"Gangnam Style" brought the Korean pop music to the American conscious last year, and by now most of use have gotten tired of Psy. The phenomena has opened our eyes to the Asian nation however, and perhaps opened the door to new artists and influences from the other half of the world. KCON, the world's most prominent K-Pop convention (naturally held in Los Angeles), featured an eye-popping collaboration between Korean pop star G-Dragon and New York hip-hopper Missy Elliott.
The duo performed a new track "Niliria," rumored to be part of the tracklist for G-Dragon's 2013 album "Coup d'Etat" to a convention center full of K-pop fans, and it was most excellent. Elliott dropped the first verse, referencing prophylactics and swag in the same bar and otherwise reflecting the same off-the-wall sensibility that made "Work It" a smash. G-Dragon bounced back and forth between English and Korean, at one point telling the audience to "get your freak on, get your cray-on," the latter referencing his own hit "Crayon."
The beat combined Eastern and Wester sensibilities, at some points featuring quick percussion and erhu (a two-string Chinese bowed instrument), and then jumping to the wail of air raid sirens. The stage show also represented an amalgamation of cultures...kind of. What we assume was Missy's crew (American dancers) wore matching black and chartreuse get-ups, while G-Dragon's crew (Korean dancers) wore shimmering multicolored body-suits and pink wigs. Kind of the weird stuff we stereotype with Korean pop music.
Seriously great performance. Make sure to check out the video below, and keep an eye out for an official release of the track in the near future.
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