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Sophilicity

So already I've given you guys an explanation as to how the first part of 2018 went, but now it's time for you to see what happened in the second half! This is where things get more hectic - if I say so myself...


*Note* It's been a while since I posted the first part of the 2017 highlights and here I am sharing it with you in summer of 2019, I apologise for the delay, but if you were interested I'm sharing with you the next and final part of my 2017 highlights below!


JULY

To note, this was probably one of the busiest months of my year! From preparing to set off to Seoul, South Korea once again for the second time within the past 12 months, to jumping into so many activities coming up to the trip. Once again, working with UnitedKpop I was fortunate enough to be able to complete work for the London Korean Festival x Feel Korea events! From going to the airport to take pictures of the 4 groups (Highlight, EXID, KNK and Snuper) attending the festival as they arrived in London, to attending a LoKo workshop where Snuper surprised the class. Their surprise was to teach the class BTS' Not Today with each participant receiving a signed album from the group, including me! My job for this day was to capture videos and photos of the class! And for the big day, I was constantly running around capturing photos of the event from day to night. It was an amazing experience but probably one of the most tiring and hectic experiences to date. Furthermore, the following day (the day before my flight) I was rushing to my cousin's graduation ceremony, who was awarded a first-class degree! You're amazing, Tracey!


                           


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Thanks to Patricia (@pativy) for the video from working behind the scenes of the LoKo (@londonkpopdance) x Feel Korea dance workshop ft. SNUPER (@snuper6)! Can't believe it's all over now, it's been an amazing past 3 days and I can't wait to be in Korea in 2 more days as well 🙈
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Jul 9, 2017 at 4:54am PDT

Whilst I was in Korea, I was working on the UKP Summer Magazine. From completing an email interview with Bongyoung Park (previously known as a choreography for 1Million Dance Studio), Jang Hanbyul (former member of LED Apple/Led T), Jimin Choi (director/videographer, former employee of Koreaboo), as well as KNK! The experience was unbelievable, I never thought a leisure trip to South Korea would lead me to so many experiences which I'm grateful for to date.




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Thank you for the awesome interview, you were really lovely to talk to, Hanbyul~ 😁❤️ - Don't forget to check out our upcoming feature in the @ukp.magazine for the summer e-magazine! Hanbyul will be making a special feature!
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Jul 19, 2017 at 3:14am PDT

You can check out the final result of the UKP Summer Mag 2017 below:
https://issuu.com/unitedkpop/docs/summermag17


AUGUST

A continuation of my trip to South Korea, after spending a month before I returned back home I was able to complete a lot of experiences. From attending the Water Bomb Festival to meeting friends I hadn't seen in a while. Special thanks to Fabi who accompanied me in Korea when I was struggling! The trip had its ups and downs but if it wasn't for the trip I don't think I would have been the person I am today haha! Here's a little photo memory from our group trip to Lotte World. Rose and I were taking photos of our newly bought headbands.

The great memory that also comes with this is this busking group we met on our way back from Lotte World who were performing a song but couldn't help but laugh as they saw us wearing our headbands as we were walking past them. In the end, we ended up exchanging social media as we admired their performance.




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I'd always been meaning to get headbands from Lotte World because they're super cute 🙈 - Tfw Rose has to constantly bend down for me because I'm too short 😭
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Aug 7, 2017 at 8:00pm PDT


SEPTEMBER

Aka my birthday month! Other than celebrating my 20th birthday (no more teen years for me...), I also completed my farewells with my fellow London friends as I proceeded to enter university! It's funny how things panned out as I became a Nottingham university student. When I first thought about university at the end of GCSEs I considered the idea of moving to Nottingham to study at UoN doing International Media and Communications. Yet, I dismissed the idea when I thought about my parents allowing me to move. But here I am today, now proceeding into my final year of university!




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3 hours of karaoke to commemorate leaving London, my final gathering 😭😭 Thank you to everyone who could make it, l appreciate it so much ❤️ - Unfortunately, we are missing Ying (@yingeu) in our group photos but that didn't stop us all from having a hilarious time singing English, Korean and Chinese songs (well more like just Tong Hua) 😂😂
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Sep 20, 2017 at 5:29pm PDT

I forgot to also add, I had the opportunity to perform live for the first time. I hadn't performed live since I went to college, and as my gap year drew to an end I jumped at the opportunity to perform after a long time. I started working with KBCE a year before and then settled on actually performing with others at the festival with my chosen song, Beautiful performed by Crush. The song is best known for being an OST of the Korean drama, Goblin (which funnily enough I haven't finished - don't kill me please). Through the experience, I braved the fear of performing (really didn't help when the music cut off as I performed RIP), but also met some amazing people because of it!




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I'm not even gonna lie to you when I say it's been a long day 😂😂 - From 8:45AM to about 4:45PM - it's been eventful... From working at the hanbok stall and helping out kids to try out traditional dress and inform the locals about the hanbok, to helping out with stage and performing! - It's been hilarious; rather a whirlwind of a journey. Performing was nerve wracking but I can't tell you how close I was to crying from the overwhelming support I got from everyone, so thankful 🙈 despite the technical issues, the weather and more, it's been a worthwhile experience - but I'm ready to sleep 😴
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Sep 16, 2017 at 1:51pm PDT


OCTOBER

As I began to settle in at university that meant attending freshers week and living the partying life for a while. As I took a year out it was something which I had already experienced so I didn't feel the necessity to involve myself, but I did join some societies and make some new friends in the process.




