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ravynous · 3 years ago

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as dreamscapes’ manager。

▌|﹫ᅠcharacter/s ⦂ mona, fischl ▌| ⌕ᅠ description ⦂ (platonic) what's it like being the manager of the two most talented songwriters of their generation? ▌| #ᅠ warning/s ⦂ none ▌| ➛ᅠpinned comment ⦂ (edited 12/05/22) inspo — fanart, you in me, hey kid, close your eyes, kard, akmu, iu, stella jang

the group:

The group was originally planned to debut with five members under Hexenzirkel Media (Hex Media).

Even so, two trainees — Mona Megistus and Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort — were the only ones who remained.

They debuted with their first single, "Midnight Phantasms," a thrilling song about a lost lover from a faraway land whose soul lingered beside the singer.

Dreamscapes captivated their audience through underlying meanings with intricately interwoven tales and fantasy concepts.

This group was also their company's salvation, pulling them from the verge of bankruptcy.

Fandom name: Stargazers

(Main Vocal)

Mona has a habit of humming tunes that could be used for future songs. that in turn, often had you and Fischl asleep in the car.

No, Mona doesn't handle her own finances. Yes, you were worried about her being more broke than the company itself. This is due to her dishing out mora for expensive equipment, like top-of-the-line studio headphones and monitors. instead, she trusted you with it, and shopping (for equipment) became somewhat of a bonding moment.

She barely ate full meals before you arrived. You lightly scolded her, "how will you continue producing and composing if you keep neglecting your health?"

You ended up bringing her meals to her studio, receiving a genuine thanks in return (despite the prideful attitude she displays in public.)

"Do you know about constellations? I always believed that our meeting had been written amongst the stars. … The stars have also shown that tomorrow will be a wonderful day to go out together."

(Rapper)

Have you ever seen a fandom with a vocabulary so wide and comprehension so astounding because of their idol? If so, you've probably met a Fischl stan (or a Hex Media employee.)

At the beginning, you carried around a small dictionary, taking a peek whenever Fischl went on lengthy bouts of dialogue. Now, you've learned to rely on context clues on what she says, a gleeful Fischl chatting with you about her day.

If she wasn't an idol, it would be fitting if an author was a career choice of her's. You've inserted research time into their schedules where the girls were free to visit the local library. Fischl always headed straight to the fiction section, and exited with a full story for a whole song (or even an album).

"Hark! The Prinzessin brought forth a much desired heirloom passed through generations! … What do you mean 'it's just an autograph?' It is the Sovereign of Immernachtreich's handwritten token of appreciation!"

behind the scenes:

Fischl has a bodyguard named Ozvaldo (sent by her parents) and raven named Ozzie (found in a park). There's this weird occurrence where she knows what you were doing, even if Ozzie was the only one with you in the room.

Both of them see you as sort of an older sibling, a person they could rely on, and a person they could seek advice from.

You once joked and asked them what they'd do if you had a crush on Ozvaldo. You've never seen them say "NO, YOU CAN'T!" so loudly and so in-synch.

You and Fischl have a set time where you visit Mona's studio to fix her sketchbooks and music sheets, and carry her off to bed.

Mona directs the scenes in each music video, putting care in which places to situate clues about their story. meanwhile, Fischl writes the lyrics, making sure they're all coherent and cohesive with the universe they've built together for their listeners.

They're not perfect, they know — but they're confident, especially with you.

▌| ⚠︎ ᅠby RAVYNOUS — please do not copy, edit, screenshot, or repost any of my works. Likes and reblogs are appreciated.

#ꮺ ravy.writes #genshin impact #genshin impact fanfic #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x y/n #genshin x reader #mona x reader #mona megistus x reader #fischl x reader #fischl von luftschloss narfidort

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prbni · 4 years ago

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I would still like to know April's side of the Story

For two years, I believed Seungri is as much responsible for the 'Burning Sun' scandal as Jung Joon Young and Choi Jong Hoon. Then,suddenly he was 'innocent' and 'falsely accused'. People called Woojin as 'Woojail' after certain allegations with evidences popped out. Then again, these accusations were false and he was being framed. So forgive me but I'm not taking any 'accusation' or 'scandal' or 'bullying' on face value just from a single side of story.

The reason I believed Jimin's one was because nobody actually came forward to defend her. She herself tried to weakly deny but couldn't get away with it. But you wouldn't have known or noticed anything if Mina never came out with it. It was after her revelation that certain videos titled 'Proof that Jimin is a bully' came out.

The whole Jessica Jung-Girls'Generation situation is still controversial to me. People like to deny it by simply saying "SM kicked her out" but Jessica's first statement after getting kicked out was actually "My members kicked me out" and then never opened up about it. If the members voted her out, they aren't innocent. Even after spending 14 years together as trainees+members,if some of the girls felt tempted to vote her out then Jessica wasn't innocent either. The way the girls always like to behave they're OT8 like Sica never existed or is a distant memory seems quite shady.

Back to the original topic,the original lineup consisting of Somin of Kard and Lee Hyunjoo,we've seen numerous video clips where it's painfully obvious that they're boycotting Hyunjoo. I have several questions here:

In bullying, there's usually a prime bully with spectators who do nothing. Why would an entire group pick on a particular member for apparently no reason at all?

If the group bullying was true, why would they still make it painfully obvious on camera? Weren't they concerned of their image? Even Jimin kept her apathy subtle on camera.

People easily believe it when someone is exposed as a 'bully' but do not pay attention that there are people out there with 'damsel in distress' and 'victim' syndrome who like to turn around every situation in a way that makes them look like they are a victim. I shouldn't be accusing Hyunjoo like that without knowing the truth but I can't rule out that possibility either.

Referring to the previous point, if there are clips showing how the April members were mean to Hyunjoo, then there is a KBS The Unit clip where Hyunjoo tried to show that a certain contestant was scary because her body language was a bit bolder and it surprised her by overreacting. She was criticized in the comments for that.

Mina had an outburst because of the 'father's death' issue and that's how we got to know how Jimin behaved with her years ago. Why did Hyunjoo's brother come up with this issue after all this time? When Hyunjoo is long gone from April?

An irresponsible company like DSP Media was really fast to deny the bullying rumours on April. But it can be argued that they did it to save their own skin since both KARD and April shall be affected if they did nothing about this.

Lastly, what if this is like the T-Ara situation where the group was boycotted based on some social media updates for years until it was exposed that the truth was something else?

Public opinion can easily be swinged from one side to another by making up a video or posting message screenshots. I'm simply trying to play the devil's advocate here and bringing out my doubts. If any bullying victim comes across my post and think I'm trying to undermine bullying and gaslighting, then I sincerely apologize as that's totally not my intention. And I'm not ruling out the probability that my doubts can be wrong.

#april kpop #seungri #woojin #aoa kpop #girl's generation #jessica jung #kard somin #lee hyunjoo #aoa mina #dsp media #t ara #kpop rant #kpop #bullying #gaslighting #shin jimin

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alexazbofficial · 3 years ago

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[ARTICLE] AleXa is “XTRA” and Proud

Since AleXa debuted in 2019, the soloist has been acting the part of fiery A.I. warrior in an apocalyptic world, soundtracked by heavy trap and techno beats. With her colorful new single “Xtra,” she shows a glimpse of the artist beneath the concept. AleXa spoke to EnVi over email about Y2K inspirations in her latest album ReviveR, humble beginnings, and her never-ending passion for performing.

