Everyone remembers their first YouTube video. I was introduced to YouTube around the same time Facebook was brought to my attention. I was in middle school and constantly decorating my Myspace wall. On a public computer, my classmates and I watched Back Dorm Boys’ rendition of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way. Two goofy Asians lip synching the words to the popular tune, Wei Wei and Huang Yixin became instant classics. Them dressed in Houston Rocket jerseys and Adidas headbands will forever be my first impression of online music video entertainment. I remember the laughter from the classroom where I learned about the amazing world wide web. Not only did I realize that computer gaming was better with other online players, but I soon discovered how much better Facebook was than Myspace. Fast forward to high school when Facebook dominated the online social scene. Instant messaging on AIM soon became obsolete. Facebook was the most genuine and professional way to talk to someone in secrecy. In high school, a thumb drive was considered high-tech and misplacing it was scary for any student. Technology has progressed so vastly over the past dozen years that I even remember using a floppy disk drive to save my eighth grade social studies presentation. Now, cloud computing is everywhere and accessible. I no longer worry about paying for Microsoft Office now that I am a full-time college student. The point is that everything is done online in the very moment from which I speak through the keyboard and monitor. I no longer log onto a PC without playing YouTube videos. In fact, when I leave my room without headphones and electronic devices I have an easier time reading on ink and paper. In those moments, I am well disciplined and in my element. When I do not have those moments of courage, I hide inside the comforting sounds of lyric videos and read from the digital screen. With so many distractions less than a blink away, I constantly balance my time online between Facebook and Moodle. When I want to feel alone in an ambient computer room, I check out headphones from the Circulation Desk and plug away into a Windows operating system. The profound impact YouTube now has on my life is irrefutable. I prefer it to Groove Shark, Pandora, iTunes, and Spotify. YouTube is free and ad-free for the most part. For this class blog, I would like to talk about the most recent cover video artists. I will focus on Asian male singers such as Sam Tsui and Jason Chen. I will compare their vocal and visual techniques in comparison to Boyce Avenue and Kurt Hugo Schneider. These four individuals have contributed to the magic of pop hit covers. They tour the world singing songs previously recorded and indoctrinated to mainstream listeners. The impact of these singers on my music experience is deep. Their interpretation of already popular songs help me understand them ever slightly differently. For this semester, I strive to praise their unwavering
devotion to sharing the joys of pop songs in my class blog. I shall demonstrate the ways these singers foster healthy masculinity and self expression. Lastly, I will continue to stay up-to-date with their latest projects and their next Millennial generation work.