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Last night's pre-drinks before we crashed another pres 😂 - PHunk'D last night was eventful, but thanks to everyone who made it worthwhile, and thanks for the great company ✨ - Sidenote; guess who can barely speak anymore 😰
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Oct 27, 2017 at 3:00am PDT

As well as making friends, I took the opportunity to do a sport. The sport I took up was badminton, something which I started playing when I was young but I never took it up properly. For me, learning the rules of the sport and whatnot was the biggest fear for me in comparison to other players in the sport, but after being convinced by my friends, Aylin and Steven, I was able to do anything. Yes, at first I was a bit awkward and stiff, and probably thought serving like tennis was the way to go but I can definitely say I've come far that I can really appreciate the sport now. 


NOVEMBER 

Remember remember, the 5th of November. Ok no in all seriousness, other than the fireworks November was a month where I took a lot of new opportunities in relation to my love of Korean culture. I applied for a job opportunity with KOCCA Europe and I was selected as one of their first supporters. My work involved creating content for their social media platforms, whether it was top drama OSTs or more, the event was really rewarding and I was also paid and offered an album with my work! Thank you so much for KOCCA Europe for providing me with the opportunity!


Furthermore, during my reading week, I was offered the opportunity to feature on Radio Kimchi, with DJ Jules where I provided listeners of my experience in the K-Pop community as well as my tips for people interested in creating their own content or wanting to blog for the first time. It was a really insightful experience and I was also able to create a playlist of some of my favourite Korean tunes.



DECEMBER

It's come to the end of 2017, where I had the opportunity to attend my very first formal event at university. Being a part of the society, Abacus they hosted a Winter Ball, in which some of my friends (who happened to be my 2nd-year housemates) attended with me. It was an interesting experience for sure, and it provided me with a chance to actually dress up!


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That rare selfie taken for the first time in so long - specifically for last night's Abacus' Xmas Dinner ✨ - Swipe right for squad pics ❤️ - Credits: Niv (@n_veda) 💕
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Dec 8, 2017 at 6:52am PST

Other than that, I was able to experience my very first Winter Wonderland in Nottingham. It reminded me of London's very own Winter Wonderland so it was nice to reminisce home.


If you've managed to read this far, I congratulate you! It's been quite a journey and we are finally finished! We've come to the end of my 2017 highlights, though there was definitely more highlights for some months than others. I'm grateful for the experiences I've gained in 2017, and now that it is 2019, I hope that I can continue to work and experience more as I develop my insight of the world! 
01:29 No comments
So my friend, Som (@somiijin) and I will be travelling to South East Asia this summer from the 18th of August to the 21st of September, and we wanted to share with you our tips on how to be cost-efficient with your travel planning. 

First of all, I need to point out that if it wasn't for Som's excitement for organising, we probably wouldn't have got us such an amazing deal for our upcoming trip. This is why I've asked her especially to share with us her tips on how you can save money with your travel.

To give you a summary of the logistics of our trip, we paid approximately £1400 for a total of 6 countries across South East Asia. These countries include Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. The whole trip will take approximately a month, but the cost accumulated is £1400 for flights and accommodation. I've revealed the cost to some of my friends beforehand, and many have stated, "Wow! That's so cheap!" especially as we will still be going during the summer. 

The way we started planning it is that we bought a return flight to one of our locations and then continued our travels around South East Asia before returning to our first location. In our case, we started by choosing to book a return flight from LHR (London Heathrow) to BKK (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi). For flights, we tend to use Skyscanner as our flight searches.


  • Top tip from Sophia: When you book flights from Skyscanner it is suggested that you complete your flight transactions and searches using a private browser (incognito) to avoid cache accumulating as this can steepen the cost of flights.
  • Top tip from Som: Avoid checking the dates of your desired flights regularly as the flight sites estimate the pricing of flights based on the traffic towards a certain period of the year. This is how they work out the particular peak holiday period. 
If you don't mind having layovers with this can also help with reducing the price of your flights. Som has suggested that sometimes it's better to go with a slightly more expensive option if the airline offers a loyalty scheme. This is useful as the points you accumulate can offer incentives to flights, hotels and more. 

We decided on a flight with Lufthansa which was £380 from the 18th Aug-21st Sept. This was something which benefitted me as I previously got a flight with Lufthansa when I went to China for my summer school programme. Lufthansa also offers an award system called the miles & more scheme. You can also receive an additional 500 points by logging on for the first time on their app. It's quite useful as you can store your booking details as well as find your boarding passes for your flight. A number of other airlines also offer a loyalty scheme so definitely check them out!

In some cases, it's cheaper to buy directly from an airline but you need to be careful as each airline has their own fees for admin and processing. With our experience of trying to purchase flights from the airline directly, we were also faced payment issues. This occurred when we tried to purchase flights off Cambodian Airlines which only accepted payments through Alipay. Alipay is a third-party mobile and online payment platform. However, to have an Alipay account you are required to have a passport, Chinese phone number and Chinese bank account.


To avoid this you can book through third parties, such as Trip.com (recognised as CTrip in some countries). In our experience, Som accessed Trip.com through Skyscanner to book flights. Trip.com also offers a loyalty scheme, which then worked out as we were able to find the cheapest flights. Thus, sometimes it's not always the best to aim for the cheapest flight, but to seek a reliable and familiar source for your flights such as Trip.com through price comparison sites such as Skyscanner.

  • Top tip from Som: If you have the luxury to have a long-term residence at your destination then you can ditch your checked-in luggage at your residence and continue to travel lightly throughout your trip. This is a great way to save money as most airlines usually charge extra for extra baggage.

If you are considering going to Asia, you can also consider purchasing flights from AirAsia.com where they offer a number of cheap flights between Asia. Furthermore, they also offer holiday package deals, hotels and more on their site. We recommend that you sign up for their loyalty scheme if you intend to do an Asia tour and purchase anything from their site as their loyalty scheme not only offers great incentives for flights but for other offers such as hotels, activities etc.

