#Billboard Thailand

[cctvarchive]

BANGKOK, THAILAND.

[absolutebl]

Hi ABL! Can I be what I'm assuming is the 80th person to ask for your analysis about the move of Prem and Boun to GMMTV? Particularly, any thoughts on:

Why did the move happen and does it mean anything that they moved together?

What might this mean for new series with them as a pair and the potential to break up their pairing?

Are there any GMMTV talents that you'd love to see Boun or Prem paired with?

Thanks in advance for any insights!

BounPrem move to GMMTV

DISCUSS!

AKA Thai BL industry speculation, my favorite game!!

I am actually cautiously optimistic about this.

They're an ideal pair for GMMTV to get. Especially if GMMTV continues optioning Japanese IP. These two are beautifully suited to A LOT of yaoi. Just imagine them in a Thai version of Takumi-kun? !

Rise up Broccoli Nation... let's talk kabedons!

Why did the move happened?

From BounPrem's perspective:

I think they've been pretty underserved by their current home and that home is pushing them towards pulps (I refuse to talk about Even Sun and I found Between Us pretty darn disappointing too.) If they want higher quality narratives and content, GMMTV is a better home for them.

Also it will handle their brand better for sponsorship and longevity. I was shocked not to see them on more stuff in Bangkok. Most sponsor gigs and major promos and billboards and such were GMMTV pairs and... ZeeNunew

Right now there are good indication for pairs who WANT to stick together (even while aging up) that GMMTV can handle it - because of what they've done with OffGun and TayNew recently.

It's clear that GMMTV will throw a good pair at decent content (or at least popular stuff) pretty regularly. With GMMTV, BounPrem stand an even better chance at landing a prestige piece, since they have an established fan base.

From the pair's perspective, this is a good career move.

Now, from GMMTV's perspective, let's talk...

Does it mean anything that they moved together?

Yes, it most likely means GMMTV signed them as a BL pair. Some of GMMTV's other hot properties like EarttMix, OffGun, and TayNew clearly want to do (and have done) more than just BL for GMMTV. Even "second levels" like JimmySea are being split for het dramas. It means they lose their BL talent for a good potion of filming season, while they film some other property.

If GMMTV can sign a high value pair that's happy to stay doing BL regularly, that will work very well for them.

ALSO they've add a hot property pair into their stable that's on the EarthMix (highly commercial) level AND willing to do high heat. I think this is key. GMMTV has shown they want to move into sexier stuff (NC-GMMTV?) with things like Moonlight Chicken and Only Friends. VERY few of their existing pairs are willing to go there, and can do it as well as, BounPrem. These 2 do lust and thirst in a way that most GMMTV pairs can't (they are just too brotherly with each other).

I think this is a sign GMMTV want's to enter the after dark market, and move international markets too. (The higher heat stuff tends to be particularly popular outside of Thailand.)

Also, I think it's pretty clear some of GMMTV's hoped for heavy hitters last year (like PerthChimon) aren't working out for them, so it makes sense to onboard a solid bankable pair whole cloth at this juncture.

I said a while ago I thought GMMTV would make a play for ZeeNunew. I didn't have BounPrem on the list as a backup option, but these pairs are kinda similar, and fill the same niche.

Anyway, smart move all 'round, IMHO.

What might this mean for new series with them as a pair and the potential to break up their pairing?

I think the pairing is now less likely to break up than ever.

I think they've possibly been tempted to sign BY a prestige new series carrot. We could get something historical with them in it. Or, like I said, something Japanese IP. Probably higher heat than GMMTV has given us in a full BL.

Eyes Target the Finder thoughtfully. (It was VERY popular when I was over there.)

Are there any GMMTV talents that you'd love to see Boun or Prem paired with?

Like I said, I think GMMTV's objective in signing them would actually be the opposite - NOT to split the pair.

But if you just want me to speculate for fun (and piss stadn off), I'm always happy to do so.

First is great with anyone, so First with either... or both. First is like the MSG of GMMTV, always improves the taste of any dish.

It might be fun to see Jimmy paired with Prem. But in all honestly I really want a Jimmy + Khaotung thing to happen.

I think Mix has some BDE too, so I think he should play the seme for a change, why not him and Prem?

As for Boun, I think he's a little more dependent on the pairing. It's hard for me to imagine him with someone else. Lemme think. Someone with a very soft screen presence, maybe? How about Gun?

Heh he, now I'm just winding ya'll up.

Let me have my foibles.

[guzhufuren]

same ty for championing queer shows from countries where it's more difficult to get it produced or with negative societal pressure. I adore your blog and the lil community of rebloggers bc it's such a friendly welcoming intelligent space

着着你门

it's cause i was born and live in an asian country that hasn't been welcoming or accepting of queer people in over 9 centuries and is only getting slowly worse 😭😭 before that (and during that time too) there aren't even any easily attainable records of queerness in Kazakhstan. so i relate a lot to how hard it is for some other countries to push through and their art to be visible and heard

to be fair though, even in countries that consistently make qls it's not that easy for ql creators in the industry either. for now only Taiwan and soon Thailand have same sex marriage (and anti discrimination protection laws is a whole other thing). for example South Korea is pulling bullshit, like Love for Love's Sake almost became a censored adaptation for "queer being an unprofitable genre" reasons, High School Return of a Gangster did become a censored adaptation that erased all queerness from the source and named those same exact reasons, Taevin and Joowan's wedding photoshoot was taken down from a korean mall's billboards because of homophobic authorities. lgbtq rights need to be fought for everywhere. i just see that qls from other countries get enough traffic and want to boost China's too

talking about Kazakhstan, i was just describing in a conversation with sweetheart @vegasandhishedgehog how much i would love a period kazakh bl (it will not happen in my lifetime). two guys, nomads, living in a yurt under mountains for their winter halt location, riding horses and shepherding their sheep at day, warming each other's bodies at night. would fight gods to see this with my eyes

thank you so much for sending this sweet message bun i appreciate knowing this so much 😖💕🌸

[solarwynd]

I am about to say something that would make me sound racist. I am half Indian and half Sri Lankan, I live in the states. All these JJKs tagging Spotify, Billboard and their Messiah Hugh whatever from yellow paper Forbes have never even been to this side of the world or know very much about it. They don’t even that kind of coordinated solo fandom here. Like they don’t know how streaming works here, they don’t know the geography, they don’t know Jimin’s popularity, they can’t even probably make sense of the complexity of charting rules and filtering platforms do. Spotify has everything including your IP to know whether you are legit. JK has a large fan base in India, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. And all these accusations also come from these countries. Like???? JJK Girl, if you can name five cities apart from NYC, I will give you a brownie point. Embarrassing as fuck.

Nothing about this is racist, it’s just true lol.

[discluded]

I'm so proud 🌈 of Apo for how brave he's always been.

In case you missed it since Apo never specifically said it in an interview, Tong spoke about having this conversation with Apo about how Apo viewed Porsche's character (I'm guessing Tong here means Porsche's gender preference... this is the official BOC subtitled version too, sigh.)

