The western A+ who have the least cause to complain about getting the lovable men of MBLAQ on their soil are the Latin A+, specifically Mexico and South America. The USA+ have yet to experience a music bank, for example. Or, see the ever-seductive G.O go completely Latin style a la vida loca! Latin A+ will never know how lucky they were to have experienced that incredible moment G.O gifted to all of them!
So my mom, who was a sworn Joon fan (the operative here being was) changed her tune when I shared G.O’s cover of Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca from Music Bank Chile in November 2012. Her bias jump was immediate! And he managed to win her in under two minutes and without singing the entire song. Say what you will, but G.O is a bias-wrecker of the most extreme kind!
The energy and charm G.O brought to his Music Bank Chile performance was simultaneously subtle and potent. This is G.O’s special gift. Subtly potent! The song itself is iconic and infectious. It is signature Ricky Martin. In fact, it would seem impossible that another singer could emulate the kind of appeal and sexy of the original. The song demands something that both men possess, however: charisma.
Not that it bears repeating, but G.O is an artist who is a master at his craft and an artist who knows how to capitalize on the power of a song (even when it is not his own), because he knows exactly how to make it his own. I LOVE this about G.O so much! With Vida Loca, our gorgeous main vocal stays true to the original:
The way I see it is like this: G.O understands the alchemy of a song, any song. He knows that a song is comprised of much more than just notes and lyrics on a page. This is why he can meet a song head on, even at first meeting, and commune with it in a way that breathes new life into it, even if it has been dormant, yet certainly not forgotten.
When he covers a song (any song), G.O is able to remind us of the song’s greatness and why it was a hit. He is able to renew the love for a great song. He did so by reviving Livin’ La Vida Loca at Music Bank Chile.
G.O choosing to sing an iconic smash hit song written in English is what makes him an artistic risk-taker who is consistently and genuinely attentive to his audience. He always seems to give us exactly what we desire whether we are aware of it or not.
~♥~
Honestly, when he sings in English… it especially makes my heart flutter. It is like this… G.O. knows that no matter what language the song is in… he can do it. Because he fluently speaks the language of music, Love.