A side outcome of my trip to San Francisco with the Samsung Imagelogger team was my introduction into the work of KPop and Hong Kong popular culture. Since you all know I'm a huge dork when it comes to what is COOL AND POPULAR, I glommed onto my new bestie, Hong Kong photographer Kar Hoo Chow, for a crash course on all things popular in Asia. This week, I'm going to school you on all that I learned. Because, really? It's so amazingly fun.
Lesson 1: Gwiyomi
In Asia you just can't be TOO CUTE. In fact, sugary sweet cuteness is what it's all about. And the song Gwiyomi is just that. A song about a Korean girl's adorable love for her boyfriend and how she wants him to promise that they will be together forever (with a pinky swear), ending with six kisses - one for each finger and thumb.
"One plus one is cute, two plus two is still cute, three plus three is also cute"
Basically the song is the same words over and over sung as cutely as possibly. But on top of it, girls have added cutesy hand signs from 1-6 in addition to adding other cute expressions like pouting and cupping their chins to pretending to be cute bunnies and kittens. And filming themselves doing this. And adding them to YouTube.
This particular video has over 3,600,000 hits!
While obviously some things are lost in translation, here are the English lyrics to the song:
Over a chocolate muffin
Waiting for a cup of savory milk
Oppa and I sit facing each other
And scribble on each other’s hands
Don’t look at other girls
No matter what they say
You’re mine (You’re mine)
Don’t even talk to other girls
I’m yours (I’m yours)
Please pinky promise me
That you’ll never leave me alone
1 plus 1 equals Gwiyomi
2 plus 2 equals Gwiyomi
3 plus 3 equals Gwiyomi
4 plus 4 equals Gwiyomi too
5 plus 5 equals Gwiyomi too
6 plus 6 equals chu chu chu chu chu chu Gwiyomi
I’m Gwiyomi
So there you have it. Gwiyomi.