Williamsburg Hipsters Out-Hipstered By Korean Boy Band

We already gave you the heads up that K-pop sensation Big Bang is set to take over the world in 2012. And with their latest album, "Alive," dominating the charts, and a world tour in the works (the group has teamed up with concert production powerhouse Live Nation to take their show to 16 countries this year), the multi-talented quintet has already set themselves up for success barely three months into the year. While we eagerly wait for them to make landfall here in the states, the truth is they actually have...kinda. The videos for their latest hit singles, "Bad Boy" and "Blue," were filmed right here in NYC in mid-February, where for the first time their unique hip-hop-meets-meets-high-end fashion sense was put to the test in the city that certainly doesn't shrink away from avant-garde outfits.

And while we're sure most New Yorkers didn't bat an eye at their embellished jeans and all of their shimmer and shine, the fashion presented in "Bad Boy" in particular made us wonder if their unique aesthetic will either inhibit or prohibit their widespread popularity in the West as a whole. Don't get us wrong — what we love about Big Bang, and what sets them apart from many other boy bands, is their willingness to take risks with their clothing. At any one time you can find them in slick suits and button-ups, and then see them again a day later in graffiti-splattered jackets and leather skirts. Still, what have boy bands been so far to the American audience? Historically, they've been pretty clean-cut, with a lot of frosted tips, tight T-shirts, and some cringe-worthy facial hair here and there. Throw in a leather jacket, and that's as "edgy" as they'd get. In that respect, a group like Big Bang, who tends to mix together so many styles at once, could definitely be seen as an oddity — coupled with the fact that they will, unfortunately, have to overcome the "foreignness" that comes with having a large, non-English discography. Though we're embracing their boldness and their willingness not to follow trends as a breath of fresh air for a very stereotyped genre, we're dying to know what you think.

Check out the videos for "Bad Boy" below and tell us, would Big Bang's unique style be welcomed in the Big Apple, and could it potentially revolutionize the way we see boy bands? Or does the thought of another wave of synchronized dancing pretty boys make you balk, no matter what they're wearing?