For now, this will be it for today. We will be dividing our South East Asia Tour tips between me and Som. So for the next part of our tips, you can check our Som's blog here.

To continue to part two of the blog, please proceed here.
16:42 No comments
First of all, I'd like to apologise, I'm not very good when it comes to committing to a project because I get carried away with a lot of other projects too. So much so, it's been over 4 years since I started my blog, and the last actual blog post I made was in February 2018. In June 2018, I started a project on my blog showcasing my experiences as I wanted to try a different approach so I started talking about stereotypes as my first subject. However, I haven't had much time to offer more experiences since. If you haven't already, you can find out more about my experiences in the experience tab at the top of my blog page!

However, it's been a busy period these past couples of years, but blogging is something that I definitely want to get back into. I don't want to make any promises since I'm not very good at making commitments with this blog, but let me provide you with an insight of content which I hope to share with you from now. 

To summarise my experiences since 2018:
  • July-September 2018 - Worked with Katy&Sean for an internship experience in Events, PR & Marketing. Assisted with the Korean fashion brand, Sewing Boundaries and worked to host K-Pop concerts in collaboration with Beyond Ent. e.g. BIGONE & UP10TION.
  • September 2018 - Began 2nd year of university, working as the social secretary of the UoN Korean Society till May 2019.
  • January 2019 - Left my job at UnitedKpop and flew to Budapest, Hungary for a short trip with my best friend, Ying.
  • March 2019 - Left my job at PHunk'D and was elected as the new general secretary of the UoN CFM Society. Also flew to Lisbon, Portugal during reading week, with two friends, Aneeqa & Kira.
  • June 2019 - Finished my 2nd year of university and flew to Ningbo, China for UNNC Summer School programme. 

The year has been packed with a number of experiences which I hope I can share with you all. In the following month, I will also be flying to SE Asia for an all-round trip lasting approx. a month. For my blog, I want to share more of my travel experiences as I am trying to venture to as many countries as I can before I graduate and have to face the real adult world... No more student finance...

So I hope that you will stay with me as I offer you guys some top tips with travelling as well as provide you with some experiences which I hope you will consider yourself in the future! Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you all soon!


14:41 1 comments
The Japan Foundation's Touring Film Programme has once again returned for 2018! The programme began this year from the 2nd of February 2018 at 18 different locations, and will be ending on the 28th of March 2018. The first venue where the film programme has taken place is none other than the ICA otherwise known as the Institute of Contemporary Arts, located in central London. 

Out of a choice of films, I decided for my first complimentary screening to watch 'The Dark Maidens'. The film was released last year in April 2017. The synopsis as described by the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme states:

'Set in an academy for daughters of the rich and powerful, this murder mystery involves six girls with a dark secret. Literature club chairman Itsumi Shiraishi (Marie Iitoyo), has fallen to her death from the school roof. Rumours soon circulate that one of the members of the literature club is the culprit. New chairman and friend of the victim, Sayuri Sumikawa (Fumika Shimizu), holds a meeting and asks each member to recount their whereabouts at the time of Itsumi's death. Who is telling a lie and what really happened to Itsumi?'


To describe the film in my own words, I would have to say that the film is rather intriguing. Whilst it conveys uncommon themes, straying away from mainstream cinema, it continues to develop and keep you interested. To highlight some themes conveyed in the film, there is mystery, some eroticism, school life and also highlights concepts of homosexual themes. 

Though I cannot reveal too much as that spoils the fun of solving the mystery. I believe then once you start watching, you think you've solved the mystery, but next thing you know another arc is unveiled which heightens the tension and mystery in the film. What I particularly find interesting about this film is that each girl of the literature club has their very own perspective described through a literary novel. The perspectives differ between each character, providing a rather compelling development. We find out more about how a character is built through their individual stories, all in-turn revealing a suspect of the murder once each story ends. 

If you're looking for an unpredictable tale, which keeps you on your feet, then this film may be the one for you! There's more to what meets the eye, as each character arc seemingly becomes more gripping as the film progresses. At times I was thinking that the way the film changed was rather explicit, but even before the movie began, Junko Takegawa, the senior director of the programme revealed its unrealistic approach. 

If you're located in Kendal, Stirling or Sheffield, there are still screenings for 'The Dark Maidens' through the Japan Foundation's Touring Film Programme, so check it out here!

Furthermore, if you would like more details about the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme, check out their site!

Tune in next time, to find out about my upcoming film review for 'Sword of the Stranger', an animation film which I will be attending a screening for at Broadway, Nottingham. Thanks for reading! ^^

09:14 1 comments
Happy New Year fellow readers! I can't believe it's already 2018, and I'm gonna apologise once again for my incredibly long hiatus on my blog... My levels of inactivity are ridiculous and another NY resolution of mine will be to update my blog this year! Pray for me aha....


But since I've been so inactive, I must have an excuse for my inactivity right? Well, since I've been gone for so long, I thought why don't I give you guys a rewind of my past year - My excuse is coming... Will you guys accept it though?

JANUARY

Coming back from Korea in December, the post-Seoul blues were real! Seoul was eventful but I definitely missed the times I had there whilst it lasted. As January came, things got more serious for me, especially with a new year and a new contract for my job, but that didn't mean I was gonna stop partying! I'm not gonna lie, January 2017 how I remembered was a lot of clubbing...

