One morning this summer, Andrea and I were in the middle of our AM hustle and bustle while one of the morning news shows played in the background. During one segment, a bunch of young, Asian males walked onto an outdoor stage. As I heard the opening notes of their performance, I looked up. "Is that GOT7?" Andrea checked the screen.
"Yep. That's them." Then she turned on me, hands on her hips, and a big smile on her face. "How about you! Recognizing modern pop culture - from Korea, no less! I'm proud of you, Hon!"
I, on the other hand, dejectedly hung my head. How had it come to this? I take pride in my willful ignorance of Millenial and Post-Millenial culture, satisfied to wrap myself in the well worn familiar blanket folds from my generation's touchstones of pet rocks, mood rings, entertainers with hair jacked to Jesus, and "Where's the beef!?" Now, I was in danger of becoming conversant in K-Pop.
The last great musical invasion to reach our shores was from across the Pond. Dozens of English groups established beachheads in our record stores and entrenched themselves in American radio airplay. The vanguard of The Beatles, Yardbirds, and The Zombies paved the way for successive waves like The Police and U2.
Today, the invasion is coming from the far side of the Pacific. Its vanguard is Psy, riding a pretend horse and extolling the Seoul party scene in "Gangnam Style". And he's flanked by boy bands. So many freaking boy bands - you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one.
What's an old curmudgeon to do? Continue to bask in the old ways and face inevitable relegation to the forgotten, old guy music bin along with Montovani and Doris Day? Or do I embrace the new and start sporting a K-Pop haircut? Fear not, this is not a Kobyashi Maru. There's another Asian invasion underway spearheaded by The Hu.
The Hu is a Mongolian metal band sporting traditional Mongolian instruments and utilizing traditional Mongolian "throat singing". Far from being a fringe curiosity, these guys are legit and were in the middle of a world tour when COVID hit.
Their track, "Wolf Totem", apart from being a kick-ass title, is the furthest thing from the sugary sweet, teen-angst ridden themes warbled out by GOT7 and their ilk. Nor are they prancing around on goofy pretend horses. Astride horses of both flesh and steel, the Hu's fist pumps, vocalizations, and scowls add a "Get the hell out of my way" fervor to their (translated) lyrics.
If you come with evil intentions, we'll give you a fight!
Ten of us will strike you as thunder
Hundred of us will shatter your hearts
Thousand of us will destroy and obliterate
Ten thousand of us will hand you the wrath of heaven!
Damn. Old Ghenghis would be proud.
Some of the reviews I read of this song were solid gold. Among them was, "I looked out my window after this video and my shed was on fire, horses were trampling my garden, and my Chinese neighbor was building a wall."
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