This assignment was a challenge for me because not only I had to be in the video, but also had to dance and sing, which I have never done before in front of a camera. There were other ways to participate but since I do not have any filming or editing skills, the best option for me was to become a performer. I am certainly not the most confident and outgoing person and initially had trouble singing and dancing with strangers watching me but ended up having a lot of fun producing this cover. I thought everyone showed effort and invested their time, brainstorming ideas and planning for the assignment. Everyone was open-minded and willing to listen to the suggestions from other group members. Although our video does not look as professional or flawless as the original Jay Park’s video, I am very proud of our final product. This assignment was not about being perfect at singing, dancing, or filming; it was about being passionate about K-pop and showing our love and support for Jay Park as we all admire his achievements.
We covered Jay Park’s “All I Wanna Do.” There are two versions to the song, English and Korean, which is not unusual because K-pop’s international popularity is significantly growing. It was fascinating to find dance tutorials and covers by his international fans. I grew up in Korea, listening to K-pop and watching K-dramas but never realized that they were also popular in other countries. It still amazes me that people love K-pop even though they do not understand Korean and universities like UBC offer courses that teach students about the Korean culture.