Throwback to last Saturday spent at Ministry of Sound for Saphire's 19th 💕
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Jan 27, 2017 at 2:42am PST


With my dear friend Saphire, I ended up going to the likes of Ministry of Sound for her 19th birthday - though I personally recommend the student nights called 'Milkshake' if I was you, unless you're a big EDM fan. I found myself stuck on how to vibe with the music since it wasn't exactly music I could dance to unless you were able to shuffle or something... But we had a pretty good time with each other, along with her friend, Shivani! I had my first tequila shot... which was interesting, and we had some rather interesting encounters with some guys at the club. Shout out to the random foreigner who came to club alone, but still knew how to get lit!

PK last night with clubbing partner, Saphire 💞 CNY clubbing was lit tho 🔥 Nice to see so many people at the event aha
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Jan 29, 2017 at 4:15am PST


I also ended up going to PlayKrown, an Asian clubbing event held at Troxy for Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year came early for 2017, meaning celebrations were held from January. It was an interesting night, met quite a few familiar faces, and even people I had been meaning to meet for years I ended up bumping into... What a situation. The place itself felt like it was too big in comparison to how many people there were actually attending... But still a pretty good night, the decorations and everything were pretty sick, I remember seeing a robotic figure on the dance floor.


FEBRUARY

If you read my last update on my blog for my 2 year blog anniversary, you may have remembered me mentioning about my work on two Korean MVs with UniqueTunes Records ^^ Once again, I have to personally thank my former colleague, Beatrice of K-Online Television for introducing me to this opportunity! I made some amazing new friends from the stars of the show e.g. DAZE, Ray & Fatal from KIMOXAVI and their producer, Hyungnim, my fellow crew members, Maisie (director) and Michael (cameraman), and last but not least, Freya (CEO of UnitedKpop) and her partner, Ivo!







But that isn't the only thing that made February so great. Another great concert came my way, as I went to watch Zion.T live at O2 Kentish Town, and can I say I'm thankful I had a great view from my seat! Even coming up to the concert, I can remember how hype everyone was before it even started. From the queue line to the anticipated concert start - There were honestly some lit tunes playing such as 'Bermuda Triangle' poor Saphire who came over to greet us got screams and loud lyrics shouting as it played just as she came over aha. I can't help but fall in love with an artist more and more as I watch them live. Zion T is known for his unique style, and tone makes him even more spectacular. You would literally think his vocals were ripped right from a CD, it's unreal! There was also no ridiculous pushing you get from concerts, it was calm and chilled out which made it great. The atmosphere of the entire venue was extraordinary, very unlike other concerts I had attended so far. Filled with admiration, everyone listened intently to his smooth vocals, projecting through the venue.

What I love most about Zion T is that his songs all have such meaningful lyrics which makes me adore him even more. Examples include the likes of 'Eat' and 'No Makeup'. Definitely, check them out! However, at the time that Zion.T came to perform, he had just released a new extended play called 'OO'. This was the first album he released after signing to his new label, The Black Label, a subsidiary of YG Entertainment. The album featured the likes of G-Dragon (for the song, 'Complex') as well as Beenzino (for the song, 'Sorry'). My favourite song from 'OO' would have to be his title song, 'The Song'. Check it out below~


MARCH

Not much really happened in March to be perfectly honest with you. A lot of birthdays occurred in March such as my mum's birthday on the 15th, or even Marco's birthday where we went to Superstar KBBQ. But other than that, March was either filled with a lot of feasting or socialising haha!




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Let's ignore the fact I'm dead from clubbing at @youngbroskpop last night- - Yesterday's celebration for Marco's was really lovely, we all enjoyed good food at @superstar_bbq - all 12 of us, accompanied by a rainbow cake for Marco's birthday from @hummingbbakery ~ Hope you enjoyed yourself Marco (@marc0.jpg ), thanks for the invite and hope to see you soon~ - #sophilicityeats
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on Mar 19, 2017 at 6:57am PDT


APRIL

One of the most life-changing experiences for me was throwing myself into applying for UnitedKpop - for any of you who live in the UK and like K-POP you may have been updated with the latest Korean news in relation to the UK//Europe via this site. For me, I'd wanted to apply for the role as a feature writer for the site, however, I actually pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I didn't think I could do it. Little did I know, that after being reminded by UnitedKpop's CEO, Freya who mentioned that she was closing applications soon. In the end, I applied, and here I am now, as a feature writer as well as a photographer for the team! So, a word from me to you guys is, when you feel like you can't do something despite wanting to do so, I'd recommend going for it because you'll honestly never know if you don't try - don't regret it! I definitely am thankful for the fact I was able to take the first step in creating this blog, as it has provided me good experience, and helping me build, create and obtain many opportunities!

http://unitedkpop.com/

On another note, I've always wanted to be good at dancing, despite not being too great at it... However, LoKo honested a special workshop in collaboration with 1Million's Kasper and SM Entertainment's Mihawk. The class gave me the opportunity to learn EXO's Lotto, and the teachers, particularly Mihawk made the experience hilarious. I remember him talking about a particular move in the dance which he was like '18+' so he asked if anyone was under 18, and one girl stated she was, in which he was like, this isn't appropriate for you, your parents wouldn't approve - something along those lines in a joking manner, which made us all laugh! We also had a special Q&A session which was interesting to know, I think even someone asked about Kasper's relationship with Sori Na of 1Million Dance Studio- Very interesting... As well as teaching us, they performed some of their own dance moves, and performed the routine we learnt as a pair for all of us to watch - Makes me realise why they are the choreographers, whilst we are the students aha!




