from » Fort Boyard (the Korean version) 2003. (I swear, the things Rain has accomplished with his competitive spirit… the man is beyond INCREDIBLE.  There’s nothing he can’t do.  He just about gave me a heart attack here!)  Courtesy of miuseNaBi.

°

From October 2004, “11 Days” from Rain’s 3rd album showcase.  (What a voice! That husky tone sounds like he’s been drinking straight whiskey for a week.)  Courtesy of miuseNaBi.

°

Fan made, “I”/Nan.  Get ready to feel shivers, courtesy of 2005rain.

Ninja Assassin goes Dutch.

•March 25, 2010 • 1 Comment

Ninja Assassin‘s Dutch DVD cover.   — Stephe ^@@^

°

(NA articles in Dutch periodicals.  Credit and brief translation: eunkyung @rain_on_us, LiveJournal, 12/3/2009)

He is already a sensation in Asia, But the South-Korean singer is also ready to break into Hollywood. Ninja Assassin is his second movie outside Asia. But this is his first leading role. And you can do it the best in combination with lots of blood?

RAIN: This is unique because it’s so bloody. I love bloody. I’m not worried. I will have more fans after this movie. 😀

You have a lot of confidence, are you going to make it in Hollywood?

RAIN: Regarding Asia and Hollywood, I’m going to concentrate on both.

Was the training for this movie heavy?

RAIN: I have trained for 8 months long, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. It was horrible. I only ate chicken breast and vegetables, salmon and protein. But it is my big chance, so I did my best. How could I say no to this?

What are your plans for the future?

RAIN: I want to do everything, comedy, romance, horror [in Asia and in Hollywood].

And more martial arts movies?

RAIN: Sure. I love Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. But I’m so powerful and fast, and younger and more handsome then they are—I’m just kidding. Don’t tell Jackie Chan that I said that, please. 😀

[I’m sure Jackie Chan just cracked up! LOL — Stephe ^@@^]

°

[small summary] Rain is a remarkable choice for this movie. Rain is often too sweet and too much fun, so much that sometimes that it’s hard to identify him with his other character, the bloody killer. A little confusing, but it’s not Rain’s fault. The greatest pop star from Asia has a shiny future ahead of him in Hollywood.

The 2010 Green Planet Movie Awards on The Examiner.

•March 25, 2010 • Leave a Comment

The Spokane Examiner 3/14/2010— “The Green Planet Movie Awards had a special category of ‘International Film Awards Theme: Asia’ recognizing the best in the Asian motion picture industry. The Best International Film (Asia) went to Mother (from Korea). The Best International Film of the Decade (Asia) went to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Asian Cultural Ambassador of the Year went to Korean actor, Rain, while the Asian Cultural Ambassador of the Decade went to Jackie Chan, representing China….”

» You can read the entire article by Trina Yannicos HERE.

Tamlyn Tomita looked great and did an admirable job as ceremony MC.  Rain also took home the award for Best International Entertainer (Asia), and was honored as one of the 10 Outstanding Asians in Hollywood.  We are thrilled that Jackie Chan won Ambassador for the decade, as he certainly deserves it.  A huge surprise, though, is that the awesome Takeshi Kaneshiro missed out, unless we just didn’t hear his name (wow, maybe there should be a recount?).

Congratulations, Ji-Hoon dongsaeng, on these three newest achievements.  We didn’t want you to win simply because you are Rain—we voted for you because of the quality of the body of your work, and because you are more than worthy.

— Stephe ^@@^

Back To The Basic is pre-selling like hotcakes.

•March 24, 2010 • 3 Comments

Yeah.  Word on the street is over 30,000 copies have been pre-ordered since the BTTB teaser clip hit two days ago.  We can dig that. — ^@@^ 8:46 pm EST

BTTB teaser @Sohu.com (courtesy of Rakota5)

°

Fan made BTTB.  (courtesy of yoraism)  Do you sense a pattern here?  People seem to like Rain in pinks—Cosmo Men “pinked” him up too back at the beginning of the month, remember?  Doesn’t bother me—I’m good with it.

Are we really seeing Back To The Basic on this pic?

•March 24, 2010 • 2 Comments

Hm.  Very interesting, Rain.  It’s almost as if Mr. Gothic Glam Rock Emo-Punk, while representative of past basic emotions and such, is an alter-ego of some kind (a la Chris Gaines/Garth Brooks).  Hmmm.  You have my full attention.

» Better yet, let’s see what allkpop has to say… HERE.  Han Ye-Seul To Appear In Rain’s Comeback MV.

