[prompt] Love Is In Da Blog 24: My favorite love song in a foreign language.

In January 2017, when Korean megastar and icon RAIN (비) threw caution to the wind, bet everything on love and released this very public proposal of marriage to his then-girlfriend of five years, popular Korean actress Kim Tae Hee (김태희), my heart just about exploded with joy.

I’ll tell you why.

For the duration of his career (15 years at that time, I’d been a fan for 10), this phenomenal singer, actor, and dancer had remained publicly single, unattached, and available for his beloved fan clubs that began in Korea when he was the tender age of 20, shot across Asia, and now includes international “Clouds” in countries around the world. Of course, we knew there had to be things going on behind the scenes. I mean, come on now, one of the sexiest Korean men on the planet, saving himself for… what? No way, haha! Those were wild oats that had to and deserved to be sown IMHO, even as he fueled our wonderful fantasies of him and boy, did those fantasies run the gamut. LOL!

Still, there came a time when many of us knew he yearned to find love and happiness with a special someone the way a lot of us had, and be a father, make a family. I wanted that for him, too. I wanted to see baby Raindrops, despite the widespread believe that in Korean popular music, marriage and babies means artists stop producing and go away. (I don’t know why that crap seems to be The Gospel, but I’ll tell you this — Rain could have a gazillion wives and babies but he ain’t gonna stop singing and acting until HE’s ready. And he ain’t gonna be ready for a long time. One of his former reps in the U.S. predicted he would be like Frank Sinatra — never fully out of the limelight for as long as he lives.)

When this man finally bit the bullet in his mid-30s and, with this proposal song, risked alienating his fan base by declaring to his woman and the world how much he wanted to marry her, I and many fans like me were never more proud of him. (Did some fans leave? Some. And what of it? He has the right to live his life and if you aren’t mature enough to handle that, shove off. It is what it is and there are plenty of us still here and new fans chiming in every day.) Of course, Kim Tae Hee said yes. And, nine months to their honeymoon night in Bali — give or take a day or two — their baby daughter was born. I’m not kidding. Rain’s timing has always been impeccable, why not then as well? LOL!

Has Rain slowed down his activities since then at all? Not even a little bit. Do shops still close and people crowd in to see him when he shows up in the streets? Yep. Just watching him still tires me the hell out. 🙂

I give you my favorite love song in a foreign language, “The Best Present” (최고의 선물, pronounced cho-eh-go-ee sun-mul) by the singer who proved he is every bit as romantic as I always thought he was. (He also has a healthy sense of humor, as you’ll see at the end. So silly LOL) ❤️

(Please turn on CCs for English lyrics.)

Something extra: Before “The Best Present” came along two years ago, my favorite love song in a foreign language was “Donde Quiera Que Estes” (Wherever You Are) by Selena Quintanilla and the Barrio Boyz.

(English lyrics are here.)

READ: The Bee Writes, Love Is In Da Blog 24 — My favorite love song in a foreign language