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Throwback to the day we decided to go to Kasper (@kasper0524)'s and Mihawk (@mihawkback)'s collaboration class 😂😂 Good times :') - Yeah I pretty much live in this banana milk t-shirt - oversized comfortable t-shirt life 🍌🍼👚
A post shared by Sophia Tang | Khánh Du | 曾庆余 (@sophilicity) on May 4, 2017 at 6:45am PDT



MAY

I took my first biggest job at UnitedKpop after starting in April, where I went to interview Ahn Seohyun from the Netflix film, Okja! Who knew that I'd step into two 5-star hotels within the space of a few days!~ It was terrifying but it was a worthy experience. I had the chance to watch an exclusive screening of Okja at the Soho hotel before completing the interview at Corinthia hotel in the next coming days. Having the ability to watch Okja before everyone else, I have no regrets in doing so. It was an insightful movie which made me more conscientious of animals and what we eat.

You can check out my pieces below from the Okja review to my Q&A with Ahn Seo-Hyun who plays Mija in the film!

http://unitedkpop.com/2017/05/watch-okja-film-review/



JUNE

I found myself in June anticipating my upcoming holiday planned from July, but before I jetted off, one of the most memorable experiences for me was attending a DEAN concert featuring the likes of MISO, 2XX and SAAY! What I can remember most is the fact for once, other than some of the songs, the entirety of the concert was in English. I understand that at Korean concerts is obvious to expect that you'd hear Korean, but it was definitely a change of scene hearing spoken English. Furthermore, I was introduced to so many new acts, from the likes of SAAY who came a new favourite of mine, with her charismatic stage presence! I found out that MISO actually used to live in England for half of her life! The event at KOKO located in Camden was actually amazing, whilst making so many new friends, we also received pizza in the queue line thanks to DEAN's manager, Jeffrey Yoo, who spread his kindness around - What a sweetheart!

Here is the MV for SAAY's Circle which she exclusively performed at the London concert before the official release:



And if you haven't heard of DEAN before, then you're definitely missing out! One of my favourite DEAN songs has to be 'Half Moon' featuring Gaeko! Check it out below~



11:08 No comments
To think that I wouldn't of even clocked if it wasn't for my Facebook memories of last year's first anniversary for my blog. As I opened up my Facebook memories of last year, looking back at my 1st anniversary blog... I realised how much has changed since I first started 2 years ago...


Similarly to my 1st anniversary, I'll provide you guys (and myself) a 'quick' overview of what has happened in the past year! Let's start off by rewinding back to last June or so...

Last summer, I finished my A-Levels and finally finished college. From there I was still deciding what to do, but I was able to go on my first trip with my friends without my parents or any adults with us (because well... we were adults). A spontaneous trip which was decided during a free period, led to a trip to Rome for 4-5 days with my college friends!


Thank you guys for making my time in Rome an amazing experience. We had our ups and downs during that trip but we all worked together to make it worthwhile~ It was a chance for me to be more independent and travel alone and I learnt a lot from it. You guys were great, Emily, Abi and Acer!

After I came back from Rome, I spent a lot of my time working hard at two jobs, Thorpe Park Resort along with Snowflake Gelato as a Social Media Intern. But I think one of favourite parts of summer 2016 was being able to attend the Inspire Me Korea summer meetup! Whilst catching up with old friends, I also got to meet some awesome new friends who also enjoyed the things I liked! Thank you guys for sharing a hilarious meetup with me! Gonna drop those throwback videos from 2016!!



As we drew to the end of summer, I was still deciding what I wanted to do with my gap year. Although I stopped working at both of my jobs, I still managed to have the opportunity to work on promotion work, and I was fortunate enough to work again with Arpeggios Entertainment where I assisted MYNAME for their concert in London in September!

I swear the amount of times MYNAME members photobombed our selfies 😂 Last night's concert was amazing, it was great working with MYNAME 🎤
A post shared by Sophia Tang 🐼 (@sophilicity) on Sep 10, 2016 at 5:25pm PDT


Although it was stressful, I think it was a great opportunity - plus it was paid :') But whilst I got experience from organising, got my practice my Korean (well what I even knew of the language-) along with using my media skills e.g. photography etc. I got to share it with people who made the experience a memorable one! Whether it be conversing in Korean/Japanese/English or even supporting one another whilst still being professional. I'm ready to do it again if I get the chance to!

During September, I also applied for the opportunity to join K-Pop Academy hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre in the UK! I'd actually previously applied near when it first started running, but was unsuccessful. However, this time I was accepted onto the 10 week course, and started late September and ended around late November! Honestly, the course went by so fast, I wish I could relive it again.

Can't believe my time at the 10th K-Pop Academy is over~ It's been such a wonderful experience being able to educate myself in Korean culture as well as form bonds with people with the same interests as myself. By the end of it we were probably all a bit emotional and I'm gonna miss everybody so much 😭💕 Photo credits: @justjustinle
A post shared by Sophia Tang 🐼 (@sophilicity) on Nov 28, 2016 at 4:56am PST


The course gave me the opportunity to develop my knowledge of Korean culture - plus actually helped me get back into the routine of school - Yes we had homework... BUT! I actually enjoyed doing the homework a lot of the time, so whilst learning I was having fun :D Honestly, if you have the opportunity to do so, definitely apply for K-Pop Academy, you won't regret it!

Plus, I actually made a close group of friends who I'm still connected to till now~ We will all be re-grouping for the Korean Festival in London this July! These guys probably made my experience 10x more fun, whether it be cracking jokes during class, to our various food/dessert outings after class ahaha... And here I wonder why I spent so much money during those months RIP. To Kira (I mean I knew you beforehand girl but I'm including you anyways!), Jamila, Drew, Lisa, Natasha! Thanks for making my time at K-Pop Academy an 11/10 experience :')

Before I headed off to Korea that December, I went to my first paid-concert! Yep- I actually hadn't paid for a concert till I went to CRUSH ahaha. And there are NO REGRETS whatsoever. CRUSH was amazing, I wish I woke up early enough to actually buy tickets to his first date, but I'm glad they released an extra date because his vocals are unreal! Let's just appreciate some CRUSH vocals below:



For the second date, I went with my gals, May and Jenni (these girls are the ones I always go with for these K-HipHop, R&B concerts aha), and we had a great time! I just remember CRUSH throwing water at us LMAO, but he was so hyped, it was so sweet!