So… we have a female lead, a tantalizing, dramatic concept, a massive music video shoot that took place over the past few days, and two radically different Rains.  I think my anticipation level has just about reached critical mass. 🙂

“Yeah… this is [a] hip song right here… ha ha… brand new songs… here we go… (watch this)…”

I’m ready. Revolutionize me. — Stephe ^@@^ 5:35 am EST

Rain Check.

•March 24, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Asian news source Korean Economy has reported that Rain, who already models for Lotte, has been selected for a brand new ad campaign along with renowned cellist Song Young-Hoon. Lotte has stated that Rain and Song Young-Hoon will appear in the television commercials and advertising for a new sale beginning on April 2nd. The concept will be “classical music meets pop music.”  The new contract is for one year.

(Original translation: rain bird.  Thanks to Rain Europe for this info.)

This sounds like a wonderful combination to us.  I wonder if this is the young man they are referring to:

» See Song Young-Hoon on the Korean Music Foundation HERE.

(Song Young-Hoon, courtesy of bikeholy)

°

Asian news sources Daily Hankook and Economy Today are reporting that the countdown to the next phase of Rain’s singing and stage career has definitely begun since his album jacket has been released, and the premise behind this new album—as the teaser suggests—seems to be strong, masculine sex appeal.

Rain’s extreme, unexpected makeover marks him as a real trend-setter. His image has been completely tailored to his new music concept, and J.Tune has boldly stated that something that will shock us has yet to be revealed.  More than fifty percent of the words and music of all five songs on the mini-album have been written by Rain himself.

Rain was quoted as saying: “For this comeback, I’ve lost about 10 kilos of the weight I gained after Ninja Assassin. The way I will dance and perform will be on an entirely different level than what I’ve done up to now, and I hope you will fall in love with it.”

Word is, Rain’s official site crashed for a little while because it was so overwhelmed when the BTTB teaser hit, and passed the 100K mark for simultaneous log-ins 12 hours after the release.  Special album Back To The Basic will be revealed on and offline on April 1, and Rain will return to the Music Bank (KBS) stage for a performance on April 2.

(Original translation: rain bird.  And thanks again, Rain Europe.)

We still have yet to be shocked?  Oh, my goodness!  As if anticipating Back To The Basic on Music Bank isn’t enough. 😉

— Stephe ^@@^

[breaking news] RAIN WINS! Three times!

•March 24, 2010 • 7 Comments

We just watched it with our own eyes and heard it with our own ears, during the 2010 Green Planet Movie Awards’ Ustream, broadcast live from Los Angeles.

• Best International Entertainer (Asia): RAIN

• One of the 10 Outstanding Asians in Hollywood: RAIN

• Asian Cultural Ambassador of the Year: RAIN

During the announcements, they showed Ninja Assassin footage on the Big Screen.  On Ustream, some of the international fans who were participating in the live chat gave a cheer.

Is it soaking in yet, Clouds?  He is three times a winner at the Green Planet Movie Awards!  We’ll post something more formal on the subject later today.

Congratulations,  비 !

— Stephe ^@@^ 1:22 am EST (10:22 pm PST)

The Green Planet Movie Awards on Ustream.

•March 23, 2010 • 3 Comments

The awards are being streamed live, as we speak.

See our GPMA site link over to your right, in our sidebar. Or, if you prefer, » use the direct link HERE (this is what we’re watching right now).  (There is a chat room set up.)  They are flying through the awards like there is no tomorrow, intermissions and all…  — Stephe ^@@^ 11:30 pm EST (8:30 pm PST)

We have officially died and gone to heaven.

•March 23, 2010 • 18 Comments

…because it doesn’t get any better than THIS.  Peek-a-boo. ^@@^

Rain’s Clouds are the best fans in the world.

•March 23, 2010 • 1 Comment

Several posts ago, I knew that ordering the Back To The Basic Special Album would be difficult at best for English-speaking fans, if not impossible.  (My emails to the Hangul purchase sites are still unanswered.  They’re probably very busy, I know.)  But now, all of that seems to have turned around, because help has come from Clouds all over the planet.

First, nycuckoo @RainLegend posted » a step-by-step guide on how to order the album through Yes24.com and what all the Hangul meant, HERE.  And later, on the RainLegend forum, she did the same with the Aladdin order site, but with extensive screen shots and visual instruction that had to have taken a lot of time to prepare.  A fan named Tatiana gave everyone a YesAsia order link over on the sixtofive1982 blog.  Then UK fan purplezest volunteered the YesAsia Global order link.  And now this today, posted by The Cloud (Rain’s official Korean fan club) and translated by nycuckoo:

[03-23] For the convenience of overseas Fans online purchase

Hello, this is Cloud 7th Board. Here is a website for the convenience of overseas Fans online purchase.  For individual purchase, it is more convenient to purchase through English language website, here it is:
http://www.dvdheaven.com

Buy Album
http://www.dvdheaven.com/product … music.php?idx=29292

Buy Album + Poster
http://www.dvdheaven.com/product … music.php?idx=29293

This site should be easier and and more convenient.
Also, the sale from this site will be reflected to 한터 (Hanteo Music Charts). It should be good to purchase here for confidence.
Thank you.