New Flavors, Extra Cheese

If you’ve heard AleXa speak for any amount of time, you already know “extra” is the perfect descriptor for the spritely, Gen Z idol. In interviews, and on her personal vlog channel, AleXa 360, she speaks in memes and RuPaul’s Drag Race references. Her discography tells a different story.

From the artist’s debut single “Bomb,” to her last comeback, “Revolution,” AleXa has dropped darker anthemic tracks, wrapped up in multiverse lore—loosely speaking, she’s an android, manufactured within a dystopian world. “All of my previous comebacks show you the A.I. AleXa, but with this new comeback and concept, we’re wanting to show you her past life and memories as a human,” AleXa writes. “While the choreography is still very hard-hitting, it gives a lighter edge than the dark and bombastic side that the fans are used to seeing.”

Buoyed by its horns and spoken hook (“I got you, I got you, I got you, I got you”), “Xtra” captures AleXa’s signature spunk. The track was written by two Swedish duos—Moonshine and Sunshine, who have both worked with NCT Dream, Red Velvet, Twice, and more—and the finished product retains most of its original English. By remaining in the idol’s native tongue, the song plays to her wheelhouse, with cheesy (no pun intended) but instantly earworm-y lines like, “On my burger and my fries always extra cheese, yeah,” that stick in your mind for days.

With “Xtra,” AleXa sought to combine the attitude of late ‘90s and early ‘00s hip-hop videos with the girlish sensibilities of high teen��a style craze currently taking over South Korea. The hodgepodge styling ranged anywhere from more modern-looking streetwear to airbrushed tees to preppy tartan. “The team and I really wanted to emulate things that we enjoyed from the 2000s, such as iconic fashion statements, old music video aesthetics, and the editing style,” AleXa says.

A Sagitarrius sun and moon, AleXa will freely admit that she’s deeply competitive, which explains the music video’s climax: a dance-off with KARD’s BM and rival crews, reminiscent of mid-aughts movies like Step Up. (She wins, of course.) It’s moments like these that make “Xtra,” though still connected to AleXa’s A.I. concept, feel more like a love letter to the eccentricities of the person behind the character, Alex Christine.

Knocking the Door Down

When one door closes, another opens—so goes the age-old adage. But doors don’t always open by themselves, and AleXa is well-acquainted with finding opportunity, wherever and whenever it may come knocking.

At the time she came to Korea from her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma to audition for Cube Entertainment and—the next week—a spot on Mnet survival show Produce 48, she hardly spoke any Korean. The former tryout resulted in rejection, and so did the latter, though not right away: she made it onto the show, but out of 96 contestants vying for debut in a temporary girl group, she ranked 82nd. (Don’t worry, she’s coping admirably.) Yet through this process, she was scouted by ZB Label, becoming their first and only trainee.

Debut for AleXa, as with all idol hopefuls, was never guaranteed. In a recent episode of K-pop Daebak, she recounts the story of a meeting she had with Zanybros (the parent company of ZB Label) CEO Kim Jun-hong amidst her training period. Second-guessing the rate at which she was improving in language proficiency and performance, AleXa says she held back tears as Kim hinted that this was the end of the line.

“He hands me this envelope, and he says, ‘In this envelope, there’s a contract that you [have to] sign that’s going to completely nullify the AleXa name, it’s going to cancel all debut plans, and it’s going to guarantee you a flight back home,’” she recalled on the podcast. Confused and heartbroken about having her dream snatched back from her a year into training, AleXa opened the envelope. Inside was a note congratulating her on her forthcoming debut.

As incidental as AleXa’s path to becoming a performer may appear, it would never have been possible without her resolve. After years of dancing as a child—she started at just eighteen months old—and performing in competitive show choir, AleXa studied musical theater during her brief stint at college. At the same time she was going to school and working at the mall, she made dance covers, building an audience on social media.

The only person who could tell AleXa no was herself. “While I never necessarily doubted that I would ever become a performer, it wasn’t always exactly what I wanted to do,” she recalls. “Growing up, I had a handful of different aspirations, all varying in different fields.” Had she not gone for the creative route, AleXa says, forensic pathology was up there on the list.

Going the “Xtra” Mile

How does AleXa keep pushing forward, despite the roadblocks she’s met along the way? “I honestly live my life by planning short-term goals for myself, whether it’s something I can accomplish within the day or within the week.” Looking back at her journey, a series of smaller victories pile up on each other: forming a following for herself, making it to Korea without family here for support, mastering a language foreign to her. Everything AleXa has achieved is built upon her relentless hard work and, as she semi-seriously jokes, “the will to not ever lose—in anything.”

And, as much as she’s grown, she’s not slowing down any time soon. With each comeback, AleXa has broadened her vocal range and Korean fluency—so much so that she’s begun to amass writing credits for majority Korean tracks. Funky ReviveR b-side “Obsession” was penned by a handful of writers, with a collaboration between AleXa and Vanessa Jefferson—Lizzo’s sister—while she was in Korea. “Obsession is definitely one of my passion projects,” AleXa writes. “I’m very grateful and blessed to have worked beside Vanessa in creating this track.”

Although the idol had participated in lyric writing before, this was AleXa’s first time trying her hand at toplining over preexisting instrumentals the label sent to her. For coming projects, she wants to expand her skillset even further: “I would very much like to learn how to compose tracks and to better myself as a lyricist for future albums.”

Authentically AleXa

On and off the stage, AleXa’s personas couldn’t be more different (cyberpunk soldier versus bubbly, 4’11” Oklahoma native), but there’s an underlying attitude of self-assuredness tying the two together. That easygoing confidence is what makes her so magnetic.

Now she wants to be a beacon of optimism for others. “Whenever people see me perform, I hope they take away positive energy and some kind of spark to fuel their inner fire to use towards their passions,” she says. More than entertaining, AleXa hopes to be creative and spiritual kindling for those around her—to push them toward their dreams, as she always has for herself.

“At the end of the day, you are the one and only you that exists,” she writes to fans inspired by her enduring energy. “Every day, go out there and be the best, most unapologetic, most authentic version of yourself.” Even, or perhaps especially, if it means being extra.

For more AleXa, make sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to ReviveR on Spotify or Apple Music.

Want more in-depth artist features? Check out our exclusive interview with solo artist MRSHLL here!

#alexa #alex christine #kim seri #article #210812

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sopeacefulandquiet · 5 years ago

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Je Veux Être ta Lumière

Genre: Idol!Johnny, Idol!FemReader

Member: NCT Johnny x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: In which after your first encounter at an award show, Johnny starts to take an interest in you.

A/N: This is my first fan fiction/AU (?) ever, so i hope you do enjoy it. Also, this was originally supposed to be a Johnny x OC but i decided to change it to a Johnny x Reader.