There were too many selfies to share 😂 But I can't believe CRUSH (@crush9244) is over 😭 I wish the concert had been longer, I was appreciating his voice so much asdfghjkl - I hope I get to see him again 💕
A post shared by Sophia Tang 🐼 (@sophilicity) on Nov 28, 2016 at 5:09pm PST


Shortly after the concerts, I was already flying off to Korea. This was a big step for me being the fact this was the first time I would be travelling so far from home, without my parents and for over a week at a time. I flew off the Korea for 2 weeks - It's funny how the idea came about when me and my friend, Aneeqa spontaneously decided we would go to Korea... And to think we would ended up going (and we will soon be going off again woop!). Despite all the obstacles we faced trying to go to Korea, we made it, and it was a worthwhile experience!

Hello Kitty my love 💕 PC: @__nikki.k
A post shared by Sophia Tang 🐼 (@sophilicity) on Dec 10, 2016 at 4:30am PST

Whether it was doing touristy stuff like going to Namsan Tower and going to Hello Kitty Island (That was the best, me and Aneeqa were dying from Hello Kitty ahaha!). But also just taking in the different environment altogether... The way we decided to approach Korea was quite different because we did many things which would make you think? Damn, these guys are living like locals aha! And I'm glad to say that I'll be heading back and staying in the same area again! Aneeqa, Alix, we had some interesting experiences - Thank you for being the ones to share it with me!

A post shared by Sophia Tang 🐼 (@sophilicity) on Dec 27, 2016 at 3:16pm PST


After I returned back from Korea, I was already having those holiday-blues... But although the first month after Korea was probably spent partying... A lot... As it hit February, I was lucky enough to be contacted by my friend, Beatrice (from K-Online Television) who I had previously worked with regarding an opportunity to help in a music video production for 2 Korean Artists! At first I was deciding on my priorities, but in the end I went for it... And I'm actually so thankful I did!



These guys treated me so well! From my director, Maisie, to the cameraman, Michael, along with the artists, DAZE, Ray and Fatal from KIMOXAVI. Special thanks goes to Hyungmin who was wonderful to work with from UniqueTunes Records (Can't thank you enough for always treating us to food and for your kindness) along with Freya from UnitedKpop!~ You'll be sure to see KIMOXAVI's release soon~

Another thing to remember from February, was probably one of the memorable concerts to date (I say memorable but I legit just got reminded a while ago about this concert RIP) - ANYWAYS... What I was trying to say is, that this concert was probably one of my favourite concerts I've been to. I've attended various sets, but the venue, the artists just the whole event was really well planned out.

What's more, although I knew of Zion T, his unique style was captivated live, and I'm not surprised that despite having the biggest venue I've seen to date for a concert, he managed to sell out without a struggle! The whole concert presence was amazing. I'm usually quite scared at times for concerts because of how fans can be, but because of his smooth, melodic vocals, you can't help but have an amazing chill time just appreciating his vocals - with everyone's love for Zion T showing as we all sang along to his songs in harmony.


The thing about Zion T was the fact after I went bingeing through his songs, one of my particular favourites being 'Eat' (which I linked above), he manages to conquer a lot of issues within society which you can help but love him for. For this song, he's sweet to remind the girl to eat, especially with the strict beauty standards in Korea~

After I had the opportunity to participate in the British-Korean music video production, I decided that I was going to try and grab every opportunity I can get! So I went for it, and decided to apply as a writer for UnitedKpop - and guess what?! As of April 2017, I am officially a feature writer/photographer for them! If it wasn't for Freya who reminded me about the application, and just for this blog in general, I don't think I would of made it! And I can't even think to tell you how many amazing opportunities I've had because of this job. Whether it would be interviewing famous stars, to attending exclusive screenings of a film! I can't wait to see what opportunities I can earn when I put my efforts into what I enjoy doing - Writing about the things I love! Cringey as it may sound, I've learnt to really enjoy writing about Korean news!

You can check out all my posts here!

And I guess that leads me to where I am today... A year ago, I don't think I would of been so motivated to write so often. I had a momentary hiatus because I wasn't sure where to go from here... But I learnt from many people that it's just about doing it and seeing where it takes you! There's so many people that I could thank, but this would lead me to an endless essay. Thank you to everyone who supported me, who recognised my abilities, who motivated me to keep going!

Well... This also leads me to think about, what can I give you guys in this upcoming year! I'll be heading off to South Korea shortly, in less than a month. I hope I can embrace as many opportunities as possible within that month - hopefully I will be able to try and vlog and bring another media platform to my blog. Anyone interested in watching me on Youtube? - Just a thought aha! Also, from this upcoming year, I hope as I will be entering university this September, I can continue to socialise, build my connections and make my mark for real! Thank you for reading, to all my readers, my supporters, my families, friends... I'm very grateful! ❤

PS: As BTS's anniversary was actually June the 13th (just a day after mine - except it will be 4 years for these guys and 2 years for me), I thought I'd drop one their newest edition to their Festa productions. Check out their remake of Agust D's So Far Away - this time a collaboration between Suga, Jin and Jungkook (a song I discovered today - It was a song I was listening to whilst I was feeling very down, but the meaning behind the lyrics might be something you feel, but you have many people around you to support you - don't forget...) ~

