#2 months without listening to riize

[wonhes]

i miss riize so much i’m literally gonna claw my eyes out and eat the walls

[randomobsessionsofa30something]

My top 15 kpop songs of 2024

My countdowns of the year are overdue. So here's my first list with my favorite kpop songs of the year.

H.M. ROSÉ- APT. This earworm- because that's what it is- would easily make my top 3 of the year but apart from the intro the song it's in english so I do consider it a pop song but I just had to mention it.

15. TAEYEON-Letter to myself. The thing I love the most about Taeyeon's ballads is that she always picks interesting melodies to sing. And this one is no different. So no matter how many times she sings about heartbreak I keep loving it.

14. BOYNEXTDOOR-OUR. This song is so fresh and fun. This group has really become one of my favorites of the fifth gen and this song was my favorite this year even if Earth, Wind and Fire is also great, and the actual title of their mini album.

13. DOYOUNG-Little Light. When I heard NCT's Doyoung was releasing his solo album I was convinced he would release a ballad album and I was wrong. He went the pop rock route and I really enjoyed his whole album but I kept listening the title that in korean translates to firefly. It's a bright fun song to listen to.

12. New Jeans-How sweet. I have to confess I'm not a fan of New Jeans overall look but I love the songs they come up with and this one in special was as the title says a sweet song to listen to.

11. RIIZE-Impossible. RIIZE is such a fun group. I've enjoyed all the songs they've released and this one was really stuck in my head the first half of the year. It's about feeling everything that is impossible it's somehow possible when you're with that special somebody.

10. BABY MONSTER-SHEESH. Another song that stayed in my head for ours on end. It definitely has that YG feel and a great hook. I haven't really paid as much attention to them but this song makes me feel I'm really missing out.

9. NCT Dream-Unknown. I think this is kind of like their cheerleader song. It's about going after your dreams. Definitely feating for my favorite NCT subunit.

8. SEVENTEEN-MAESTRO. To be honest, I don't know why I either love or hate Seventeen songs. This one I absolutely love it. The choreo is everything and the beat is bright.

7. Taemin-Horizon. So, fun fact: my most listened kpop artist of the year was Taemin. This year he released his first album after singning with BPM and it really meant the confirmation that it wasn't SM that drove his career... it's all him. Sexy in the air was good but it was this song that really got me. It's Taemin so you know the choreo had to be crazy and on top of that he got some of the best dancers in the industry and yet his star quality shines through.

6. Baekhyun-Pinneaple Slice. Baekhyun was another artist that showed that he could deliver without the SM machinary behind him. This fun, sexy song is catchy. The MV has a vampire theme that is fresh. The vocals are EXO quality, of course.

5. Chanyeol-Hasta la vista. My favorite song from EXO Chanyeol's first album. I mean finally. Why is this the first one? Anyway... This song might be just a bside from his album but it was one of my most listened songs of the year. It has the band aspects Chanyeol has always loved, the vocals are so sweet even if the lyrics are heartbreaking.

4. AESPA-Supernova. Another earworm. When they released Supernova I was like "nope, next" and I actually like Amargeddon too but it's been seven months since it was released and still sometimes I wake up and the first thing out of my mouth is "Su-su-su-su-supernova".

3. GD ft Taeyang and Daesung-HOME SWEET HOME. Power was such a great comeback for GD but when Home Sweet Home was released to the world it was just legendary. It just screams BIGBANG. Exactly what I've been hoping for the last few years and to this day it sits on top of the korean charts.

2. ZICO ft. JENNIE- Spot. Zico has been kind of dragging his feet when it comes to releasing albums because he has been so focused on producing but him releasing this song was like him saying I can top the charts if and when I want to. The lyrics are about having a night out. It has a cool beat, Zico's signature rap, a great hook and Jennie's fun vocals.