“...And I promise that we will work harder from now, to make our fans extra proud of us.” She bowed down at 90 degrees as finished the speech, thanking the audience quietly and smiling brightly as they clapped and cheered out for her. The award grasped tightly in another one of your member's hand, the name still standing out brightly, ‘Artist Of The Year’.

You stood still and you held your sobbing group member in your arms as another member took to the mic to talk about your hardships since the beginning and how thankful you all were to all your fans and the people that have supported you since the start - you were slightly shocked she even thanked the haters for helping you get to where you are.

You smiled out into the crown, your eyes a little glossy as you refused to cry in front of masses of people staring at you - you were known for that, not crying. You were the emotionless, mysterious member of the group; some people even made jokes that you cried ugly or that you were part of the mafia, which was why so little was known about you. All you did was laugh it off.

Now as you stood on stage, a sobbing 22-year-old in your arms, having won an award many idols can just dream of, you didn’t know if you had the willpower to not cry.

You watched as your members finished giving their speeches and bowed at the crowd as they clapped. You gently pushed her away from you and wiped her tears away. “Jiyoon bro,” you grinned at her, “we just won an award, no more crying, yeah?”

She nodded, sniffling a little, and directed a small smile towards you, which you returned. You grabbed her hand and faced the audience who had watched the whole ‘escapade’ go down and aimed a forced smile at them, your own eyes still slightly blurry with the tears you refused to spill. You looked up and blinked a few times continuously, getting rid of the tears.

You bowed down at the crowd with your members, still holding Jiyoon’s hand as tightly as you could, you were sure you were going to get a little telling off as soon as you sat down in your seats away from the prying eyes of the other idols (most of them anyway).

You looked back up as your group started walking off the stage, still holding Jiyoon’s hand, staring down at your feet intently as you walked, afraid that you’d trip and make a laughing stock of yourself in these 6-inch heels that you were forced to wear - you could barely walk in them for god's sake.

“I can’t believe you actually listened to her and wore those hideous heels,” Jiyoon grimaced, referencing your horrible stylist, in a low voice as you both walked back to your seats.

“I really had no choice, it was either put them on myself or have them forced on me by some 40-year-old woman,” you replied, “should have seen the glare she gave me when I told her I wasn’t the best at walking in heels, she was about to bury me six feet under, alive at that too,” you added, placing the blanket you had been given over both your laps as soon as you sat down, keeping your eyes on the stage in front of you, trying to give your best reactions to the group performing on stage.

Jiyoon scooted closer to you, making sure the blanket covered both of your legs fully before speaking again, already giggling at what she was about to say. “You should wear heels more often, you're finally tall. It looks good on you my friend.” Giving you an exaggerated smile and a pat on the back, she returned her attention to the stage.

You gave her a playful glare, “Can’t believe we’re friends,” you mumbled, shaking your head at her antics, the grin on her face growing wider indicating that she had heard you,

Both of you immersed yourself with the performance that was going on stage, your group member, Ava, and you coincidentally slapping Jiyoon on her thighs when KARD’s BM ripped his shirt off in the middle of his collaboration stage, Monsta X’s Shownu and Exo’s Kai and Chanyeol following shortly after. You were sure your reaction would be used for one of those videos you always saw going around, the title of the video already floating around in your mind, ‘Enigma’s Y/N Loves Those Abs?!’ you giggled lightly at that. Your fandom had an unusual way of naming videos, that, you could agree with any day.

A nudge in your side brought you back to reality as Jiyoon pointed at the big monitor by the stage, which was playing a replay of Ava and your reaction to the stage, causing you to blush slightly. Embarrassed, you lifted the blanket on your lap and held it in front of your face with one hand, fanning your self with the other, you were sure your face had gone beet red.

You heard laughing and slowly lowed the blanket placing it back on your lap as you leaned forward, glaring playfully at your members.

“Oh shut up, don’t tell me you didn't enjoy it either,” you paused and mouthed,” They were HOT,” you fanned yourself for extra measure (and to also make sure they understood what you were saying). Your members rolled their eyes, shaking their head at your antics. You shook your head back at them, moving to sit back in your seat comfortably, leaning back and watching the performances, dancing the choreography in the limited space you had or just mouthing the lyrics and clapping your hands to the beat when the cameras came around to record your reactions.

Some time had passed, more awards were given out and more performances had taken place and you and your group members were getting more tired and bored. They even showed your leader, Soyeon, yawning during the performance of a popular group; that was something your group and the people sitting around you had a good giggle about as your leader shied away from in embarrassment.

You wished something exciting would happen soon, or you were going to end up falling asleep from boredom. You never did like attending award shows, this was the first time in 4 years you had done so - back then your fans argued that they (award shows) were always doing you wrong, as during the voting for the awards you were leading in the first place, but those awards were given to other people. You would be lying if you said you weren't even a tiny bit upset, but you couldn't blame the groups.

Looking down at the mini screen placed on your table, you noticed the time and cheered quietly, nudging Jiyoon who in return nudged Ava, both turning to look at you. You pointed towards the time on the screen and they both widened their eyes.

“Guys, the break starts in a few.” you cheered.

“The break was supposed to start half an hour ago,” someone from behind you spoke up. The three of you turned around and simultaneously bowed your head at the stranger, who continued to speak, “The time on the monitor is 30 minutes behind, at this rate no one knows when they're going to announce the break.”

Confusion struck you and you furrowed your brows at the stranger.

“Sorry?”

He took out his phone and turned it on, holding it out to you. You were sure he intended to show you the time, which was indeed half an hour ahead, but you couldn't help noticing his lock screen - the literal back of an iPhone - which caused you to burst out in a giggle but you quickly covered it with a cough, which quickly turned into a fit. Ava and Jiyoon leaned over to have a look at what had caused to go into a coughing fit but he had taken the phone away and slid it into his blazer pocket before they could see.

You placed your hand on your chest, patting harshly to calm yourself. You bowed your head at the male sitting behind you before turning to face your group mates.

“He’s right. They moved the clocks back,” you said, defeated, slumping into the sofa. Jiyoon patted your back in sympathy. “Now we’ll never get a break, and I’ll be bored for the rest of eternity,” you called out dramatically.

You turned around again, hoping to talk a little more to the male behind you and maybe get to know his name, but he wasn't there; it was someone else. Before you were able to question the whereabouts of the stranger sitting there before, the one present spoke up.

“Names Mark,” he said suddenly in English, putting his hand out. You clasped his hand in both of your giving it a firm shake before letting go and aiming a warm smile at him.

“I’m Y/N,” you responded.

“Yo, you know English?” he questioned you, sounding a little bit too excited, placing his hand in front of his mouth as he leaned back, in what you assumed was shock.

“Yeah,” you nodded your head at him, hoping to turn around and end the conversation as quickly as possible.

“Where are you from,” he questioned, once again before you could fully turn around, “America? Australia? Canada?” He added, continuing to list of different English speaking countries.

“The UK,” you answered him briefly, cutting his rambling off in the process.

His lips formed an ‘O’ as he nodded his head slowly.

“But where in the UK?”

“England”

“Ohhhhh, I thought I sensed a British accent.”

You raised your eyebrow at him or at least tried to. He laughed when he noticed your facial expression.