This is a companion to the Proud🌈 of Mile piece I wrote a while back. I've been wanting write one for Apo but it's very hard because it's obviously very hard for him to talk about too. Sometimes I when I get notes on the Mile one, I still feel shy about it (even though I don't think Mile is shy!) But someone needs to loudly celebrate both of their bravery! Especially Apo's!!

It takes a lot of courage to walk away from a career you love because you realize you're being not treated the way you're supposed to be. Especially when it's an art you love and you've gotten to a place that most people dream of. Let's not forget, Apo was quite famous as an actor in Thailand already before KinnPorsche. Not only is he a great actor, but he was building a reputation for himself and he chose to walk away from all of that, potentially permanently.

The kind of policing that Apo received of a young person's self-expression while working on the sets of Channel 3 has really detrimental effects on the psyche. I won't say too much about it because Apo is human and he's allowed off days and deserves the grace, but you can see glimpses of how being at an industry event full of industry people, some of whom may or may not have said shit to him in the past, inadvertently hit him at the Vogue Gala. Of course Apo had fun still and it was an amazing experience he got to share with Mile! But if that's how he felt like he had to police his own body language every day on set, I can see why he quit.

New York was so good for Apo because it allowed him to see that the problem was with the people around him, not with himself. When I was in my early 20s, I remember seeing a billboard in New York that said something along the lines of: "Here we judge you more for the shoes you wear than who you love." And ain't that the type of freedom Apo needed.

But when he got back from New York, he committed himself to making queer art.

How brave does he have to be in the first place to walk away from a career he loved because of the homophobic comments he got and knowing it wasn't right (and a reminder, he wasn't working on any BLs before KPTS), and then how much braver still to come back and say: you can't hurt me with what I own about myself. And, I want to make art that expresses it.

Make no mistake, I'm not commenting on Apo's sexuality here. He's asked us not to. But being queer, queerness isn't just about gender or sexuality. It's about identity, the struggles you go through; it's a political stance. Many queer musicians who've never been publicly linked to a same-sex partner have made art specifically to explore their queerness and grapple with violence they still are at the brunt of as a result of being part of society.

And Apo has let us know multiple times what his political stance is, the kinship he feels with expressed queerness. It's the way he came back home and owned the queer art he is a part of. It's the way he continuously expresses the humanity in the stories he's telling, and talks about in interviews how he sees that honesty in the story resonates with the audience.

Apo is a role model in not only how we should treat those around us, but a reminder that being kind to everyone includes being kind to yourself. Especially when society tries to tear you down.

[mrs-monaghan]

OMG Tae did way worse than I expected 💀💀💀

Slow Dancing - #3 on Billboard's Global Excl US. Jimin did #2 because of that Morgan whale

#4 on Billboard's Global 200 this week! - JM #2

BB 200 - Tae - #2 100K album, JM #2 164K.

BB 100 - Jm #1, Tae - #51 💀💀

the way most popular member charted below than Suga is crazy lol. Even Jimin's all hated Bside SMF ate it up so bad (#30 BB). This is answer to his rabid stans than internet popularity doesn't give you a shit irl. First outchart supposedly unpopular rapline before getting Park Jimin's lowest numbers lmao

Before I comment on this I would just like it to be known; I AM NOT A V ANTI!!!!!

This isn't a disclaimer. I am only stating this because of the asks I've go10 shitting on him. I will not be posting those. I don't blame anyone but myself. I know I have allowed people to vent about him here before and I was definitely among the people getting pissed at the JK name dropping but I'm pretty chill these days. So V's antics don't bother me and also there is something about binging all that Layover content continously that just reminds you that V is not the monster people paint him out to be.

If you haven't had the time i recommend this video. It was my favourite and I quite enjoyed it.

He is funny and honestly I also wanna say adorable 😂😂

Sure, the way he treats those around him could use some adjustment. But those around him seem to love him just fine so who I'm I to be mad at him, you know?

Now that that's out of the way, let's indeed talk numbers. I've said multiple times the 2 most popular members are Jimin and JK. Not V and JK. We've seen this before but sure, let's revisit the topic.

So a friend of mine who quite enjoys keeping tabs on numbers did the following math:

September 9th Streams, Thailand percentage compared to overall Streams:

Seven: 17,6 %

Slow Dancing: 29,6 %

Like Crazy: 8,7 %

So this is the amount of Streams Thailand had for the Maknae line Main Tracks on September 9th, Compared to worldwide Streams.

😁

Maknae Line, Main Track Streams Debut Day. Global vs USA vs Thailand

Debut Streams "Seven":

Global: 15,99 M

USA: 2,064 M (12,9 %)

Thailand: 1,3 M (8,13 %)

*

Debut Streams "Like Crazy":

Global: 6,6 M

USA: 0.997 M (15,1 %)

Thailand: 0,165 M (7,5 %)

*

Debut Streams "Slow Dancing":

Global: 6,14 M

USA: 0,388 M (6,3 %)

Thailand: 0,970 M (15,8 %)

These are the Streams for each Main Track's Debut Day. Global vs US vs Thailand

In conclusion:

-USA and Thailand looooooove JK. BUT Seven is charting in 71 out of 72 (wow) eligble Spotify countries. So it's a bob and a hit globally.

-USA loooooooooves Jimin. Thailand, not so much 😬

-Thailand absolutely looooooves V. USA, not so much.

But we kinda already knew this no? Alot of vermin are in Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines, etc. SouthEastAsian is Taekook domain statistically speaking. But the thing is, its still mostly V they prioritize. SEVEN experienced global success coz JK appears to be a fan favourite everywhere. So that helps him even when the SouthEastAsians decide to mostly support V.

So assuming these calculations are correct, which they should be since they are from Spotify Global, (feel free to go do your own) I really don't understand how it was concluded V is the most popular member. And there is many more countries to choose from, my friend only used Thailand coz its one of the countries that stream the most.

People assuming V is the most popular coz of his followers on IG, Guys, Instagram is only one app. V solos n V biased Armys can convince themselves that he's the most popular but numbers do not lie. Chapter 2 has shown that that, is not the case at all. I mean if you've been on twitter you've seen V hasn't even been able to beat Suga in certain categories and records. Like anon said.

The purpose of my post is not to say V isn't liked. That would be a lie. I'm just saying if anything JK is the most popular BTS member. And that's on fax 💯💯💯💯 with Jimin being a very, very, close second. And I know by saying this I am beating a dead horse atp but if Jimin had go10 the push JK did they would either be head to head or he would have surpassed him. So imagine what a big deal it is, that Jimin is doing so well right now and he didn't even get that huge company support.

US album sales were 3K according to Billboard, thats like 30k singles. China did 800k 😱 Asia loves V. US however, which is where it counts for Billboard, do not. Billboard sabotaged all Asians after Jimin won, which means if JK hadn't go10 radio play he never would have won. So, without radio play, V was never going to get that number 1. Those who aren't dillusional already knew this. So we aren't surprised

[mandu-17]

Always been you | Kim Minnie x reader

Part 2

Requested by: Anonymous

Request: Hiii could you do an exes to lovers!au with Minnie from (G)I-DLE please? thank you (:

Warnings: Drinking champagne, one vulgar word, cheating

Genre: ANGST lovedwritingittho!!