(We have put the DVDheaven and YesAsia order links in widgets in our Blog sidebar.  Just click.)

It does my heart good to know that Clouds across the world really do care for each other!  All of you, please accept my heartfelt thanks.  Whether it is providing ordering sites, or translating articles and notices into English (you too, rain bird!), you are helping us USA fans to do what we desire most—you are helping us support Rain.  And it feels wonderful.

Rain’s Clouds are the best fans in the world.  Clouds Unite! — Stephe ^@@^

Speculation: What Asia concert tour?

•March 23, 2010 • 1 Comment

A 3/23/2010 article in Star News today reports (and I paraphrase) that Rain plans to secretly combine the shooting of a TV drama with his concert tour,  a move which is attracting the entertainment industry’s interest.  Officials in the entertainment world have stated that this drama will be filmed throughout Asia and be intertwined with Rain’s Asia Tour concert to be held in June.

Rain is concerned because he doesn’t want news about the drama to overshadow his brand new album and stage performances with the public.  In the meantime, agents are diligently trying to figure out what the drama will be and what actress will work with him it in.

(source: Star News, original translation: rain bird @rain-eu.  Thanks to Indulging In Rain’s World for this information.)

» Clouds who read Hangul can see the original article on Naver HERE.

If this is true, well… it’s not so “secret” anymore.

And the obvious question is WHAT Asia concert tour in June?  The picture accompanying the original article is the Back To The Basic Special Album jacket.

Huh? —Stephe ^@@^

Yes… in Atlanta, we are still crying inside.

•March 23, 2010 • Leave a Comment

And I’m pretty sure we’ll never quite get over it.  It was our ONE shot at seeing Rain live in concert during the entire span of his career, and it was ruined by greed and trumped-up lawsuits.  (I am really holding myself back here instead of totally blasting someone.  You know who you are.)

Our leg of the Rain’s Coming tour was canceled before making it to Phillips Arena.  Maybe one day, if we wait long enough and keep the faith, our Magic Feet will give it another shot. 😦

(Fan made, courtesy of AlwaysLoveRain)  —Stephe ^@@^

INSIDE Rain’s Nikon exhibit at Star Cafe.

•March 23, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Wow—on this video, it looks magnificent in there.  Rain’s pictures are showcased really well.  And he looks great— all of the still photos up to now just haven’t done him any justice.  Is that young man receiving Rain’s auctioned D5000 camera package? 🙂  — ^@@^

(credit: Nikon Korea // nate // scorpiolabibi @ youtube)

Why was everyone so worried?

•March 22, 2010 • 9 Comments

Let this be a lesson to you all. 🙂  ^@@^

Pre-ordering Back To The Basic online.

•March 22, 2010 • 3 Comments

 

When J.Tune Entertainment released the names of the websites where Rain’s new special mini-album, to be released April 1, could be pre-ordered (please see part of that notice below):

The album can be preordered online from the 22nd (today), so please refer to each of the following sites.

http://www.yes24.com/
http://www.interpark.com/
http://www.aladdin.co.kr/
http://www.synnara.co.kr/
http://www.hottracks.co.kr/

We hope that you’ll support and love Rain a lot, as this album will be for you.

…we went to those sites to see if they could be used by English-speaking fans.  And unfortunately, all five were in Hangul only with no English counterpart.

I have sent an email to Interpark and to Yes24, asking them if there is a way for English fans to order Rain’s Back To The Basic from their sites.  And in the meantime… over on the sixtofive1982 blog, US Rain fan Tatiana has posted that she has pre-ordered the special album from YesAsia, and provided this link: » http://www.yesasia.com/us/rain-special-album-back-to-the-basic/1022425216-0-0-0-en/info.html

Thank you, Tatiana!  — Stephe ^@@^

(There is a YesAsia link in our sidebar, under English Links.)

Rain’s Special Album 30sec teaser: Back To The Basic.

•March 22, 2010 • 4 Comments

[ *ETA: If necessary, pause the video at the beginning and let it buffer all the way before playing.  Glam Rock with a heavy dose of animal magnetism/punk on the side, as we thought.  Rain fan Hervil, in the Philippines, sees it as emo-punk /vampirish. Tell me this man isn’t hot, hot, HOT! ]

At exactly 11 am EST (12 midnight tomorrow in Seoul), I clicked over to Rain’s Official Website, and instead of Rain coming in a door and dancing up a storm, I saw this:

The application only ran in Internet Explorer, and there was a plug-in you had to download as well.  Seeing as I am unable to upload my downloaded copy to the WebBlog right away (darn it, WordPress), I give you the one that gracious Rain fan thuhang @YouTube has posted for our viewing pleasure.  Enjoy, Clouds! 