“Hey, I’d be raising my eyebrow at you if I could Mark.” You said, squinting your eyes at him, in return he just laughed. You smiled at him, finding his laugh to be a little contagious.

You turned around, fully, placing your right leg under your left thigh, trying to get comfortable before realising you were very much still at an award show and then resorting to placing your legs at an angle as you continued to talk to Mark.

“Where are you from?” You questioned him.

“Canada.”

He was quick to reply and you were sure he had been waiting for you to ask him that question as soon as you had started talking to him. You simply smiled at the male, nodding your head again, wondering why it hadn't fallen off with all the nodding you were doing.

“If I'm not being rude, may I ask what group you're from?” You spoke., studying his features as he stared at you, that stupid smile glued to his face.

he nodded his head, before holding his hand out again. You held it, shaking it slowly as he talked.

“Hi, I’m NCT’s Mark,” he responded, holding your hand firmly, still shaking it.

You nodded again, “I’m-”

“Your Enigma’s Y/N,” he cut you off, “I know what group you're from.”

You bowed your head, giving him a bright smile and letting go of his hand.

“So you know my group but not my name and where I'm from?” You question him playfully.

He raised his hands in mock surrender and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by an approaching figure.

“Mark, move over.”

You looked over at the person who had just approached and realised it was the guy from earlier (the one who had ruined your mood by telling you that there probably wasn't going to be a break throughout the award show anytime soon). You gave him a small and quick bow hoping to turn around before Mark started speaking but of course, you were hit with bad luck.

You stared at Mark as he moved over, giving the guy some room to sit back down before talking again.

“Johnny Hyung, this is Y/N,” he continued to speak in English, to which Johnny raised an eyebrow before nodding slowly. He stared at you for a short while and there was no way you were looking away first so you stared back, sending a small, awkward smile his way, to reduce the awkwardness between the two of you.

“I’m Johnny,” he spoke out suddenly. in an American accent, startling you. You jumped a little as Mark started laughing, throwing his body everywhere and you suddenly felt sorry for the boy sitting next to him, who suddenly had to hold his weight as he was cracking himself up.

“Hyung...Suddenly..” he started before losing it, leaning against the other guy as he continued laughing,” I’m Johnny,” he said once he’d calmed down a little, shrugging his shoulders and pushing his head forward.

You smiled at his antics before shaking your head and smiling.

A light continuous tapping caused you to turn your head, only to come face to face with your leader who looked at you questioningly. You gave her a small smile and looked around confused as you noticed that many people were starting to stand up.

“It’s the break,” Soyeon said, answering your unasked question, “It’ll only last for around 30 minutes, I think, so if you want something time to get it now.”

Your lips formed an ‘O’ shaped as you nodded your head slowly.

“Can we get something to eat?” You asked her, as your stomach let out a small growl. It was speaking to you, begging for food, and you couldn't deprive it of the one thing it had only, always wanted.

Soyeon nodded before taking your hand in hers and pulling you up.

You glanced at the two boys, giving a quick nod of the head and smiling at them, even waving at them as you walked off with your leader, in the quest to get some food - in those godforsaken heels of yours.

#johnny suh #nct johnny #nct au #nct mark #idol johnny #johnny au #nct johnny suh #johnny suh au #johnny x reader #nct johnny scenarios #johnny suh scenarios #nct imagines #nct x reader #nct scenarios #idol reader

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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 5 years ago

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I want to get into kpop but i don't have any idea where to start? There's so much out there, do you have any tips or recs?

Why hello friend and future Kpop cohort!

I totally get you. The genre is pretty expansive and it can feel overwhelming. Especially if you’re brand new and you have no idea what’s good and what’s not. I got into it with a slight bit of advantage because I got into it about 10 years or so ago, before it really started getting big in western pop culture. So I was able to kind of grow into it and watch the genre grow with me and from there I could figure out my tastes when it comes to that industry.

How did I originally get into it? Well, like the total weeb I am, I am an anime lover so I would listen to their opening theme songs and a lot of it I really liked the sound of, so from there I kind of got into jpop (Japanese-pop) and then I started experimenting more with Kdramas, jdramas, cdramas, tdramas, etc. And just like with anime, I would listen to the music being played and think, “ok, I like that, where can I buy it?”. The downside is that 10 and 15 years ago, the Asian pop industry was not big in western culture so it was super hard to acquire the music through legal means. A lot of the music wasn’t available on the US Itunes or any of the other venues. I would literally have to make playlists on youtube for those songs or illegally download them, etc. But the thing with finding the music on youtube back in those days was that youtube was still relatively new and copyright issues was a seemingly never-ending battle there (I mean, it still is but that’s beside the point, youtube needs to hurry up and get with the times!). So you could create playlists of your favorite Asian drama songs but the videos had a tendency to be blocked frequently because of copyright claims (especially with the Japanese songs, Japan takes no prisoners when it comes to copyright). There was also a time when I would go on Amazon and just purchase the physical soundtrack CD as well.

But thankfully, those days are now over. I am so happy that this music industry is starting to make more of a wave over on this side of the world so I don’t have to jump through all of these hoops trying to find music that I want to listen to. i can typically find everything I’m looking for on Spotify these days.

As for any tips on how you can get into it, there’s really not much I can say. Like with all music, its completely subjective, based on your own music tastes. A lot of it is going to be trial and error. If you have Pandora, I would recommend listiening to a Kpop station and that should kind of give you a feel for the type of music you’re into and which bands and artists you would like to follow. You could also take my approach -- you could watch anime and the various Asian dramas and listen to those soundtracks and that can also give you a feel for the kinds of music you like. What I’ve taken to recently is creating two Spotify playlists. One playlist is designated for putting all the music in for all of the artists I’m interested in potentially following (Asian Pop is what I titled it). Then while I’m at work, I’ll turn on the playlist and whenever a song comes on that I’m really vibing with, I add it to the second playlist (Asian Pop Faves). And after a while, you start building up a good playlist full of songs you’re really vibing with.

As I don’t know what your music tastes are, I can’t really recommend music that you’ll definitely like. But I can give you some of the bands and artists I listen to.

Here are a few of the more popular bands that are getting pretty big right now:

-BTS (I’m not a huge stan of BTS but they have a few songs I like)

-Twice

-Red Velvet

-Blackpink

I’ll also give you some of my faves.

BoA (K-Pop, J-Pop) – Of course, if you’ve been following me a while, you knew there was no way I was not going to include her as a recommendation. I love her so much, I think her voice is super unique and she’s an absolute powerhouse when it comes to performing live. She’s been dubbed the Queen of Kpop and no matter what, no matter what the next big thing comes out of the industry is, BoA will always by my Once and Future Queen of the industry.

2NE1(K-Pop) – If you like Blackpink but have never listened to 2NE1, what even are you doing with your life? So much of Blackpink is heavily inspired by the era left behind 2NE1. 2NE1 sadly isn’t active anymore but they have left a permanent mark on the industry for sure. NO ONE interested in Kpop should sleep on 2NE1 in my opinion.