Wordcount: ~ 3,624

A/N: just so you know both Lisa and Rosé are NOT idols in this scenario, Rosé is reader’s current girlfriend. enjoy reading and have a beautiful week:)

To many, Nicha Yontararak was known as (G)-IDLE’s vocalist - Minnie. But truth be told, she was far more beyond that. To Minnie, learning languages was a piece of cake. She was even good at whistling. A great dancer, gifted songwriter, promising actress, passionate pianist.

And most importantly, your first love.

Long before Nicha even began dreaming of becoming an idol, the two of you were best friends. Well, more acurately, it was the three of you against the world. Lisa was your shared friend from school. She even helped Nicha and you get together since both of you were utterly clueless about your true feelings for each other. Those were the days, you thought with a melancholic look in your eyes. Careless and beautiful. Everything was way easier back in school. The three of you used to hang out daily after classes, do homework together, watch silly tv shows.

After Nicha left to Korea, nothing changed between Lisa and you. If possible, you got even closer in order to heal from losing a friend. Nicha was incredibly busy with trainee lifestyle and then soon after debuting it was a rarity when she’d have time to reach out to old friends. Lisa stayed in touch with her though. Despite everything, their bond was solid enough to last. You, however, weren’t that strong.

Long distance relationships never appealed to you. Nicha had to accept your point of view, she was aware that leaving Thailand would be equal to losing you. Obviously, the decision was probably the hardest one she ever had to make. It took her long weeks of overthinking and sleepless nights. Many difficult conversations had to be done before the two of you officially said your goodbyes. It was heartbreaking for both of you especially considering how young you were back then.

Nevertheless, it made you who you are today. Everything happens for a reason and breaking up with Nicha was necessary to make you stronger as a person. It led you to your position right now. With a stable job, new apartment and lovely people in your life you really got to forget all the pain you went through during that period of time.

“You ready?” Besides, you still had Lisa.

She never changed, you smiled at your reflection in the mirror. Still had that amusing habit of walking inside your home without knocking. Frankly speaking, she spent around half of her time at yours.

“Almost, yes.” You straightened your shirt as Lisa joined you in the bedroom grinning from ear to ear.

The reason behind that smile was the fact that Minnie and her band mates were currently on tour with few days off in Thailand which presented a perfect occasion for a ‘small get together’ as Lisa called it. She was so excited about Minnie visiting home, she drove in the pouring rain in the middle of the night straight to you so she could pass the message in person.

It had been an adorable sight, her eyes shining so brightly while her whole body was drenched from the rain. Although a part of you was very hesitant about going. You couldn’t remember the last time you actually saw Minnie, sure she was on numerous billboards all around the city, here and there on the tv. But being in the same room as her? Talking to her? And about what? What if it’d be weird? Would it be awkward? Probably.

Truthfully, you were afraid of facing her after all these years. Afraid of what you might feel while seeing her up close.

From what you saw, she’s gotten even more beautiful nowadays, more confident. She grew up to be this attractive celebrity - what if she changed? What if her feelings for you changed as well?

You could go on and on about what ifs, luckily Lisa was there to calm you down. She truly insisted on going. She promised that Minnie was the same sweet girl she used to be. You saw it in Lisa’s eyes. It was important to her that you’d go too. She announced that without you, she wouldn’t go either.

To ease your stress, Lisa even suggested you asking Rosé to go as your date.

Rosé was your new girlfriend, it’d been around three months since you became official. You met her at work as she was sent in delegation from Australia. It clicked immediately. Rosé asked you out. First it was coffee, then dinner, later she needed a guide around the city. Admirably, she was able to keep finding new things she might have needed your help with. Language barier was her most often used excuse. That’s how much she cherished your comapny. After many dates, she had the courage to let you know that she liked you more than a friend. She fell in love, she admitted.

Your relationship with Rosé truly made you see colors again. With no doubt she was a wife material, the sweetest soul you’ve got to known. Her family was also very fond of you. They kept thanking you for taking care of her in a foreign country. It was painfully clear to see how much they missed her. Rosé also never hid her homesickness from you. So when she told you about going back to Australia for her mom’s birthday, your heart jumped out of joy. With your relationship still fairly new, there was no pressure for you to go with her and meet everyone. There would for sure be many other opportunities for that. In fact you wanted Rosé to spend this time while fully enjoying her family’s presence. Only later did you realize that it’d be the exact same weekend that Minnie was organizing her get together.

So, now you were screwed.

Of course Rosé, being the wonderful woman she is, was ready to cancel the flight and stay with you. Sometimes she was impossible. You had to physically drag her to the airport to make sure the gifts she bought didn’t go wasted.

With Rosé away, Lisa became your only lifeboat.

“You look great! How are you feeling?”

“Very nervous, let’s just get this over with.” You sighed loudly.

“Relax, Y/N. An hour from now you’ll be tipsy and just having fun.” Lisa wiggled her eyebrows while dancing with her shoulders.

You did not have it in you to ruin her mood. She deserved to be happy, you wanted to see her this lively as often as possible.

“True, that’s a very realistic scenario.” You raised your index finger up to her while agreeing. “We should probably get going.”

With a giggle, Lisa helped you pack most important things to your bag before you were finally able to leave the apartment.

The contrast between your silhouettes was hilarious, anyone could put an imaginary line between Lisa and you. She walked in happy skips, her hair were bouncing up and down her shoulders - everything about her screamed ‘excited’ and ‘ready to party’. On the other side, you were walking very slowly, the feeling of your heart rapidly beating in your chest made you sigh heavily from time to time. Although, you had to admit with a ghost of a smile, a little part of you was looking forward to seeing Minnie again. A little ray of hope made its’ way to your mind trying to convince you that tonight was going to be eventful.

In the elevator with cozy music playing, Lisa and you were chatting freely about your days when your phone dinged announcing that you got a message.

Corners of your lips raised when you saw Rosé’s selfie - she wanted to show off her newest purchase which happened to be matching Minnie Mouse hoodies.

You gulped thickly. What a funny coincidence.

~

Nothing really changed in Nicha’s family house. It remained looking very classy and elegant. Now the living room full of wooden accents was crowded, especially around the piano that was busied with Nicha and her mom playing cheerful melodies. (G)-IDLE’s members were trying to sing along, other guests and Minnie’s family clapped to the rhythm.

Lisa and you arrived fashionably late, but seeing the heartwarming scene that welcomed you, you thought it was probably worth it.

“Lisa! Y/N! You’re finally here!” Minnie’s dad was the first one who saw you entering the room. His hair got far more grayer, you quickly noticed although you worried nothing after he sent you that same, warm smile of his.

His words made many heads turn to look at you curiously. By the corner of your eyes you spotted few people whispering between themselves, but for you time stopped the second Minnie looked at you.

“It’s been so long since I last saw you!” Her mom beamed before approaching the two of you with her arms widely opened. “Lisa, how are you doing?”

Firstly, she embraced Lisa which gave you a minute to clear your head. It certainly didn’t work when you noticed Minnie not taking her eyes off you on her way to greet you as well.

“Y/N! I missed you so much, how are you?” Minnie’s mom crushed you in a warm hug, she always treated you and Lisa like her own children. Heart of this woman for sure was made of gold.