— Stephe ^@@^ 11:25 am EST

Back To The Basic teaser clip, and songs.

•March 22, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Things are happening fast and furious, Clouds, so bear with me.

The video teaser clip of Rain’s special album is about to hit, like now.  J.Tune Entertainment has announced that the video clip—a 30-second-long teaser composed of the pictures used to produce the album jacket—will be released through Rain’s official home page at 12 AM on March 23rd.  Apparently, the Back To The Basic album picture we have all been staring at since last night has a LOT of people freaking out—it is at the top of the Internet “hit” list.

Now, listen carefully, everyone.  The only Rain official homepage we know of is the site » www.rain-jihoon.com (there is a permanent link in our blog sidebar under Hangul Links).  Whether the teaser clip or a prompt for it is placed right there, where Rain usually comes through a door and dances, or somewhere inside the site, remains to be seen.  Also: Surely J.Tune is talking Korea time.  It is now 8:49 PM on the evening of the 22nd in Seoul (gosh, I almost forgot to account for us being on Daylight Savings Time)… which should mean that in only three hours and ten minutes it will be 12 AM on the 23rd in Seoul.

As it is 7:49 in the morning here in Atlanta, I will be checking for the clip in three hours, around 11.  And we’ll what happens.

°

Benamoo, Rain’s super fan club in Korea, has listed the songs that are supposedly on the special mini-album.  I’m not sure if these song titles are simply the direct English translations, or teaser material.  But here they are:

1. The song to capture you
2. Hip Song
3. One
4. Same
5. Love Song (English Ver.)

The English version of a love song?  Holy moly! — Stephe ^@@^

(news article credit: Newsen / original news & song translations: rain bird @Rain Europe)

Speculation: Does Back To The Basic = Glam Rock?

•March 22, 2010 • 1 Comment

Asian news source Sports DongA seems to think it does.

°

“The teaser picture revealed on the 22nd, before the release of the album, shows [Rain’s] attempt to begin the process of refashioning himself for a new [segment of his] career; the hair falling over his shoulders and the long eyelashes are [indications] of that.  In light of these, there is speculation that his new album concept might be ‘Glam Rock’, one of the retro-style trends.”

°

(A huge thank you to Rain Europe for this information!  Article credit: Sports DongA / original translation: rain bird)

» You can read up on the concept of Glam Rock HERE.

» Oh, and if you’d like, you can check out how Taiwanese rock star Wu Bai went Glam Rock himself a time or two in his career, HERE.

Hmmm, indeed!  I am intrigued.  NOT by Glam Rock clothing, which could be pretty scary back in the day.  But I don’t think we have to worry about that.  Retro Glam clothing combined with Rain’s Six To Five fashion sense looks amazing when I imagine it in my mind.  Do you realize that some the biggest names in music across the world went Glam Rock during the span of their careers?  And it worked for them.

So if this is true, if Rain’s revolutionary concept is Glam Rock with his personal spin on it—that goes for the dancing as well—I can tell you Clouds that I’m going to really enjoy this!  And if it’s not… well, I’ll just roll with it.  Our Magic Feet hasn’t let me down yet, so I doubt he will now.

Waiting for the music video is about to kill me.

— Stephe ^@@^

(Adam Ant, Alice Cooper, legend David Bowie, Christina Aguilera, Culture Club, and Siouxsie & the Banshees.)

(The legendary Queen, and Duran Duran.)

(Adam Lambert.  The legendary Michael Jackson.  And the King of Glam himself, Prince.)

Nature Republic: Rain is on the bag.

•March 22, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Ah… here is yet another shopper freshly back from gorging herself  at a local Nature Republic store in Korea.  » Check out her footage at YouTube HERE.

She made it Rain for a few seconds in the video.  Heheh… cute.  At one point, she had a problem matching her voice with the action, but her Nature Republic stash is so terrific, we won’t hold any of that against her. 🙂

She has lip glosses that smell so nice, she wants to eat them.  Eighty-percent collagen gel that really brightens up your skin.  Toner that makes your face glow.  (A container of eye-makeup remover that large, for only $6.00?  Wow.)  Beautiful packaging.  Pretty darned inexpensive prices.  And Rain’s face on your stuff.  I say that right there is enough reason to buy it all.

Enjoy.  — Stephe ^@@^