AAA (J-Pop) – This is a J-pop band and much like BoA, I’ve been following them for the past decade or so. They’re kind of unique in the sense that the band is a mix of both men and women. This is actually a rarity within the industry. You don’t see it too much. I suspect its because the industry often caters their music to different fanbases. All male bands will cater to a specific fanbase in their music, while all-female bands will cater to a different fandom with their music. So when you have both grouped together, you kind of have to find a middle-ground in that area and I think AAA has really succeeded in that area. I love their sound and they are so much fun to watch live.

Back-On (J-Pop) – Another J-Pop band. This one is all-male. If you’re into a little more of a rock vibe, this is the band for you.

Hikaru Utada (J-Pop) – If you’re into Kingdom Hearts, then you’ve already heard her but definitely don’t sleep on any of her other projects. I think she’s really great and has more of an R&B style approach to her pop.

Pentagon (K-Pop) – An all-male band. They got the nice boy-band pop sound if you’re looking for that

IU (K-Pop) – Female artist. She has a very clear soprano voice and she often mixes jazz style into her pop which creates a really unique sound that I enjoy.

Punch (K-Pop) – Along the same lines with IU, a really very clear beautiful voice

KARD (K-Pop) – A mix of male and female artists, they don’t have a lot out right now, but what I’ve heard so far I really like.

Also, if you’re looking for a soundtrack to listen to, I recommend the You’re Beautiful kdrama soundtrack. It’s really great and also if you want to watch a kdrama, You’re Beautiful is also a fantastic drama as well.

Here’s some individual songs that I like a lot:

Cool Hot Sweet Love – Red Velvet

RPM – SF9

Drama – AAA

Horizon – AAA

Milky Way – BoA

Masayume Chasing – BoA

Woman – BoA

Manhattan Tango – BoA

Make Me Complete – BoA

Everlasting – BoA

The Shadow – BoA

No. 1 – BoA

M.E.P – BoA

Implode – BoA

Romance – Boa

Hurricane Venus – BoA

Etude – BoA

One Shot, Two Shot -- BoA

(alright, that’s it with the BoA recs; I told you guys, I love her)

Grip! – Every Little Thing

Dejavu – AAA

First Name – AAA

Next Stage – AAA

Thank You – AAA

Hide-Away – AAA

Find You – AAA

Get Chu! --- AAA

Strike Back – Back-On

Bad Boy – Red Velvet (there’s both a Korean and English version, both sound great!)

It’s Me (Pick Me) – Produce 101

Just Do It Yo! – Pentagon

Make It Right – BTS

Boy in Luv – BTS

Done For Me – Punch

DNA – BTS

2NE1 – Happy

As If Its Your Last – Blackpink

It Hurts – 2NE1

Ugly – 2NE1

Psycho – Red Velvet

Don’t Leave Me – BTS

Scary Fairy Tale – IU

Come Back Home – 2NE1

Lost Child – IU

Havana – IU

Dinosaur – AKMU

Fake Love – BTS (both regular version and rock version)

With you – Back-On, Me

Yes or Yes – Twice

Endless Fighters – AAA

Peter Pan -- EXO

3-6-5 -- EXO

But anyway, I think that’s it for now. This list in no way encompasses everything that I love in the industry but this should give a good starting point!

#kpop #jpop #boa #boa kwon #kwon boa #aaa #attack all around #bts #exo #twice #red velvet #back-on #akmu #iu #2ne1 #sf9 #produce 101

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snspice-archive · 4 years ago

Photo

✰ || STEP ONE : SUGAR is the debut mini album by SNS, released by RBW Entertainment on January 19th, 2020. It is available both digitally and physically, with four versions for sale; Candy, Icing, Chocolate, and Sprinkles. It features four songs, with “OH!” being its title track. SNS promoted “OH!” from January 20th to February 22nd, also holding a special stage for b-side track “Our Lives”. The girls were able to bring home 3 music show wins over the promotional period. They held 2 fansigns, appeared on multiple variety shows, and were heavily active on social media.

ALBUM MOCKUP // COLOR CODED LYRICS // MUSIC VIDEO VISUALS

✰ || TRACKLIST

OH!

HAPPY DAYS

OUR LIVES

STEREO

✰ || ALBUM CONTENT

Candy ver. : random member disc + photobook (80 photos) + one random individual photocard + one random group photocard + one random individual poster + one group poster

Icing ver. : random member disc + photobook (80 photos) + one random individual photocard + one random group photocard + one random individual poster + one group poster

Chocolate ver. : random member disc + photobook (80 photos) + one random individual photocard + one random group photocard + one random individual poster + one group poster

Sprinkles ver. : random member disc + photobook (80 photos) + one random individual photocard + one random group photocard + one random individual poster + one group poster

✰ || SALES + ACHIEVEMENTS

oh my gosh, the public ate up the cute retro concept, especially since everyone thought they were getting a mamamoo 2.0

critics loved the mini as well, saying it brought a retro sound into the present in a cute and enjoyable way

“OH!” debuted at number 2 on korean music charts, later peaking at number 1 and floating around the top 6 until it dropped after roughly the first 72 hours

“our lives” peaked at number 29 on melon

the mv got 11.7 million views in 24 hours

the song received 3 music show wins and almost broke itzy’s record after taking just 10 days after their debut to take home its first win

a tiktok dance challenge was created and popularized after piper posted a video of her dancing to the bridge of “oh!” alongside mamamoo’s hwasa

they definitely had a successful debut in sales as well, selling 18 thousand physical copies within the first week

✰ || STYLING

✰ || ERA HIGHLIGHTS

THE GIRLS DEBUTED ! THEY WERE ALL SO HAPPY AND IT WAS SO OBVIOUS !

they were constantly smiling and acting all giddy whenever they were in front of fans

literal rays of sunshine happy to finally be on stage together :(

MIKA FINALLY FOUND HER FOREVER HOME !!!

she was the ending fairy for their debut stage and the camera was able to catch a tear slip out of her eye before it cut :(

she didn’t even make it fully off the stage before she broke down into a sobbing mess :((

fans were really worried but she was quick to tell them not to worry and thanked them over and over again, it was so heart warming :(((

speaking of crying, their first win was an emotional mess

as soon as the mc said their name, mika started sobbing

like full blown hiccup sobbing, which led to soyee pulling her into a hug to hide her face :((

josie was literally frozen from shock and yuri was jumping around out of excitement as she held the trophy, while piper gave her little speech

nobody really expected their debut to be so successful

when their original debut schedule was released, they were only meant to promote for 2 weeks and that was literally it

but once management saw how popular the girls were, they extended promotions, set up fansigns, and got them booked onto variety shows

the girls were so busy but they made it very clear that they enjoyed their busy schedule

their busy schedule allowed for the girls to be more social within the industry and make a lot of connections

mika was a social butterfly like always and popped up on so many different idols//groups instagram and tiktok accounts

on the topic of social media, the girls were literally EVERYWHERE

multiple daily updates flooding the girls’ personal and group instagram(s)

they posted a handful of tiktoks during their dance challenge

each girly was doing more vlives then should probably be allowed

their youtube channel was constantly being updated with vlogs, behind the scenes, dance practices, album making videos, etc etc

after their 3rd win, mika posted to her personal instagram story thanking their fans as well as shouting out her dsp family (mainly mentioning kard and deep dive) and the members of ioi