Minnie’s dad didn’t even let you reply as his arms wrapped around you tightly, it seemed like he also missed you deeply.

“I’m good, it’s very nice to see everyone again.” You smiled at the parents while also addressing Minnie’s brothers. Long ago they all were your family. You forgot how much they cared for you and how easy it was to just be yourself in their company, in their home. For some reason, you fitted there incredibly. They were your people. Even after all this time, you were able to feel their warmth and kindness towards you.

“You grew up so fast. We’re very proud of you.” Minnie’s dad got you melting with his words and that friendly glint in his wife’s eyes had your knees go weak. You wished to keep talking to them for the whole evening, but it turned out you became one of the highlights of the event. Everybody who already knew you from times when Minnie and you were dating, was eager to catch up with you or at least say ‘hi’. It was quite enjoyable, a bit weird feeling overall, but at least you were able to ignore the reason of the whole get together for some more time.

You knew you’d have to face Minnie sooner or later, but the fact that you could delay it brought you some sense of comfort.

She knew what you were doing.

Not only did Lisa betray you and straight up exposed your discomfort to Minnie while texting on the way here, Minnie simply still remembered your habits when being nervous. And now it was hard not to notice the way your eyebrows kept furrowing from time to time or how much you gesticulated while speaking about non-complicated things. So when Minnie finally saw you getting yourself a glass of champagne alone, she immediately made up her mind.

“Long time no see, huh?” The way your whole body stiffed was so visible, she almost smirked.

“Minnie, hi. How does it feel to be back?” You turned around to look at her for the first time this closely. Divine, was the only word that could describe her evenly.

“I’m very happy to spend some time with friends and family.” Minnie stepped closer in order to also grab a glass of expensive drink. She then raised it up to make a small, intimate toast with you.

You gulped at the sudden proximity and how Minnie leaned in to nearly whisper in your ear. She was still using the same perfumes, you realized, feeling brave enough to eventually meet her eyes.

“I’m glad you came, Y/N.”

Nothing changed in the way she was looking at you. That precious glint that was in her eyes once ago, was still present. She smiled innocently, as if she had no idea about her impact on you.

You have a girlfriend, you idiot.

Rational voice came back. Although, it was unachievable to think about anything else while being this close to your first love.

~

It was a terrible mistake to come here.

Wherever you glanced there was a piece of old memories embracing you. Paintings on the wall, blankets, your favorite cups, even the sight of the garden itself was reminding you of your home dates with Minnie. When her parents worked late and she invited you over. Her brothers often spent time with you as well, all four of you playing cards and board games. There were also many times when Lisa joined for sleepovers or long movie marathons.

It was overwhelming. Slowly becoming too much. You felt trapped in your own nostalgic mind with nothing to ground yourself with. You tried so desperately to think about Rosé, praying that she was here with you to squeeze your hand. She was way too good for you. Your emotions that night proved that you did not deserve her.

Your arm was slightly shaking while getting the third glass of champagne and it certainly was not the alcohol intake. That’s when you heard it.

River flows in you.

The first song that Minnie played for you.

The song that Minnie used to ask you to be hers.

The last song she was listening to before leaving Thailand.

It was your song.

You turned to the piano, Minnie was playing it effortlessly. Delicate notes wandering around the room made everyone admire her talent yet again. There was this sad frown on her face. It was killing you. Physically, you couldn’t catch a breath. You felt like crying.

Then you suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around you from behind.

“Remember when we used to dance to this song?” Minnie’s mom smiled against your shoulder blade causing you to relax.

“Beautiful times.” Your hands joined hers on your waist, while she swayed you left and right.

It was often exactly like this. Minnie playing, her mom and you dancing or rather her teaching you how to dance properly. If Minnie’s dad was around he’d usually take photos of you three or took care of the fireplace. So simple yet so meaningful. Just like the embrace you were currently in. Warmth radiating from Minnie’s mom eased your anxiety while soothing you. She just knew what to do. She always did.

You turned around once the song came to an end in order to thank her for the dance. You bowed your head to her before exchanging small but important smiles.

“Y/N, you’re still my favorite.” She winked at you.

“Mom!”

Both of you glanced at Minnie who just approached you. She shot her mom a stern look, warning her not to make things worse. The older woman chuckled.

“We’re not together anymore.” Minnie clenched her jaw.

It hurt when she said it.

“I think I should go.” You saw Minnie’s mom open her mouth. “I’ll just go find Lisa first.”

Hurriedly, you walked over to the couch where, as you assumed correctly, Lisa was animatedly talking to one of Minnie’s members - Yuqi. This emotional rollercoaster had to end. This was enough. Far beyond to the point you already felt like a piece of shit laying in the pouring rain.

“Lisa, we’re going home. Come on.” Your friend eyed you oddly, she was in the middle of a certainly entertaining conversation with the Chinese woman. With her arm resting on Yuqi’s thigh, she was definitely comfortable and not ready to leave.

“The party’s still going, though. Look, Yuqi and I are having a lot of fun. You should join us-” You knew that tone perfectly. Lisa was way too drunk now to go home. She was at the peak of enjoying herself. Thankfully, you knew you didn’t have to worry about her safety that much because it was usually the point when she’d stop drinking and feel the alcohol taken in by now. “I’m so tired. What time is it?”

With a defeated sigh, you glanced at your lockscreen. Rosé’s smiley picture was staring back at you. You were disgusted with yourself.

1:53 AM.

“Almost two in the morning.”

“How about you two stay the night?” Yuqi chimed in with a nervous smile. When you made eye contact, it seemed like she could already feel your conflicted vibe and didn’t want to make the situation worse. As a matter of fact, Lisa and you were introduced to all of (G)-IDLE’s members earlier that night. Although, you weren’t sure if she knew about what your history with Minnie was. “It might be dangerous to go home with this sleepy cat.”

“Yes. Let’s sleep here, Y/N.” Lisa’s eyes shut the moment she put her head on Yuqi’s shoulder. “Minnie will cuddle with you.” She mumbled quietly, so it was only Yuqi who chuckled.

“They’re right.” Minnie spoke from behind you. “I think it’d be safer if you stayed.”

She gulped when you glanced her way. You looked exhausted with your lips pressed into a thin line and furrowed brows, on top of that your skin was very pale. To Minnie, you were perfect. She always admired your physics not mentioning how in love she felt with your personality. Even that quick eye contact with you had her heart racing.

If she could only turn back time.

The very first thing she’d do, would be not losing you. Not breaking up and surely not giving up on your relationship. She’d never let go. You deserved someone to fight tooth and nail for you - sadly, she realized it way too late. That Rosé girl better treat you right, Minnie suddenly thought remembering the name from her conversation with Lisa.

“Okay. Let me just get a breath of fresh air.” Tiredly, you dragged your feet to the garden.

Thailand’s hot breeze filled the surroundings making it easier to breathe in and out. You kept your head up to the night sky, the stars were outstanding. They competed for your attention with the lovely panorama of the whole city. Diving deeper into the garden, your nostrils were pleasantly taking everything around in. The flowers blossomed, they added a refreshing feeling. Finally, you sat down on a bench made of stone.