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Apologies for the inactivity, I've been busy doing work for Unitedkpop recently so haven't had a chance to update my own blog! However, feel free to check out my latest posts on Unitedkpop here ~

It's finally June, which means summer is coming~ I thought since I've been keeping updated with the latest K-Pop/K-HipHop tunes for my work with Unitedkpop, that I would bring to you my top 20 favourite summer hits for your summer playlist! (These will be in no particular order! You'll also realise there's a lot of SISTAR in this post - My summer queens ❤)



GRAY - Summer Night (Remix) ft. Hoody

NOTE: So I decided to go on a GRAY binge one evening, and ended up discovering this song by GRAY. The song is a chill-out summer beat, produced by GRAY himself (he's one of the best producers I know from AOMG). I've also come to love Hoody, so hearing her and GRAY's voice together in one song is a dream for me aha! This song has to be one of my favourite remixes of all time, since I'm not usually the type to listen to Korean remixes.


SISTAR - Loving U

NOTE: So recently the news has announced that their upcoming comeback will be SISTAR's last comeback. They announced they will be disbanding... Considering I know SISTAR best for their summer tunes, it's sad to hear about their disbandment. On lighter news, Loving U was one of my first SISTAR songs that I listened to! I remember this song being the first K-Pop song I learnt to dance to properly back in 2013!


Taeyeon - Why

This has to be one of my favourite solos so far released by Taeyeon - although she never fails to amaze me with her vocal and releases. This upbeat summery solo is totally a tune to add to your playlist, I already have it on mine. The vibrant MV also conveys the summer vibes providing with a visual is desirable. In regards to the song it features some EDM influence with an R&B vibe.



Jay Park - My Last ft. Loco & GRAY

This was probably one of the first Jay Park songs I listened to, Joah was probably my first - not too sure. All I know is that I got into Jay Park quite late. However, last summer I spent my entire time replaying this song constantly (although it was released in 2015). To me, any Jay Park collaboration featuring Loco, GRAY or Hoody is something I know I'm going to enjoy aha. GRAY and Cha Cha Malone are probably one of my favourite producers, and they both worked on this track - so obviously you know it's gonna be good! It's quite a comical MV, but shirtless Jay Park had to be one thing which knowing Jay Park, you knew it would definitely be featured! It's a catchy song, which I continually never get tired of listening to.


WINNER - Really Really

When I first listened to this song, I knew already that I was going to have to form a summer playlist with this song. It was a song which was released in Spring this year and the song which drew me into stanning WINNER. Although I have liked their previous songs, this song was the one which drew me into their fandom. The song is an upbeat catchy song, with a simple dance to follow as well. You can't help but get this song stuck in your head - also the release is to this day, one of their most popular releases of all time. But also their first release with former WINNER member, Nam Taehyun.


DAY6 - I'm Serious

Probably one of my favourite groups that I stan. They are a humorous bunch, and they produce music which never fails to amaze you with all it's varieties through instruments played by themselves. This song is their release for April - for 2017, they decided to have a comeback for every month on the 6th day of every month (6th for DAY6) ahaha. This song is a great summer song to play on a road trip to the beach - I'm sure many of you will be heading to the beach this summer to relax, tan and more~ If you haven't already you should check out their music and stan - #makejaenothungry - If you want to understand the reference, click here ~



Girls' Generation - PARTY

Beach party anyone?! This song is another summer tune from 2015! The song is from the first group which got me into K-Pop, better known as Girls' Generation or SNSD. This MV is a fun MV and the music can be described between a mix of electro-pop and bubblegum pop! After watching this MV, I literally wanted to dye my hair Taeyeon's hair colour - although I didn't think I'd pull it off aha. Definitely another catchy hit to add to your playlist if you're looking for a girly, summer vibe!



SISTAR - Touch My Body

I remember this song best because of it's unique dance move which many described as the "dog pissing" move - although somewhat crude, I couldn't help but laugh because... It's actually rather true ahaha. But we are back again with our summer queens, to bring you 'Touch My Body'. SISTAR never fail to catch on, and once again we have a great summer hit from 2014. Many idols have also reenacted the famous move such as J-Hope from BTS, as well as label-mate, BamBam from GOT7. Surprisingly enough, it was even featured on an episode of Family Guy (you can check out a clip of it's feature here.)


Jay Park - Drive ft. GRAY

Another Jay Park song! Jay Park released some great songs this year for his album 'Everything You Wanted'. The song features GRAY and was also produced by GRAY. I remember when this song was released, I found out that Bora from SISTAR was featured in the MV and it seems Jay Park has a crush on Bora so it must be a dream come true. Also, the award for the best subtitles has to go to Jay Park for subtitling his own MVs - 'GRAY SEXY ENGLISH TIME' cracked me up. Another track you've definitely gotta listening to whilst you 'drive' ahaha - bad pun RIP.



SISTAR - I Swear

Back again with another SISTAR hit~ When I first heard this song I thought it was gonna be quite a laid back smooth jam, but then I continued listening and the beat changed and it became more upbeat - despite the change, I still continued to enjoy the song a lot. I've read many comments regarding the MV and their choice of outfits and cinematography, but I still appreciate the girls. They've had to face a lot of issues regarding sexualisation of society as well as skin colour (particularly Hyorin who is naturally tanner than many K-Pop idols and has received criticism). Nevertheless, the group are literally squad goals and body goals :')


MOBB - Hit Me ft. KUSH

Forming a duo with this pair is a mess yet you can't help but enjoy their music because of how lit it is ahahaha! The group, MOBB formed with iKON's Bobby and WINNER's Mino bring to you some amazing hip-hop tracks. This song is rather different from the others because of it's hard-hitting beat, it's a song you can play during the summer when you're ready to club. When the beat drops, you know you can't help but jam to the song - it's a fun and lively beat, a song to let yourself loose! (Trust me I know from experience from hearing this song at NB2 back in Seoul last December loool).