she has the video saved in one of her highlights :(

the styling was very cute and (slightly) retro inspired; denim, pastels, gingham patterns, etc were every where

their stylists are in love with hair clips cause those suckers were always littering the girls’ heads

the girls had longer length hair all dyed different natural shades of brown

except miss yuri, her hair was long and almost platinum blonde

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littlecafe · 5 years ago

Note

Hi! If you have time, could you make a sun pisces, moon scorpio, rising gemini playlist? 🙈😊

hello anon thank you for your request!! you were the only one that asked for 3 signs and it was interesting to try and make this, i posted it yesterday night~

i won’t go into too much depth on each individual sign here in this post since i’ve already talked about scorpio and gemini as individual signs if you want to read about them in more detail (albeit in a more sun sign way, the signs do come across slightly different for moons and risings and of course for other planets as well)

i have no done pisces sun yet but a few of the playlists do have pisces placements so i’ve briefly talked about that also, mainly tapping into the pisces intuitive sense, creative and dreamy sides

what i will try and talk about here is the group of signs together and how they might interact and how i tried to display that in the playlist, i’ll be referencing what i’ve said before as well from the posts i linked so yes here we go!!

pisces and scorpio being both water really gives a lot of intuitive sense and emotions at the core (sun and moon) but they’re masked by the more playful nature of gemini, pisces and scorpio as signs also tend to want to lay low while gemini wants to talk and explore so there is that constant push and pull of energies, there is a chance to fall into a more imaginary state of living especially if they are away from people and reality for too long

this combo also seems very creative, smart and quick as pisces and gemini are both mutable signs, really adaptable to circumstances even with the fixed moon

i mention that i accidentally made the playlist too sad and i think that was because i was too fixated on the darker side of pisces, since paired with a scorpio moon i thought maybe there’s a possibility of that coming out more? but i feel like i just completely lost my balance since i want the playlists to convey more of a neutral stance

for the playlist, i did still keep a more water baseline with the fun air energy weaved in....i have no idea if that makes sense but basically my key for this playlist:

pisces: dreamy aspects in sound or lyrics, if i’m being honest pisces in this playlist is mostly blurred and mixed into scorpio or gemini, oddly that ends up matching the sign due to pisces’ fluid nature to adapt and fit in no matter where

scorpio: bass, darker, heavier sound (heavy like the feeling of being in humid weather), definitely brings the overall energy of the playlist down compared to if i were to only do pisces & gemini

gemini: fun/interesting melody or instrumental, lighter airy sound, rap or repetition/layering to convey the talkative nature of the sign

so now that we’ve laid that out, let’s talk more about individual songs and you can match it up the sounds to my key!! first off, au revoir by glen check, the song that starts the playlist and i wanted this song in there specifically because of their remake of it for their dingo x nike live, the original (one in the playlist) is more of a gemini/pisces energy while their remake you can feel the addition of scorpio energy added in so i really wanted to show the difference between the two and the change in mood

famous by taemin, in my opinion, was the best match i could find that balances all 3 signs very well! you can still feel the quirky gemini air peaking through even with the heavy bass and similarly, i can’t stand the rain by superm also manages to show this dynamic well and adds the push and pull factor i mentioned above since the song itself is also like that

twenty-three by iu is a good combo of pisces/gemini, lyrically and music video wise, as it depicts the struggle of adulthood and also talks about her public image, people’s judgmental perception of her (”being seen through the sunglasses, i’m used to it now”) i think some pisces can relate to her troubles as well with people forcing their own perceptions of you onto yourself

zgzg by saay, martini blue by dpr live, ride on the wind by kard are all examples of more gemini influence than scorpio, very fun and with ride on the wind almost losing the scoprio sound completely! it showcases a light airy sound coming from the collab of good air and good water energy

i also tried to layout the playlist to have heavier scorpio influences felt towards the end to emulate when your moon sign can be felt most and that’s when you are comfortable or at night after a long day and you sit alone thinking to yourself, so the last 5 songs on the playlist is where you can feel the whimsical fun air dampen down, i think you can hear this well in mong by lim kim, as well as in her lyrics: “i’m in heaven up above.....suddenly, i’m feeling cold heart, i'm sinking”

lastly, the final song on the playlist, ana by loopy is definitely a darker place than the rest of the playlist, it talks about the struggles of depression and thoughts of being not good enough for those you love (if you’re very sensitive to this topic i’d say to steer clear of this song), very pisces/scorpio lyrically coming across more gemini/pisces musically

i hope i made some sense here, i knew it would be more complicated since this is my first 3 sign playlist so i wrote out a key this time so you can see (and then hear once you listen to the playlist) what elements i was looking for in music

ok!! finally my fun “what artist did i think of for your sign?”, honestly much more complicated because (again) this was 3 signs so i thought more towards a genre at first which is psychedelic rock (dreamy, airy, dark checks all the marks) and i did have a band i thought of and listened to a lot but i found out the singer has said some problematic things in the past (3? 4? years ago) so i’m not going to link them, if you’d like you can google it yourself and come to your own conclusions whether or not you’d like to listen to them but they’re called thornapple

so instead of them i’d like to recommend another! her mv is what i used for the image of the playlist (i think the video suits these signs well) and her name is airy, she is a new artist that also utilizes this style of music~ because she is new she doesn’t have many songs yet but according to her interview here, she will be releasing new music this year so look out for that if you enjoy her style C:

#if i have typos i am so sorry #every time when i'm typing this i just think 'oh i'm not writing as much this time'#and then when i'm done i scroll up to this huge wall of text that i just spewed out like oh #for the graphic i didn't even have to change much i think it matches so well with the signs ;u;#busy dreamy kinda hard to read that was what i was going for visually for the graphics #Anonymous

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weareafuckingmess-blog · 5 years ago

Video

youtube

Song of the Day - September 25th 2019

KARD - Dumb Litty

[S] KARD was one a group I was kind of scared to get into originally because in my experience in Kpop most Co-ed groups do not last. So I am really really impressed how long they have kept going and how well they are doing. Honestly I find myself always craving more from them and it feels like they have been quiet for awhile so this is exciting.

I will say though even with my love of KARD it did take me a few listens to decide if I liked this track or not, It is very different when what they have released up to this point and since I have LOVED their sound up to this point I was a little thrown off by thee style at first but after a few listens the song has grown on me and I love it just as much as all the other KARD tracks.

[M] I have been waiting for fierce KARD come back since their second album and it appears it has finally arrived. Dumb Litty is much more hip hop than anything they have ever released but it works amazingly well. KARD is a super talented group and I am glad to see that they are trying new things and sounds because they have such a diverse group of members. I find for once J.Seph and BM taking the spot light on this track, not that the ladies aren’t amazing, I am glad to see a track and video very focused on the guys because often they get overshadowed by Somin and Jiwoo. I will be listening to Dumb Litty on repeat.

[C] After Bomb bomb I needed more like it and they flipping heard me cause they delivered that and then some. The lyrics aren’t deep but in a song like this who cares about deep lyrics. I am all over this track, they all look so damn good in this. These guys just keep getting better, I love how well they’re doing for being a co-ed group I was so scared they’d just disappear after a couple releases but here we are almost 3 years later.