Your thoughts were getting clouded, you began wondering why on Earth did you get to this place. Not garden, specifically.

But this huge hole in your heart. You were shaken up at the idea of Minnie making you feel so many things despite not seeing her for so long. You had a girlfriend, after all. Rosé would be very disappointed.

A sudden loud thud followed by the sound of glass breaking made you jump in your spot. You quickly got up and found out what caused it.

“Great.” Minnie groaned annoyed with a box dropped on the floor. Champagne bottles flew out of it and two of them shattered into pieces. She was crouching down in order to put remaining complete bottles back to the box.

“Hey, be careful.” In a moment you were crouching in front of her, ready to help.

Minnie’s eyes were studying your features deeply before she sighed, aware of how the circumstances appeared to be. “I swear I’m not following you.”

You cracked a smile.

“I know. I’ll bring the broom, do you still keep it next to the trash containers?”

“Yeah, it’s still there.” Minnie would never dare to think that you’d remember such random thing about her house.

She chuckled to herself as she watched you round the corner. Her guts were telling her that it was like fate was screaming at her, laughing in her face.

'This is your person! Get them!'

Minnie wasn’t sure she’d be able to get over you again. It took her literal ages last time and as it seemed - she was still down bad for you. Why was it so complicated, she kept asking herself.

You came back with a broom only to immediately sweep the mess she caused. She was convinced you were her angel all along.

Unsurprisingly, no one noticed the accident. You were located in a part of the garden that provided a lot privacy, away from the windows and doors. Besides, everyone inside was still having fun, not really caring about anything outside the walls they were in.

“Y/N.” Minnie called, determined to let you know the truth. The whole, painful and uneasy truth.

You nodded for her to continue, while keeping your focus on the glass you were cleaning up. But it wasn’t enough for Minnie. Maybe you were afraid of meeting her eyes, you only did so a handful of times that night. And it frustrated her to no end. Slowly, she felt her self control decreasing.

So she stepped closer to you, craving your eyes on her.

You blinked at the sight of her shoes entering your field of view. With a gulp you raised your head meeting her puzzled expression. Minnie wanted to say something, but she had no idea where to even start. Distant chatter of the guests inside disappeared, you kind of forgot about the broom in your hands too.

It was a silent, long eye contact.

The tension in your body didn’t allow you to to move or inhale for that matter. You froze under Minnie’s incredibly intense gaze. Without any words, she managed to send you the message.

Her poor, fragile heart in palm of her hand.

Don’t do it.

Don’t you dare. You glanced at her lips.

Don’t even think about it. Her eyes already said yes.

Don’t do it.

You kissed her.

[heejinkwan]

FALLEN ANGEL is the second mini album by ASTELLA, a South Korean soloist. It was released on February 23, 2024 by StarShip Entertainment. The album consists of seven tracks, one including title track NOBODY KNOWS. It is available both physically and digitally.

ASTELLA promoted the album for 4 weeks total, promoting NOBDODY KNOWS and b-side MANIAC for 2 weeks each. NOBODY KNOWS peaked at 2 on the gaon charts while MANIAC peaked at 11. although unpromoted, Kingdom Come and Lucid Dream also charted, peaking at 19 and 25 the week after the album's release. The album received global attention as well, peaking at 10 on the US Billboard 200, also charting in 20 other countries including Japan, Brazil, FinLand, Thailand, and the UK. ASTELLA won a total of 9 music show awards for this album, NOBDOY KNOWS winning 7 with MANIAC earning 3.

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ i. the tracklist !

i. ✭ .   nobody knows ( title track )

ii. ✭ . maniac

iii. ✭ . rewind

iv. ✭ . lucid dream

v. ✭ . kingdom come

vi. ✭ . automatic

vii. ✭ . thirsty

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ get your photocards here !

*ੈ♡⸝⸝ ii. the styling !

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ iii. the reception !

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ iv. the notes !

₊˚ෆ the concept of this album was basically an omen to her performance on fictitouscore, her being a fallen angel, like the title of the album says.

₊˚ෆ the album was automatically a banger, earning a 7.2 score on pitchfork, astella garnered many new fans off of the release of nobody knows itself.

₊˚ෆ a lot of stellars believe that they should’ve made kingdom come be the title track, seeing that it’s gone so viral, but others understand why nobody knows was chosen for the title track.

₊˚ෆ astella blew up on tik tok! people already saying that nobody knows is soty and that it was the best release so far!

₊˚ෆ she did many challenges with julie and hanuel of kiss of life, karina of aespa, joy of red velvet, and yeji of itzy.

₊˚ෆ she made many new friends including yeji, who she met from being friends with karina.

₊˚ෆ and all the rumors are true! the album may or may not be about yeonjun, who she has been rumored to be dating ever since 2020 west they had a minor acquaintance.

₊˚ෆ she began being close to him while being in promise, but after leaving he was one of the only people she talked to all the time, the rest being her family, the promise members, and karina.

₊˚ෆ they began officially dating in 2022 but never actually confirms it so nobody knows is like her saying it but not actually saying it.

₊˚ෆ when it peaked number two on billboard, heejin’s family called her and they celebrated with a cake, congratulating her on her success.

₊˚ෆ she literally did a live at like 1am happy, which turned into her crying because of how overwhelmed and happy she was that the song was doing well, the comments were congratulating her and telling her not to cry.

₊˚ෆ during maniac promotions, a lot of people felt like the song did not fit the album and complained that it was being promoted and not kingdom come, which was gaining more streams than maniac.

₊˚ෆ starship released two videos of the recording process of both nobody knows and maniac, which gained so much traction on twitter and tik tok with videos with over 1m+ likes and views.

₊˚ෆ even though she hadn’t planned it, heejin ended up finding out that she will be performing at coachella 2024 in california alongside other kpop artists such as lesserafim and ateez.

₊˚ෆ even though no one expected it, rewind also ended up getting popular! after many stellars posted the song in a sped up version, making people who did even stan heejin wonder what the song was, it even got non kpop fans bopping to it!

₊˚ෆ after catching onto it, heejjn ended up posting a lyric video of rewind on her channel, and after a week it charted at number 8 on top 100: south korea on apple music, youtube music charts at number 1, and gaon chart at number 5.

₊˚ෆ stellars can really say this is their favorite era of astella so far, when the music is good how can you not stan?

₊˚ෆ very much inspired by this by @dr3amluc1d

[peppertaemint]

That's exactly what they are trying to do, position Tedros as some "artistic genius". They kept claiming he's the most popular member and most handsome and said when he releases music everyone should be scared coz he'll take over the industry, and his entire album will chart on the top10 on billboard hot 100. Nothing as they expected obviously. Outside of Thailand snd Vietnam streaming farms, nothing is happening for him. So now they are switching up and pushing him as some artistic genius.

It's funny because they're positioning him above an artist whom critics adore and gush over, talking about him as the embodiment of Kpop and a prime research subject because of his artistry and performance while Tedros' biggest solo work is the stunt of making his ailing dog walk out on stage in front of a crowd.

[jojotichakorn]

my last day in thailand, i couldn't not be curious how quickly the billboards actually change at the gmm building. the good news, seemingly pretty quickly! the bad news is, well...

it doesn't make a difference 💀

[eptodaytommorowforever]

Events In The History And Of The Life Of Elvis Presley Today On The 4th Of September In 1972.

