Absolute nostalgia is my choice for the G.O One Shot today, a picture from the Tykeys archives. Even though more than ten years have passed, little has changed about G.O. True, he is older and most likely wiser. The experiences of his life (good and not so good) have only added to the depth of his talent which continues to grow and evolve. And, perhaps has even added to the incredible depth that always seems present in his gorgeous eyes.
I sometimes try to imagine what this countdown series would have been like had I only filled it with Vocal Virtuosity moments. Then again, every song, video or the like shared here throughout this entire countdown has actually been that kind of moment. Early on in one of the blog posts here, I labeled G.O a virtuoso at his craft. And initially when the word synced up in my mind to describe G.O, it was because of his music. But as it turns out, a virtuoso can also be someone who is skilled in any artistic pursuit. And although music may be the auto default for G.O (for good reason), I think it can apply to him across many of his artistic endeavors. For the purpose of this countdown series however, I chose to single out his virtuosity as a vocalist. Today I want to fall into G.O’s incredibly smooth and sensual vocal stylings as captured in the opening track of Ty Project No. 1, Intro, because it is exactly what some of us can use right now to soothe our souls, and heat up these cold winter days.
Ever since acquainting myself with G.O and learning a little bit about his artistic journey, I have been on a quest to find as many copies of Tykeys’ Ty Project No. 1, literally the first full studio album he recorded (to my knowledge any way). When I find a copy, I buy it. This past week, I found another copy so that always seems to ignite my desire to revisit Tykeys’ performances and it occurred to me that 연상연하 [Old & Young], one of the two singles released from the album was a perfect candidate for a Vocal Virtuosity moment. Specifically, the live performance from the Tykeys showcase way back in February or March 2007. The studio version is great. But my favorite live version, vocally speaking, is the showcase performance. Continue reading
G.O continues to spoil us with his Instagram updates which have been consistently coming since February of this year. Yes, G.O has updated every month since February and often times has shared multiple updates. Such was the case Sunday, the 10th of December.
There are literally dozens of words beginning with the letter R that could describe, suit and complement G.O for this installment of The ABC’s of G.O. The first that comes to mind is romantic. I have no reference to confirm he is, but G.O has intimated things in past interviews that would suggest he is a bit of a romantic. Likewise, the way in which he interprets love ballads would also support my belief. I know ‘romantic’ is an easy go to and G.O may even appreciate being described so. But I think there is a word that rings even more true about him. That word is resilient.
I have only two problems with my Vocal Virtuosity selection for today and they are: (1) it is not the full song and (2) the entertainment news reporter had the gall to talk over the pure angelic vocals of our gentle troubadour. Brief and interfered with it as it may be, it is perhaps the only live recording (that I have come across anyway) of G.O singing one of his two solo songs from the magnificent Ty Project No. 1 album, 내가 아니라도 [Even Though It’s Not Me]. Pure heaven nonetheless.
It is Sunday and we are wrapping up yet another week of G.O’s service. Sundays always suggest a day of rest and leisure and as such, seem like perfect days for something sweet and inspirational. I completely forgot about the cover of A Whole New World from the Aladdin OST G.O and Su sang together back during Tykeys days. When Tykeys were being introduced to the world in 2007, it was wonderful that they were given a platform to showcase their vocal skills singing in English as well as in their native Korean. When G.O sings, his voice automatically translates the music into its own language regardless of the song’s given language. That language being of course, the language of the heart. It has no real translation and is all vibration and sensation. As a native English-speaker however, when G.O sings in English, it makes experiencing his art extra special.
Back on 29 May 2007, the fresh-on-the scene R&B trio Tykeys visited the KBS studios to record an episode of the music variety-talk show, Yoon Do Hyun’s Love Letter. You may recall way back on Day 36 I shared Tykeys’ amazing performance of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You which the group performed for the audience that evening. Maybe it was before (or perhaps it was after that performance), Do Hyun took some time to chat with Lee Jung and got to know a little bit about his three young protégés. We learned that Su could rap, Hyun Jung could b-boy and G.O had rhythm, could dance, and was completely adorable through it all.
G.O’s selca game has always been strong and dates back to his days with Tykeys. He made some serious flip phone magic back in 2007, and I really feel like honoring it today as my G.O’s Selca Magic choice. It’s Tuesday and his 482nd day of service, so why not?
It was exactly four months ago today that I had an In The Practice Room With Tykeys moment here on the Countdown and I recall at that time that I wanted to save Tykeys’ rehearsal of 연상연하 [Old & Young] for as long as I could hold off on sharing it because it is one of my favorites and I just wanted to delay the pleasure just a little. Thankfully, I plan some posts well in advance so when I saw this on my countdown log journal for today, I was so excited. I cannot believe I refrained from moving it up sooner, but having waited is making it that much sweeter. For this 430th day of G.O’s service, we travel back to 2007 to sit in on Tykeys’ energetic rehearsal of 연상연하 [Old & Young].