1. Lee Young Ji ft Do Kyungsoo-Small girl. This song is mostly in english but I think D.O.'s parts in korean qualifies it as kpop. The lyrics really hit me hard the first time I watched the MV because it took me back to me being fourteen and feeling so much bigger than all of my friends. It really talks about self esteem but it's also a cute duo with Kyungsoo's beautiful vocals. It also happens to be my most listened kpop song of the year.

[chuuuvi]

🎶February 2024 Top 5s🎶

Artists

1. Chairlift - Funny story, theres a lot of music that I’ve just refused to listen to again because it reminds me of a specific time in my life. One off-limits album that I used to love is Moth by Chairlift. I randomly discovered recently that I can listen to it again without it feeling tainted so that’s exactly what I’ve been doing! I’ve had that album on REPEAT!

2. flor - One of my favorite bands since high school. I adore the lead singer’s voice so so much. It’s just really lovely. Check them out!

3. TWICE - Yay! It’s Twice! I love them! Honestly it’s been a little while since a Korean Twice release has really clicked for me but With YOU-th really really clicks. So happy! (☆_☆)

4. Liang Lawrence - honestly I don’t know a thing about her but I found her on one of those “made for you” spotify playlists. Really like unposted letters, really like the pilot, feel positively but not strongly about the rest of her songs. She did get bumped up in my streams because I know that I fell asleep with her on loop once.

5. Caroline Polachek - The deluxe edition of her latest album came out this month! Or well the “Everasking Edition” whatever thats supposed to mean. Desire I Want To Turn Into You is really good and I was happy to revisit it! The added songs are really nice too. Listened to it quite a bit this month :)

Songs

1. Moth to the Flame by Chairlift - Ugh this song is just fantastic. Caroline Polachek’s voice is so hauntingly beautiful and she’s just doing her beautiful thing all over this dance-y beat. It just elevates what would already be a good song to a whole other level. That basically describes the whole album really.

2. Dangerous by TEN - AREN’T YOU A DIVA?! This is so good! Congrats to Mr. Ten on his solo debut. Absolutely infectious groove.

3. Show U Off by Chairlift - More from this same Chairlift album. Sooo good! This one is especially fun and funky.

4. want u back by joan - still here for the second month in a row huh? Lets see if it can make it a hat trick! I do love this song

5. YOU GET ME by TWICE - Mmmm yessss! Hearing that people didn’t like this album is insane to me like wth. Anyway You Get Me is the perfect closer to a skip free EP and is probably my favorite kpop song this year so far. It’s very much like.. whatever that genre that SM said RIIZE was supposed to be? Do you guys remember that? Emotional Pop?

[dojae-huh]

hi huh. this could be my last lastart ask 🥹 im sorry to be whiny here but i'm heartbroken minjae didn't debut in nct tokyo. i dreaded it cos he's not one of the clearly strong candidates from how the judges ranked him and his stage performance but it still hurt. this is my first time watching a survival show too. its not a traditional survival and it all was decided before but this is still how it feels to root for someone's debut..

i know so little about minjae comparing to urichil especially jaedo but i love his voice. his personality doesnt stand out but humble and gentle is one of my types 🥺 i like him enough from the show to want to know more about him as a person, even with the little screentime he got. i planned on stanning nct tokyo if he debuted there cos i already love nct lore, concepts and ofc the music but since he's not in the unit.. i might not be able to stan. i'm too emotional. i do like riku and yushi but it's just not enough for me to stay invested. i'll just support their music as a listener.