Elvis Presley Aloha From Hawaii Press Conference September 4th, In 1972.

Elvis Presley made television and entertainment history with his 'Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii - Via Satellite' concert special. Performed at the Honolulu International Center Arena on January 14, In 1973 the previous year at 12:30 AM Hawaiian time, it was beamed live via Globecam Satellite to Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, South Vietnam and other countries, and was seen on a delayed basis in approximately thirty European countries. The first American airing was April 4, 1973 on NBC-TV. It was a worldwide ratings smash and the soundtrack album went to number one on the 'Billboard' album chart. The American broadcast attracted 51% of the television viewing audience and was seen in more American households than man's first walk on the moon.

In all, it was initially seen in approximately forty countries by 1-to-1.5 billion people. a first any star celebrity entertainer had been beamed via satellite around the globe the world a milestone event that as now gone down in Elvis Presley history. rare b/w candid photos of a very cool and confident and relaxed Elvis Presley at this Aloha Press Conference here in September In 1972.

[feminismisstillahatemovement]

What are your thoughts on the idea of "representation", and does it truly matter? Do you think it would be silly of someone to be emotionally impacted by whether or not something like a TV show has characters that look like them and can relate to them?

Well, I can see both sides: on the one hand, if I were to go live somewhere new to me like Thailand or Japan, for the rest of my life, it would never occur to me that I should expect to see people who look like me on every billboard, in every magazine, or every time I turned on the TV.

On the other hand, if I were raised in a country with lots of other people who looked like me but the only time I saw people on the screen who looked like me they were in the credits as "Mugger No. 2", "Waiter" or "Inmate No. 6", I can imagine wanting more.

But then, on an additional extra hand I keep specifically for these occasions, that has not been the case for many years: there was no widespread rage when Eddie Murphy and Prince and Michael Jackson and Denzel Washington and Dave Chappelle and Tiger Woods and Will Smith and Magic Johnson and Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross and Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone and countless others became huge stars, 40+ years ago, long before most people on Tumblr were even born.

But that's because they made and did amazing things that all the world benefited from and delighted in: if they'd become famous only through continually complaining about their skin colour, doing mediocre race-swapped performances of well-known historical personages from the past and then calling anyone who pointed that out racist, they may have had less of a warm welcome, and we'd have no reason to remember them at all.

That seems to me the greatest difference between then and right now, even though black people right now are so much more visible and have so many more opportunities: Forced representation and diversity quotas will always lead only to mediocrity, and no-one remembers mediocrity.

[telomeke-bbs]

สวัสดีค่ะ Hi telomeke,

I'm new here... just because of you! 😅 Found your blog month ago while I did some BBS research... and I'm really impressed by your research skills, your amazing eyes for details and your patience in finding locations.

Now it happens that in 14 days I am flying to Thailand for 4 weeks. And in preparation for this, I saved alll the locations you mentioned on google maps. 😇 I think, I'll take a tour through Bangkok to all the locations.

I couldn't find out how long ago post no. 12 was and wether there will be any new ones to follow. But I think there is at least one location missing. (the companies of Pat's and Pran's parents)

Are you still searching for locations or is your work completed?

If you are interested, it would be my pleasure to talk to you about the serie. If not, it's fine too. I just wanted to make you compliments for your work! Thank you so much! ขอบคุณมากๆ น่ะค่ะ 🙏 I really enjoyed reading it and I've still many post to read. 😊

Okay, that's it! Hope your fine and still in love with BBS! 💖

เจอกันค่ะ คุณบี see ya, Bee 🐝

Hi dear @honey-beebs! สวัสดีครับ and welcome!😍

Awww, thanks so much for this lovely Ask. Any fan of BBS is immediately a friend in my book. 🥰 Thanks so much for appreciating my BBS research and analysis.

I can tell you also have a keen eye for research, because you saw not just what was there in my location posts, but also what was missing – Pat and Pran's families' shops. 👀 And sadly, that is the one location that I have been desperately searching for over these past two years, but have so far been unable to find. 😭

It's gotten me all worked up because there are actually a lot of clues, and I've been able to deduce quite a lot about the Jindapat and Siridechawat hardware stores:

It looks like the Jindapat one (belonging to Pat's family) is actually a construction material shop; the shelves and the items all around have been there for some time, not likely to have been cobbled together just for the show.

The Siridechawat shop though (belonging to Pran's family) looks like a covered vehicular park or outdoor storage, that BBS dressed up just so it could masquerade as a shop (not too successfully, in my opinion 😂).

The general location of the shops is likely to be not in Rangsit, but rather somewhere closer to central Bangkok (though not in the absolute city center). I say this because the outside shrubbery on the central road divider is very well-manicured (you see that more in central Bangkok, less in Greater Bangkok), and the lamp-post has markings that make it look more like central Bangkok ones. But there aren't any tall buildings visible, so it's not likely to be in the absolute city center where skyscrapers abound (and intrude on every view).

Actually, the road, trees, lamp-post and shrubbery look a lot like what you see at Phet Kasem Road, where the Boonyavej Hospital is located. There are lots of semi-industrial properties there that would fit the bill (including the wide gate and sturdy fencing), and the area is also more low-rise without being truly suburban (which would be the right setting for a shop that has giant billboards, that we can see in Ep.1 and Ep.3). Unfortunately, I've crawled the road several times over on Google Street View (it's hugely long) but have yet to find any matching property. 🤷‍♂️

If the shops are not on Phet Kasem Road, then it's very much a needle in the haystack search because Bangkok must have hundreds of roadway miles that fit the above description… 😭

Anyway, I'll still continue searching, and will post the location if I can find it. But with every day that passes, it seems less likely that the location will be found (because it seems ripe for redevelopment).

My location post no. 12 was dated 18 June 2023, and it's likely the penultimate one. I have just one more planned to identify the remaining minor locations. And if I can track down the hardware stores, then maybe I'll post a 14th one (but I don't know if that will ever happen 🤷‍♂️).

If my schedule permits, I'll try to write-up the few remaining locations that I've identified in the coming two weeks, so you should be able to refer to them by the time you're in Bangkok. But my work deadlines are looming, so I can't promise the post will be on time!

Please do post photographs of your trip and tag me, especially for the BBS locations. 😍 I would so love to see them. Other fans have also been visiting various BBS locations too, so you may wish to refer to these posts for additional information:

‌

Here are a few more pointers that I've gleaned from the above posts, and from interacting with other BBS fans (especially @tiistirtipii), since I made my own location posts:

U Café is no longer at the base of the block where the fight scene in Ep.5 took place (somewhere close by the Environmental Engineering Dept), so the setting looks a bit different now. But it's near the white tiger mural at the College of Engineering.

Gram Café and Pancakes is no longer at Level 2 of The Promenade; it moved to the foodcourt (in Fashion Island?) some time back.

The 112 Chemical Room 1 in Ep.1 (where Pat covered Pran's mouth while putting a finger to his own lips, after yanking him into the alley to escape the other Engine boys) is most likely somewhere in Rangsit University (probably the College of Engineering, near the workshops) but I've never been able to pinpoint the exact location (Google Street View doesn't do all roads and side alleys in RSU 😂). Do let me know if you find it.

