Let’s be honest: We’ve all been hearing a lot about K-pop.
Some of us have given ourselves over and some haven’t, but Korean music, fashion and culture have been intriguing the world for quite some time.
If you’re looking for a place to begin listening to K-pop, look no further—this video might explain a thing or two, about the charm of Seoul’s finest.
Every week, the YouTube channel Daily Busking loads new performances online of people doing street performances. In this one, it’s South Korean indie band GIFT.
As the video begins, everything is ready for these talented guys to blow the crowd away.
The singer, Lee JuHyuk, has got some incredible vocals.
He covers Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” magically. The best part is that Lee doesn’t try to create the exact copy of the original song. He gives it his own interpretation that stays true to the spirit of the original.
The huge crowd gathered around the band, who performs at Sinchon Station in Seoul.
Lee’s acoustic guitar is the perfect companion, but the bass and drums are creating an engaging rhythm. Above all, we were surprised by the way that audience watches the show. Yes, there are a lot of people, but everyone seems to respect each other’s space. With phones in their hands, younger girls and boys are trying to capture most of the atmosphere. In the bottom left corner, you’ll see a grandpa in an orange jacket.
First, he was standing and watching the show, but when he noticed that a couple of fellows behind him can’t see anything, the grandpa decided to squat.
As it turns out, Korean audience often calls this group “a musical rainbow.”
The four-member band GIFT began its story in 2016. Kim Seungtae, the guitarist and current leader of the band, performed on the streets with his long time friend Lee JuHyuk. While busking, they met the drummer Junk Hwigyeom and the bassist Kim Hyungwoo.
After a couple of experimental live sessions, the guys decided to form a band.
Today, GIFT usually performs in the streets of Sinchon or Hongdae’s live clubs. Most of their repertoire consists of interesting covers of various British band songs. The guys from GIFT sometimes perform their original songs, but there hasn’t been a word about releasing an album yet.
Their most recent project is an EP called Goodbye.
Another interesting information is that they’re winners of the 2016 Yamaha Asian Beat contest, which you can check out online right here. It’s their original song “Stay The Same,” and we loved every note. Although the song does not have a lot of views, it’s still an impressive show with an interesting musical arrangement!
On the other hand, the video of “I Won’t Give Up” accumulated 32 million YouTube views.
Without a doubt, this band’s cover’s are mesmerizing. After winning the 206 Asian Beat, one of the largest amateur band contests in Asia, GIFT impressed everyone during their feature on Music Eat+, a YouTube channel dedicated to Korean indie artists.
GIFT performed an amazing rendition of Troye Sivan’s “Youth,” and then the soundtrack from the Japanese animation film Your Name.
Seems like these guys are headed for big success!
We can’t wait to see more performances from this talented group!
Be sure to watch the full performance in the link below:
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