#kpop #song of the day #kpop song of the day #KARD #Dumb Litty #sonmin #jiwoo #j.seph #bm

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sweetchaosyk · 7 years ago

Text

bigger kpop tag!

I was tagged by @royal-kard thanks ~!

1.) 5 favorite groups?

bts, vav, got7, super junior, seventeen

2.) Top 5 on your bias list?

jungkook, geumhyuk, jackson, heechul, seungkwan

3.) Ult Bias group and why you love them?

bts. 100%. I love bts so much, they’re the first kpop group I found, the first group I listened to and the ones that got me into kpop. bts isn’t like any other group I’ve liked before. These 7 boys are the most dedicated, hard working, talented people I've ever seen in my life. Everything they do is incredible, their singing, dancing, and song writing. They’re music is so amazing. Their lyrics talk about mental health so well. And they care about their fans so much. I honestly don’t have any words to describe how much I love them and how much they’ve meant to me in the past 8 months I’ve been a fan.

4.) Ult Bias and why you love them?

jungkook. jungkook was actually my bias wrecker originally and namjoon was my first bias. But jungkook is so amazing and caring and hardworking and beautiful and talented and I could go on,, I love him so much. He’s literally good at everything he does. An actual golden boy. He loves the color yellow and every time I see the color now I think of him. He’s really strong and a whole bunny at the same time. I love his personality and his sense of humor. The loml <3

5.) Favorite Kpop Meme

“cute” & “grammy”

6.) Favorite pic of your ult? (I dare you to only pick one)

I love all pictures of jungkook but any from this fansign are my top picks:

7.) 5 Favorite Kpop MVs

bts - spring day | pentagon - shine | kard - you in me | red velvet - peek a boo | super junior - mamacita

8.) 10 Favorite Kpop songs?

9.) Favorite Kpop crack video?

i don’t really watch crack videos but i like this one

10.) Favorite content creator within the fandom?

in the bts fandom: @mewchim @softjeon @yoonseok

11.) What fandoms would you say you’re an active member of?

i’d say i’m pretty active in my main groups, bts, vav, got7, super junior, seventeen, kard, and blackpink. i’m starting to be a little active in the pentagon and astro fandoms.

12.) Take your top 3 biases- fmk

so between jungkook, geumhyuk, and jackson..

f- jackson i guess

m- geumhyuk

k- jungkook, the tables have turned bc i am now somehow killing my ult whoops

13.) If you could be best friends with any idol, who would you choose?

all of bts!!! and also jackson, yesung, shindong, lisa, rose, joshua

14.) If you could date any idol, who?

geumhyuk, seungkwan, or donghae

15.) What’s one Kpop album you think everyone should have listened to?

all of bts’!!! especially ly:h, ly:t, wings, and the entire hyyh era

16.) Are you a soft or a hard stan?

soft

17.) An idol that makes you go into soft mode?

um all of them lol but tbh sanha from astro makes me extra soft.

18.) An idol that makes you want to smash the empire state building with one single punch?

is this a good thing or a bad thing? i’m not sure who to put for this lmao

19.) Favorite vocalist?

jungkook & geumhyuk

20.) Favorite Rapper?

yoongi

21.) Favorite dancer?

hoseok, jimin, hoshi, ten, eunhyuk

22.) Things you have in common with your ult?

we both like video games, drawing, editing, we’re both good at bowling, and we’re both competitive. and we both prefer him with black hair.

23.) The most beautiful trait any idol can have?

someone who is kind and has an actual good sense of humor

24.) Songs that will always make you jam along?

25.) Your worst wrecker?

donghae.

26.) Any kpop concerts you’ve been to?

none yet, i’m gonna see vav in august tho

27.) Favorite choreo?

all of bts’ choreo, all of seventeen’s choreo, all of astro’s choreo, vav’s abc, nct’s black on black, super junior’s devil, monsta x’s jealousy, got7′s just right, nct dream’s my first and last, pentagon’s shine

28.) Favorite live performance?

this version of spring day, and bts at the mamas 2017

29.) Favorite debut mv?

blackpink - whistle | seventeen - adore you | vav - under the moonlight | astro - hide & seek

30.) Recommend a rookie group!

kard for sure, and stray kids i feel like are going to be really good

31.) A kpop song you could listen to every day for the rest of your life?

bts - don’t leave me

32.) Tag some cute mutuals you’d like to get to know better (and to do this challenge)!

@jungshookdaily @leaderbias @dorkihyun @middleearth-orbust @sugas-kookies @celestialjeonghan (you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to!)

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vskpop · 7 years ago

Text

My 30 favourite songs of 2017

YouTube playlist ⋅ Spotify playlist

30. Don’t Recall – KARD

I’m upset with myself that last year I didn’t put Oh NaNa in my best of 2016 list because, reader, it was: it ended up as my second most played song of 2017. I didn’t listen to the follow-up Don’t Recall quite as much, but it was the song that cemented my love for KARD’s hip-hop/dancehall/pop jumble. Whoever is selecting their songs has such a flair for dance songs with a melancholy vibe, and Don’t Recall is unparalleled so far. It’s still too rare to get proper idol groups that are mixed gender, and it’s almost impossible for them to succeed. I’m so pleased that international success has been enough to keep KARD alive, even though their numbers are still abysmal at home. Live: M Countdown 17/07 – Yu Huiyeol's Sketchbook 30/08 Other songs of note: Rumor – Trust Me

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29. Heaven and Earth – Laboum

I went through a phase in which I found Laboum adorable, and then for some reason I stopped liking them as much (the reason is that ZN gets on my nerves, I’m sorry, I know). I still listened to their album Miss This Kiss for the nostalgia effect – and because lead single Hwi Hwi is damn good – and I just fell in love with 천지차이. As far as I can tell, it was never performed live, or at least not in venues where it was filmed. I hope that this kind of song keeps being given to them, and that eventually it becomes their lead single. They deserve to take a break from the cuteness. Other songs of note: Hwi Hwi

28. Tomorrow, Today – JJ Project

I realise that I already said it when JJ Project made their comeback a few months ago, but Bounce is a modern classic in the trashiest way possible. The styling and sound that Jinyoung and JB went for in 2017 are completely different from their origins, but just as great. Tomorrow, Today is what I love about GOT7’s Fly with a dash of my favourite JYP group, DAY6. They get to show off the vocal skills they developed since we last saw them as a duo and, most of all, their range of wistful looks. Also, I love that for once they didn’t have to sing about love and how right a girl is, but rather about having to face tough decisions as they grow up. Live: M Countdown 17/08 – Genie showcase Other songs of note: Coming Home – On & On

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27. Palette – IU ft. G-Dragon

I don’t know why, I’ve never been a huge fan of IU until I watched Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and found a sudden connection with her that I had never felt before. Her most recent album has helped bringing together my love for actress IU with singer IU. In an industry where being honest and clever is nobody’s priority, she manages to sound real and in control of what she does without abandoning her pop roots. I’m not sure many artists would manage to make an introspective song sound so pleasant and calm. Live: Inkigayo 23/04 – Music Bank 28/04 Other songs of note: Can’t Love You Anymore ft. Oh Hyuk