As for your other questions, I'm always down to chat about Bad Buddy. Still very much a BBS boy at heart, and time hasn't dimmed how much I love the series! 💖 So feel free to send me Asks and messages if you'd like to converse about Bad Buddy. The only caveat is (as I mentioned above) my work has been building up lately (this week has been a bit slower, but it is expected to get busier after mid-April 2024 😭), so my responses to Asks and messages will sometimes be delayed (as my other friends on Tumblr have also experienced).

Have a great time in Thailand! Your Tumblr header makes it sound like this might be your first trip there. Do take care! Thailand is an amazing place. The usual precautions apply, but the place is full of wonderful sights and delicious food. I've always enjoyed every trip there. 😍

Warmest regards,

Tel 💖

P.S. Can I say how much I also love your Tumblr name? My first instinct is to read it as Honey Beebs, but then on looking closer I can tell it's also Honey Bee + BBS, which is really clever. 🤩

‌

[frogfrizz]

FreenBecky (BeckFreen) and WLW representation after Gap the Series

I’m once again pulled into the world of Gap the Series, but in particular, the rich, warm fandom that has become FreenBecky or on occasion, BeckFreen, in its wake. As we all grapple with Gap the Series finally ending, the fandom seems to have gravitated towards the main stars, namely Rebecca “Becky” Armstrong and Freen Sarocha. This is a thing unto itself and vastly different from the fan service that the Rich Man’s Daughter gave us.

(Source)

(Source)

Here, we find an army of fans translating nearly all content from the actors across Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram, and Weibo from the Thai language to others’:

(Source)

It’s a concerted effort among a web of individual to fan-club-run accounts that drum up enormous coverage, enthusiasm, admiration, funds for billboard ads or fan projects, and even gifts for the pair.

The fan community is self-sustaining in its growth; it is massive in Southeast Asia and South America, hashtags trending in one country or another, and even globally nearly every day. I have the impression that this fandom never sleeps and there is new content to traverse and giggle over every 12-hour cycle. It’s refreshing to see this level of self-sustained, growing adulation for actors of an LGBT show in countries that have traditionally been so conservative in their views and sorely underrepresented in mainstream media.

But it isn’t just the fans. There is consistent, honest regard in Freen and Becky’s interactions with each other, a world of memes and a language of their own that they share between themselves and with the fans (ex. “mami” and “honey�� lines, the “phi-nong” interactions *wink-wink*).

(Source)

We have so little of this attention and enthusiasm for and in the LGBT community with mainstream actors, but these two! They demonstrate a commitment to the fans that is unwavering and unprecedented. They are clear and vocal about their acceptance of the LGBT community, which make up so much of their fan base, trumpeting their advocacy at every opportunity simply by showing up together.

(Source)

And oh! Do they have opportunity. They sell record amounts of product as the faces for a variety of brands on live streaming –from make-up, to magazines, to something as innocuous as seaweed chips.

Together or individually, they are constantly being promoted in magazines or on bright, LED billboards in Thailand and even so far as New York’s Times Square:

(Source)

A magazine seems to be released nearly every week, and it has left fans languishing with empty pockets as they faithfully try to collect every single one. Though these magazines aren’t distributed internationally, an informal network of locals purchase them for international fans (or interfans, as they’re called), and ship them out at the buyer’s expense, which interfans are more than willing to cover.

(Source)

Freen and Becky are adored, loved, and fiercely protected. It’s an amazing phenomenon to watch, and even more extraordinary to contemplate that their popularity has brought their relatively new promoters IdolFactory tremendous exposure and a mountain of ad cash. To an extent, because of such exponential growth, the company has been criticized for poor security and an inability to cater for a large fan base during events as it continues to hire woefully small, inadequate venues.

(Source)

(Source)

We deserve to be heard. LGBT content, specifically wlw content, is valuable, loved, adored. If it came to just the bottom line, it is also incredibly profitable. What a message to send to media creators, to brands! I want this to be heard loudly, and for media executives to realize that they are missing out by cancelling so many wlw-centred shows on their streaming services:

(Source)

I wish FreenBecky every success, good health, and happiness.

I want Gap the Series to have even more exposure and recognized as the phenomenon that it is –as the first wlw web series that has breached more than 17M collective views on YouTube. It is the singular show pushing very, very hard against the norm: whether against the persistent cancellations of many wlw shows, catering to a mainly Western audience, or the more Western narrative perpetuated in majority of famous LGBT media today.

[chaos0pikachu]

Hi Pika, I don't know if you've been following gmmtv's take over of wabi sabi, I just want to ask you: given that so many companies are part of TBLC which is like a Thai BL content association, do you have any idea why gmmtv isn't a part of it? BOC, DMD, Star Hunter, Copy A Bangkok, Channel 3 are all part of it, I'm just wondering why gmmtv isn't even thought it's the biggest bl company? Wabi Sabi was/is a part of it. (idk exactly)

I can't emphasize enough that I am NOT an expert on this snaps lmao so anything I say that isn't like a direct link to an article or further reading source is speculation on my part. You're a sweetheart Anon but I just wanna let you know that like if you wanna know about the American publishing or entertainment industry but I don't wanna present myself as like ~an expert~ when my ass ain't ya know?

So my short answer is fuck if I know lol I hadn't even heard of the TBLC till this ask

For folks interested in it, here's the livestream they hosted for it (it's 45ish minutes) and it doesn't have subs though. But it seems to be connected to Thailand's soft power committee, here's an article on that:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who chairs the committee, tasked deputy chairwoman Paetongtarn Shinawatra with leading two national initiatives: One Family One Soft Power (OFOS) and the Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA). The goal of the initiatives is skills training to create 20 million jobs that will generate annual income of 4 trillion baht. OFOS and THACCA will be implemented in three phases: First, to boost human resources, 20 million children, adults, and seniors in under village and community funds will get free training in fields such as food, Muay Thai, arts, performance, singing, design, fashion, e-sports, and more, free of charge.

For folks who may not know, soft power is a term coined by political scientist Joseph S. Nye Jr. in his article Soft Power published by Foreign Policy magazine.

"In the 1980s, political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. coined the term soft power, defining it as a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to coercive pressure. In practice, that process entails countries projecting their values, ideals, and culture across borders to foster goodwill and strengthen partnerships." (source)

Soft power is a form of governmental influence internationally, and works conjunction with "hard power".

Examples of "soft power" are the American space program, athletes performing at the Olympics, and on the media side, military propaganda films like Captain Marvel, (yes I consider Captain Marvel a military propaganda film the film opens with a freaking air force ad lmao).

You see other countries using similar tactics as well, for every Top Gun there's China's Wolf Warrior 2 or Hidden Blade. For South Korea, BTS and k-pop is most definitely used as a source of soft power. This is just something governments do.

Okay so like, gmmtv and BL we've been hearing for a minute now that BL and GL are part of the Thai governments plans for soft power.