minjae is a 02 line trainee and he's training for 2 years already. riize just debuted. nct tokyo will debut soon. sm claimed theyll debut artists more but i just can't see it in at least 2 or 3 more years. even so trainees will go and new trainees will come. combinations and concepts will keep changing as we have seen and not the best vocalists (or dancers, rappers, visuals) get chosen. we never know for real why hansol and yongju left, could be how sm had no clear plans for them too but i also feel like yongju wasn't a dancer and hansol not really a singer or rapper at the time. like minjae now. sm wants performers or if not, someone with extreme skills on one end must have no other worthy rivals at the time. adding korea military service and the industry trends to debut younger trainees, minjae has limited time in sm. 02 is considered kinda old now no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

at the end of lastart minjae looked like he still had hope and would still try to be an idol but i wonder like you if he'll still be in sm. he's still there atm but the younger trainees have more time. i'll root for minjae in whatever path he chooses but i think he fits sm best with the talent and music style, even if his stage presence is still lacking. i also dont really dig other companies' bg sounds tbh 😢 idk i just can only see him fit in sm group or just go solo as a ballad or pop singer.

enough about minjae rant. i know anderson stood out without blending in but i'm still SHOOK he's not become a neo. he seems neo for me, just not fit with most lineup members. i agree nct tokyo looks like they are going the youthful route first. i got this feeling from the members' visuals and heights too. sion is the only tall one now and maybe daeyoung. minjae and anderson might change the group vibes. (haruta and heitetsu are tall too but they had lower chance to debut.) ryo is unexpected for me tbh even with his 90's love but i know jp fans are gonna love him like sakuya and sm probably thought he was a young one with potential. he's also the most popular jp trainee after yushi, riku and sakuya.

minjae and anderson are popular among kr, jp and international fans too but sm chose daeyoung over minjae and sakuya over anderson ig.

anderson said he would take a break. he had only been training for 6 months in sm but i feel he felt he was close to debut with his previous performance ranking. i'm honestly most shocked about him not chosen even tho i know he has different vibes from others.

I was saying that it not always only about skill, a trainee needs to fit the concept and the rest of the trainees.

This idol show was just at least. It's worse when those who debuted are obviously less skilled than the ones you rooted for due to fans' bias. All chosen future neos make sense one way or another.

SM wanted a main vocal. Daeyoung also offered rap and better stage precence than Minjae (despite a few months of training, i.e. he progresses faster). And visually he blends better with the rest. His face is kind of roundish, on a bland side, but make up will improve it. Minjae's face is elegant and cold. He is very contrasting to others. Still, I think his downfall was his lack of progress in stage presence.

I don't know Minjae, obviously, but I wonder if becoming a soloist is better for him. He likes singing and he wants to touch people's hearts. Idolship hardly offers this. We know Doyoung struggles. He had a period of "I will do my best, sing what I have to sing", when he wasn't into NCT songs and his parts. 4 seasons didn't work. Taeil is still waiting for his solo despite his golden voice, for which he was chosen over Doyoung for 127 (although Do studying Chinese played a role in it too, heh). Minjae doesn't have Doyoung's assertiveness and will. Being an idol might become a burden, too much for him to handle. Trainees don't really know what is ahead of them. There was that case of Winner's main vocal leaving soon after debut. He won the competition, got the ultimate prize, and found out it wasn't what he desired in the end. If Minjae hones his voice, he can become an OST singer, sing before live public.

Anderson would have been chosen if not for SaRyo, who are Japanese. He isn't an obvious rapper like Riku, and Sakuya is also entertaining. Hansol was a better dancer than Johnny, but he was timid (had less fans, I suppose), and he had no other advantages like English for extra points. Anderson is still, like, 18? He is very self-managing and optimistic, he will make it. Maybe he will be the reason to pay attention to the next SM group, heh. He is kind of repeating Shotaro's path. If he won't change his mind about being an idol in Korea, we will see him again. He either cameback home to graduate school or spend time with his parents.

Despite Kassho not being ready, I really wanted him as a neo, he fits the concept so well. So I get you.

As one of the judges said, the contestants who didn't win got exposure and gained fans. It's already an advantage. There are popular groups consisting of Produce 101 trainees who were eliminated in the beginning or in the middle (Oneus, Everglow). Not winning a show is not the end. It all depends on the will to succeed, who has it in them. And I think SM will keep the promise of debuting a new group every 2-3 years. They can do it by diversifying genres.