Nobody Nobody

Music is one of our frequently discussed topics so I feel like I'd be remiss in my duties as foreign correspondent if I didn't talk about what's big here. There isn't really much of a Thai music scene beyond Thai Pop and for every other genre they just turn outward. There are nearly as many English radio stations as Thai ones (not counting talk) and even then they're almost all pop/rock. Granted, this is information gathered through passing experience in taxis and I'm sure there are niches for everything in this city. My favorite place in the city is actually a small little blues bar that's about the size of a closet. There's about 4 or 5 bands that play there regularly and they're all really good. It's very cool to see Thai people singing old blues favorites. Likewise, there's a Thai Beatles tribute band that plays every Friday up the street. They have the mop-tops and everything. It's weird to hear them sing these songs perfectly but then when someone comes up to talk to them in English they have no idea what they're saying.

The main reason for this post is to share my new favorite pop song. It's actually from a Korean band called the Wonder Girls and the song is called "Nobody". It follows a pretty common Asian pop template with native language verse and then English chorus. I love it. Warning! it might get stuck in your head for a while. I linked to a live performance so you could see the dance that goes with it as well as admire the Wonder Girls. When this song comes on at a party or club, about 1/3 of the girls will do the dance with it. It's sorta like the macarena but 5 years later when most people forgot how to do it. As an added bonus I'll post the yt video of "Lucky" which is similar song I had a similar attraction to in Madrid. This one is also a "live" performance but you get the same effect as listening to the mp3..also you can sing along in French!

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