Mile and Apo have spoken about this specifically when promoting Man Suang and here's a recent video of them working in conjunction with the government on Shine:

(source)

Even Mew's talked about Thailand's soft power in interviews before (context, Mew was the first Thai musician to break into the American Billboard charts):

(source)

It's not just BL either, Idol Factory's Freen and Becky of The Gap fame got in on this too:

So like, it sounds like this meeting/committee in general is just an extension of the Thai governments plans for expanding their soft power which includes how to better support this now highly in demand industry (BL/GL shows) b/c the government sees its international value.

I can only assume that like, gmmtv feels it doesn't need~ government support as a production company? They're the biggest BL studio in the game and have an annoying stranglehold on territories like America and Latin America already. It doesn't really matter what the quality of the shows even are, gmmtv have that sweet parasocial grip on audiences.

[my forever frustrations with gmmtv and how they sell idols and parasocial relationships not BL/GL shows is a totally different post so lemme stop]

Other companies don't really have that same hold on international audiences. At least not consistently? And the biggest concern is funding.

I think anyone with eyeballs can see Kinnporsche is the best well produced BL that's come out of Thailand (argue with the wall) in terms of overall technical quality. But that level of quality is expensive, the CGI in The Sign is freaking expensive, The Next Prince's pilot is so obviously pricey as all fuck you can tell the studio is banking on it selling.

Which is why studios like Idol Factory, Domandi or BOC only come out with a one or two shows a year in comparison to gmmtv's like 16. They need funding, not just for filming the show but also marketing. Filmmaking is hella expensive.

[I'm not talking about whether y'all liked this show or that show, I'm talking about technical quality, shows like Kinnporsche, The Sign, Pit Babe are all better on a technical level than stuff like 1000 Stars, Only Friends or Cooking Crush.]

Why didn't gmmtv attend the event or participate, baby I legit do not know. I can't answer that with any sort of certainty only their execs could answer that, I can only guess.

And my best guess is b/c the company feels confident they're fine on their own. They don't need funding assistance, nor assistance reaching an international market (tho maybe some assistance in getting their contracts straight hope Ossan's Love doesn't face the same distribution issues as Cherry Magic lmao).

For more information on the event itself I really liked this post on reddit that I felt broke everything down very well.

Anyway sorry this got so long Anon but I hope it at least provided some interesting information!

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

TH had almost more streams in Thailand than they have active Spotify users. Does that sound organic? 20% of Slow Dancing’s entire day one streams came from Thailand. 20%. Almost a quarter of his streams came from one country, a country that has a small Spotify user base. US has the largest amount of Spotify users. I think like 80mil? Whatever it is, it’s a lot. SD got like, 380k streams from the US and then dropped off the charts day two. The US is the biggest music market, with the highest number of Spotify users, and he couldn’t even stay on the charts more than a day, with a debut lower than Jimin’s b-side.

And let’s not act coy and pretend like a lot of SEA fans aren’t widely known as monster streamers. It’s not a big deal. A lot of ARMYs appreciate and rely on those streaming methods for good debuts and longevity, and obviously it’s not all or even most SEA fans. All fans are equally valuable and appreciated. But if we’re having a conversation about how successful TH’s debut was, I think it does matter that he underperformed in the biggest music markets, and it’s relevant the bulk of his streams came from places known for their aggressive streaming methods, and that a third of his albums came from a single country known for bulk buying.

Also longevity? Dropping a whopping 4million streams on day 8 aside, Taehyung’s debut just showed he completely failed to break outside of the ARMY bubble (which is the same for most of them tbf). And actually, I wonder if all those loyal tkkrs are even watching his ‘super amazing’ tiny desk performance looking at the views. Literally no one outside of ARMY cares about his “live” performances because no one is even watching them, so what does that have to do with longevity? And maybe the fact that the majority of his fans are shippers could explain why his music seems to have tanked on all relevant charts. And I hate billboard and I wish it didn’t matter because they suck and this competition with numbers is stupid. But it’s what the company is paying attention to, aggressively marketing towards, and obviously BTS cares. Remember how they reacted to their first #1? The way they flexed all the #1s that followed? TH did fine, but he definitely didn’t gain any substantial achievements that made his debut stand out. And if you’re going to talk about album sales, then you better be saying that Stray Kids and Seventeen are bigger than BTS.

And Jimin will be just fine. He gained so much prestige and clout from that bb#1, as well as his big and surprising success in the UK and other charts. And the way he did that without major company push? Just the bare bones rollout they all got (with the expedition of JK)? For an album that was more of a personal project for him than anything else, with just a small in-house team from BH? Yeah. And then look at the kind of impact he had on their stocks, an impact that was directly attributed to him. No one cared about the stupid encore outside of kpoppies who all have LC on their playlists anyways, or antis who are always desperately looking for things to drag. Now every time Jimin does something he has that highly coveted bb#1 artist attached to his name, and that’s a huge boon for him and his solo career, as stupid and obnoxious as billboard is. Not to mention how incredibly pleased his fans were by his music and performances, which is the most important aspect. I’m sure there are TH stans who really love his music but… well… we all saw the ARMY reception to SD vs LC. TH's music is divisive at best, and no, that doesn’t mean he has more artistry or whatever you want to say. Because Indigo was also more alternative and niche, but had a completely different and more positive reception. Also R&B is an incredibly popular genre.

And let’s not even get into a conversation about artistry. Taehyung’s lyrics literally had no depth, he didn’t have a single credit on his album, and he didn’t even have choreography to add any layers to his performances. His MVs were pretty, but weren’t even interesting. One of his gimmicks was literally having his dog walk out on the stage? It was very cute and I love how much he loves Yeontan, but artistry? When we were decoding German poetry and talking about philosophy, gender identity, escapism, psychology? Interpreting lyrics and choreography and even the name of the album and the promo material? It’s not even close. Tell me what was Layover even about? What was the story? What in there was personal or meaningful to him? Nothing wrong with just doing fun, shallow music sometimes, it can be awesome and I hope JM dabbles in that, but KTHs are the ones trying to spin this whole narrative about artistry to put down other members and feel better about an album that got a lukewarm reception and actually has little to no depth. It’s just surface and visuals and aesthetic. Not to mention the actual music aspect where JM tried and explored different genres, experimented with his voice, and pushed himself as an artist... All my respect to TH who did just fine, who did amazing by any non-BTS ML standard, all that should matter is if you like the music at the end of the day, but let’s not pretend his debut was something it wasn’t.

I'll just post this because you wrote so much 😅 but it really shouldn't have been turned into such a big deal because it wasn't. Like crazy also gets "bots streams" accusations and I'm surprised a Taehyung fan wouldn't know that, since it was actually them who spent years saying pjms bought streams for Jimin.

And one more thing I'll say is that I live in a 3rd world country. We've had more than 100% inflation rate this year so far, and the year isn't even over. A dollar costs 70 times more than our money, and Spotify cashes us in our local money, but it's the equivalent to the price in dollars. Add to that the government taxes, which is the price in dollars + 65% of it in taxes only. It ends up being a lot. I only have one family premium Spotify account that I share with my cousins and siblings.

So I didn't take their pity party seriously because 1) they were rude for no reason instead of trying to have a conversation about it 2) I obviously never meant it that way and I would never make fun of underdeveloped economies since I'm literally living in one lmao