In the heart of Manila, streets are dotted with a plethora of billboards where, among Filipino celebrities, the faces of Lee Minho and 2NE1's Sandara Park are seen endorsing local clothing brands.
The Hallyu Wave (the expansion of Korean popular culture to other countries) is a definite hit in the Philippines as Korean TV dramas are dubbed for local television, K-pop plays on variety shows, and dozens of Korean barbeque restaurants are scattered all over metro Manila.
Filipino stars have joined other lay-fans in droves to express admiration for many of K-pop's leading stars, and among them, actress and singer/songwriter Glaiza de Castro has found inspiration with Big Bang.
Despite years of taking on roles in Filipino adaptations of Korean dramas like Stairway to Heaven and Temptation of Wife and being surrounded by K-pop in local music shows, De Castro admits she didn't get hit with the wave until the second half of 2015. After a thankful year of success with her album Synthesis, followed by a solo concert and winning Best Female Rocker, her hard work paid off when she finally got to see Big Bang live. Including her bias, T.O.P.
In January, De Castro sat down with KpopStarz to discuss her latest musical inspirations.
First off, how did you get into K-Pop or Big Bang?
It was still Sunday All Stars (Sunday music variety show) and they were playing "Bang Bang Bang"during a dance segment and then when I heard it I thought, "Okay 'to, ah! (This is pretty good)." So I started researching then when I saw the song on YouTube, I discovered it was Korean. It sounded more western and different and I loved the progression of music.
Upon your discovery, what made you dig deeper into the realm of K-Pop/VIP fandom?
I saw a video clip of GD in the studio and he was so focused. He was so different to how he is on stage. I developed a greater respect for him as a producer and a musician not just a celebrity or a boy band member. It's amazing how his music transitions from club to hip-hop with elements of rock. I really admire him for always thinking outside of the box. For me, I want to be like that.
One of the things I admire about T.O.P is how he handles music and acting. He's really the actor of the group. I can see the balance of what he wants to do and what he needs to do in the future. Right, he had this passion for chairs? He calls it contemporary art and when he continues to look at it, he gets inspired to create something. Everyone has their own way of getting inspiration. I sometimes get it from K-pop, underground artists, Dadaism. That's why I was familiar with "DOOM DADA!" They're not your typical cute-centric artists.
As her single "Dusk 'Til Dawn" gets taught in a Korean elementary school for students to learn English, the singer said she will one day get the track in Korean as she has it already done in Japanese. Check the song out and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Lai Frances is the night editor and photographer for KpopStarz. She is a music and entertainment multimedia journalist and producer who has worked for Sony Music Entertainment and CBS Radio New York. You can follow her on Twitter @laifrncs for random thoughts on western and K-pop music!
