NAME: Brad Batstone

AGE: 23

BORN: Arlington, Va.

LIVES: Annapolis, Md.

CURRENTLY: After graduating from the University of Miami last year, Batstone is currently a tennis instructor, training hard in hopes of going pro.

INTRO TO K-POP: "I was flipping channels one day when I was bored and came across an episode of 'K-Pop Tasty Road,'" Batstone recalled.  "I saw this gorgeous food, heard amazing music and thought these two sexy hosts were really funny.  I was captivated by this show. And well, the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so I was hooked.  I even had my phone out and was trying to identify each song that was being played in the background [on a song identification app] because they sounded so good.  Hosted by [singer] NS Yoon-G and Eli from U-KISS, that was a great introduction to K-pop.  I saw these confident, young, attractive people who spoke multiple languages and I knew I had finally found something I loved."

WHAT SETS K-POP APART: "Everyone will talk about the choreography when it comes to K-pop, but it's also the energy and passion that sets it apart," he said.   "Why else would so many people who don't understand the words fall in love with this music?  We don't know exactly what they're saying at first, but we feel their energy and it transcends language.  It's like spirit.  There's an old quote, attributed to Leonard Bernstein that says, 'when the passion's too much to talk, sing.  When the passion's too much to sing, dance.'  I think this is what K-pop drives at, and what it does better than anywhere else right now. This passion can be seen in the fan interaction.  The first time I saw a K-pop performance on television and heard the crowd chanting, I was in awe and simply kept thinking, 'that is awesome!  This is how it's supposed to be!'"

FAVORITE GROUP: Teen Top

WHY TEEN TOP IS TOPS: "It's their music and personality," Batstone said. "I love their moves, their lyrics, but mainly the fact that they are hilarious.  Dressing up as A Pink and performing 'NoNoNo,' as well as the backstage shenanigans I've seen from them, are just crazy fun. I went to an all-guys high school so I can attest that we get pretty crazy when hanging out. And I see that in Teen Top when they pull pranks and mess around.  It was that footwork and freestyle step on 'Rocking' that won me over though and they've been my favorite ever since.  Lastly, as a guy who has grown his hair out and will be donating it soon to a cancer patient, I've gotten a lot of ideas that I want to try with my hair, thanks to their style."

BEST TEEN TOP SONG: "I Wanna Love"

"Originally I loved 'Rocking,' the best, especially because the choreography is mind-blowing, but I soon found that 'I Wanna Love' just kept getting played over and over again when I would listen to them," he said. "I just couldn't get enough of that song.  I suppose that makes me a hopeless romantic." 

FAVORITE SOLO ARTIST: Henry Lau of Super Junior-M

"That guy is just so talented," Batstone said. He revealed that minoring in foreign languages in college inspired him to respect the trilingual ability that Lau (who performs solo under the stage name Henry) displays. "I'm a big fan of speaking multiple languages, and he not only sings in three different ones, he plays just about every string instrument out there and can dance.  What more can you ask for in a performer?  I have a lot of respect and admiration for him and always will." 

FAVORITE HENRY LAU SONG: "1-4-3 (I Love You)."

"It just speaks to my soul," Batstone said. "As a guy, he puts into words how you can fall for a girl despite a language barrier or not being able to fully express how you feel.  'I'm sending 1-4-3 and she's sending 4-8-6.' I could be anywhere, doing anything and if you played that song I would just stop and start dancing.  I honestly didn't know music could have that kind of effect until I found K-pop." 

RISING STAR: FLASHE

Batstone thinks other fans should check out five-member girl group FLASHE, who debuted back in July. "I didn't find out about them until recently," he admits. "They have a member, Song Hee, who has some very strong vocals.  I think if they can utilize the strength of her voice, they will have success.  On their song 'Oh Ye Yo,' if you listen to the later portions of it, she really shows off her greatness.  That kind of voice could set them apart.  The female groups that are consistently on top seem to be women groups, not girl groups, so I think any upcoming bands will need something strong like that to succeed."

BIGGEST FAN MOMENT: Back in November, Batstone saw the boy band Infinite perform at the Fillmore Theater in Silver Spring, Md. He sheepishly admitted it was his first K-pop concert. But it didn't disappoint. "It was everything that I expected and more," he said. "It was super intimate and a great first concert because it was so personal.  It was great to simply show up and see other people who cared about K-pop.  As a 6-foot-1 blond, straight guy I probably looked so out of place in a sea of adoring girls, but I didn't care.  It's like my favorite shirt says, 'I can't keep calm, because I love K-pop.'  I had fun and would go again in a second. The best part was definitely Infinite's video for 'Inconvenient Truth' that they played at the concert.  It is by far the funniest music video I've seen in my life.  It was awesome to see the role reversal as these guys are falling all over themselves around an attractive girl.  Just because they are superstars doesn't mean they aren't normal like the rest of us, and their sense of humor is amazing in person."

WHAT MOST AMERICANS DON'T GET ABOUT K-POP: "That it's okay for guys to be able to dance!" Batstone said. "Americans have this outlook of 'oh, real men don't dance.'  I was taught that actions speak louder than words, so if you want to impress someone, then bust a move.  Everyone jams out in their cars while driving, but guys want to look tough in front of others so they don't let go and have fun.  That's what K-pop is, it's straight up fun." And it is for exactly that reason that Batstone is thankful K-pop came into his life. "I tell people that since finding K-pop my happiness in life has literally tripled," he said. "Even though I was a happy person before, it continually raises my spirits, every single day."

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