If you didn't know it already Big Bang is my first K-Pop love, introduced to me by some close friends. I instantly became addicted to their music - the vibe is so bouncy and hip-hoppy! I immediately looked into buying their album.

I was stunned to find their most recent release 'Still Alive' was on Amazon UK. The band said it themselves, they had 'no idea' they would have made it big outside of Korea. This is why I am so stoked!

I ordered my copy of the Special Edition through Amazon from a company named catchopcd.com. It cost me little more than £13.00 with post-package, which, frankly was a lot cheaper than buying it directly from Amazon itself. It had almost perfect reviews, so I gave it a whirl and ordered the CD.

The morning after I received an email from Amazon telling me that the company, based in South Korea, had already shipped the CD!

It took about a week, which was lightening fast! I came home this evening, and there it was! One year after its official release (yes, Gemma is late again) I finally had the box in my hands.

Catchopcd packed the box so well; they impressed me with their efficient service. There was a little 'thank you' note too!

On to the CD though. The packaging is STUNNING.

I definitely wasn't expecting it to be an actual box! Inside are four booklets: the CD and YG Family card, Branding Big Bang, (complete with lyrics written in Hangul) a photograph booklet and one containing information on the Family card. 

The music...the music...FANTASTIC BABY!! Certainly my favourite tracks on the album are 'Still Alive', 'Fantastic Baby' and 'Bingle Bingle' (the electric guitar in this...it really is just the bees-knees!) but there are some real hip-hop tunes like 'Bad Boy', 'Feeling' and 'Blue', so if you feel like 'Fantastic Baby' ventures astray from the band's true style (as some critics did) you've got these numbers to fall back on. 

Finally I love the meaning behind the album title. 'Still Alive'. That really symbolises the breakthrough from all the struggles G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, T.O.P, and Seungri faced in 2011 - particularly G-Dragon's drug scandal and Daesung's involvement in a devastating car accident. 

But with this albu Big Bang throws these setbacks aside and proves why they are still one of K-Pop's biggest and hottest boy bands.

I LOVELOVELOVE THIS ALBUM. 

And I couldn't hide the VIP fangirling anymore...Dae...I love you. ;)