SanE x Raina - A Midsummer's Night Sweetness

In contrast to the previous track, this song has a sweet melody which is accompanied by San E's rap. The song is a collaboration between San E and After School's Raina. The song was released during the summer of 2014, and achieved number 1 in 10 major music charts after its release. A song you listen to on a summer's night whilst drinking beers and catching up on life. SEVENTEEN also made a rendition of this song with their HipHop unit, which you can check out here~


Girl's Day - Darling

Girl's Day have been popularly known for their sexy hits such as 'Something' and 'Expectation' but they came back during July 2014 with 'Darling'~ The MV and song presents an 80's vibe with the bright visuals as well as the introduction to the song. The bold coloured setting, with the checkered floors remind me of the 80's style of roller disco! The dance is similar to the 50's vibe along with the retro style aesthetic~ Many concepts tend to aim to bring a lot of modern vibes and latest trends, so seeing famous old trends being brought back for this MV was rather unique to me!



ASTRO - Breathless

I first found out about ASTRO when my friend showed me a video of Rocky choreographying a song (you can check it out here - I can't believe this boy is a 99'liner... When did I become so old as a 97'liner omg...) so I was considering getting into them for a while but it took me longer than expected. I'm still new to the group, but I decided to watch their show 'To Be Continued' which made me more informed about the group - I think my bias is Eunwoo aha! But the group have a cute concept for this MV which features IOI's Yoojung. Another beach summer song as a part of their 'Summer Vibes' second mini album! "Breathless can be described as a refreshing song with a clear and additive melody." - a track which follows in the genre of synth-pop.



ZICO - Boys and Girls ft. Babylon

Although the track was released in November 2015, the song provides a lot of summer vibes. I'm rather questioning the stylists thoughts on their wardrobe choices for the MV though... The song is an upbeat, feel-good track! I guess ZICO's focus to tell his girl to have fun and be care-free, refrain from being awkward and worrying to much and to just have a good time!~ To think, Zico composed, wrote lyrics and arranged the track amazes me! No wonder the song topped the Gaon Digital Chart throughout the entirety of November - he's amazing!


NU'EST - Not Over You

NU'EST debuted back in 2012, but despite their comebacks they were lacking in promotions. They were probably the first boy group I stanned since debut. I was sad to see 4 of the members participated in Produce 101 to bring light to the group for an opportunity to do better with their career. For them, it would be their last opportunity for success (especially as SEVENTEEN who debuted later, succeeded better than them... Sigh...) ~ In regards to the song, it's a very chill summer song, which I could probably hear myself listening to as I ride my bike appreciating the summer weather (I mean I'm saying this as if I can even ride a bike properly... RIP). Anyways, I hope you guys check out this group, because they are so underrated! (PS: Watch Produce 101 Season 2 if you have the chance, because these guys are great on there!)



Taeyeon - Starlight ft. DEAN

If I'm honest, when I first heard this song I wasn't really a fan but I didn't give it much of a chance. However, when I listened to it once again, I couldn't help but fall in love with the song - I'm glad I gave it a second chance. The collaboration between two of my favourite artists talks about a summer love - and honestly I can't help but ship them in this music video. The combination of their voices provides a sweet melody, that you can't desire their relationship presented in this MV. (PS: I'm so excited that I will have an opportunity to see DEAN live next month in London on the 25th of June~ I'll let you guys know how it is huehuehue~)



GOT7 - A

The MV itself is actually quite fun and what I can say is somewhat cute? (ft. Mark's ramen hair) and conveys a more colourful visual in comparison to their debut which was more focused on a hip-hop image. The song was produced by JYP himself, and can be described as a light and bouncy track. I first got into GOT7 after I found out JJ Project (a duo formed with GOT7's Jinyoung and JB) were no longer going to be a duo but to join 5 other members to become GOT7. Although the group debuted and were described as a Hip-Hop group, the group changed up their concept whilst still showing off aspects of their b-boy style choreography in the piece. (SIDENOTE: You guys need to check out their reenactments of their 'A' teasers on Weekly Idol - check out the clip here).



Hoody - By Your Side

Ok, if you watch the MV you'll be quite surprised between the contrast of the song and the actual MV. The MV is quite fun, but then it gets rather deep- If you listen to the song you will realise it seems like a very upbeat song, and the lyrics can describe the care-free reality. Hoody has become one of my favourite solo artists recently, especially as she's the only female artists signed to AOMG! If you haven't already, check out her 'On and On' album - all the songs are so easily to listen to!



Crush - Oasis ft. ZICO

I've taken a liking to CRUSH's voice for a long time but after attending a concert he held in London last November, I literally became a big fan of his music. His vocals via audio and live are flawless. Usually I'd expect one or the other to be lacking, but he does well in both - I'm jealous!! If you're feeling some summer R&B vibes, this is the song for you. ZICO's rap is great, but watch as the beat drops and the rap gets hard and heavy - it's like 'go hard or go home' kinda feel aha~ We also have some random ass feature of Zion T near the end of the MV. CRUSH's silky voice ft. ZICO's strong rapping skills = a great hit!



I hope you guys enjoyed my latest blog post~ I'll attempt to update a lot more now that I have found more time to post... If I'm not procrastinating by watching dramas.. Let me know your thoughts of the tracks below! I'm also welcoming any suggestions, so I can add some more tracks to my own summer playlist! :D
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