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26. Archangels Of The Sephiroth – Stellar

If there had to be a swan song for Stellar, I’m glad it was Archangels Of The Sephiroth. With two members having already left and the other two on the way out, this was 100% the last single they put out with the formation we knew and loved, and we can’t even blame them for leaving. It’s a fact that this doesn’t have anything to do with their previous concepts, but I love the pseudo-satanic, pseudo-mystical vibe and I would have loved for them to keep going on this path. Archangels Of The Sephiroth gets more interesting with every listen, and the video is creepier with each view (bathtub of blood anyone?). As the song says, we really did love them till the end. Live: Inkigayo 09/07 – Music Bank 07/07

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25. Signal – Twice

Signal is by far the best Twice song ever – it’s interesting, kind of weird, and not necessarily super cute. Obviously the majority of the public hated it, and back to Likey we went. I love the bassline pushed right at the front, the dissonant harmonies, the fact that some of the mute members finally got to sing. Of everything they’ve released in 2017 (four comebacks is a lot for anyone) this is the only choice that doesn’t feel safe and completely within their sexy baby wheelhouse. They even get to have a proper storyline in the video, which is a rarity. Live: Show Music Core 03/06 – Inkigayo 21/05 Other songs of note: Knock Knock – 24/7

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24. Wake Me Up – Taeyang

It’s kind of sad to think that this could be the last Taeyang single for years and years. At least it’s a ballad, so we will be able to all cry together when we listen to it after he’s enlisted.This album felt properly his – something that he created and composed, rather than something that was given to him to perform. Not that he’s ever lacked emotion, but Wake Me Up has a depth that is only second to Eyes Nose Lips. Live: Inkigayo 20/08 – Fantastic Duo 03/09 Other songs of note: White Night – So Good

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23. Move – Taemin

This is possibly (definitely) the sexiest song of 2017. Taemin has such an eye for taking trends from the West and making them current for Korean audiences, as well as constantly changing his image while staying true to himself. I can’t get enough of the elegant electropop of Move, with the bass and the voice parts creating one of the sexiest musical combinations of 2017. Taemin carries a song that could have been much less interesting in the hands of an artist with less expressiveness. I don’t know if it’s the thought of the choreography, but this song always makes me blush a little. Live: Seoul Fashion Week – M Countdown 19/10 Other songs of note: – Rise – Day and Night

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22. Untitled 2014 – G-Dragon

If a ballad from Taeyang was expected, it certainly wasn’t from G-Dragon. I’m not sure how much truth there is the gimmick of titling the album with his real name and saying that he was finally stepping away from his persona, but Untitled 2014 feels painfully raw and real. Whatever happens from now on – after all the members of Bigbang enlist and eventually return to music – this album and this song will be a milestone in his career, and the perfect summary of what he’s done in the past eleven years. Live: ACT III M.O.T.T.E in Taipei 08/10 Other songs of note: Bullshit

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21. Change Up – Seventeen

You could take any random combination of Seventeen members and they would be able to put up an incredible show for you. This has been proven over and over by them, but I think that the Change Up subunit – the leaders of the standard subunits – has proven this definitively. I wouldn’t have thought of this song for them in a million years, yet they perform it convincingly and make it the catchiest Seventeen song of this year. Also, who knew that Woozi could have such swagger? Live: Mnet showcase Other songs of note: Don’t Wanna Cry – Clap – Habit – Rocket

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20. Rollin’ – Brave Girls

Every time I say “tropical house”, I add “drink!”. It has been so omnipresent in k-pop this year that it has been impossible to avoid. I skipped over Rollin’ the first few times I stumbled upon it because there were enough marimbas in my life, but I gave into the hype and this ended up being one of the most played songs of my year. As of last year, Brave Girls have an entirely new line-up – and yes, they did deserve a new name – and I hope that they will be the new bastion of sexy concepts now that there is no real mid-point between Laysha and cute concepts. Live: M Countdown 03/09 – Show Champion Ep. 219

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19. Never – Produce 101/Wanna One

This technically doesn’t count as a Wanna One song, but I’m pretty sure that if there is a song that symbolizes Produce 101 and the rise of the nation’s boy group, it’s Never . Written by Hui of Pentagon, another of my favourite groups, this song starts quietly, and slowly adds more elements until it gets to one of the best chorus drops of 2017. It made me wish that they had kept it for the final group instead of using it during the programme, and I wasn’t surprised at all when it was re-recorded by the final formation. Live: Wanna One version at KCON LA Other songs of note: Energetic – Burn It Up

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18. Singing In The Rain – Jinsoul (LOONA)

Looking at the sheer amount of material that pre-debut group Loona have released this year gives me palpitations. A million members and subunits filled each month of 2017, and almost all the releases have been excellent – overall, they probably were the best group of the year. Jinsoul’s Singing In The Rain was my favourite song released – not by far, though, seeing the overall quality. I was especially impressed with how they managed to have Jinsoul sing and rap seamlessly, and how the song manages to be sexy without being inappropriate for a very young girl. And, of course, it’s a banger. Other songs of note: Loona released dozens of songs this year, so this is just a tiny selection of my favourites. Eclipse (Kim Lip) – new (Yves) – Sweet Crazy Love (Odd Eye Circle) – Loonatic (Odd Eye Circle) – Sonatine (1/3)

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17. Body Talk – Red Velvet

To me, this is one of the best songs by Red Velvet ever. Only a company like SM could waste it and have it relegated to the b-sides of their mini albums; it’s a fantastic mid-tempo track that showcases the best vocal skills of the group, and allows them to sound about fifteen years older than title track Rookie. At least, in the arc of their three thousand 2017 comebacks, they managed to go from the childish image that they had patented in 2016 to the sultrier “velvet” image they have abandoned ages ago, even if it’s still paired with a “red” song. Other songs of note: Peek-A-Boo – Red Flavour – You Better Know – Would You – Talk To Me

16. Circle’s Dream – Subin (Dalshabet)

Dalshabet haven’t had the best luck in their career. Subin is yet another amazing soloist that was in a group when she released a song, and has now left the label and disbanded her girl group. Seeing her solo by itself, it’s actually had to imagine her as part of bubbly Dalshabet: she is sensual, allusive, and her music is weird and enthralling. I love her voice and I love the ideas she has for herself – ideas that are far removed from traditional k-pop. The elements of this song are few, but she manages to create such a clever repetitive, circular structure with them, echoing the themes of the lyrics and capturing the listener. Subin is technically a solo artist now, so I am hoping we will get to hear much more of this.

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15. Yes No Maybe – Suzy

What makes me mad about Yes No Maybe is that nobody heard it. I can’t imagine how well it would have done if the now officially defunct Miss A would have released it, instead of Suzy now that her popularity is entirely tied to her acting and advertising career. It’s also true that she has always been my favourite Miss A, so it was delightful to see her come out with a debut album that does something interesting and doesn’t package her as the sexy ingenue character that she’s had since the beginning of time. Yes No Maybe strikes the balance between being Latin, dancey song and a more introspective pop piece. Unlike half of her former group, Suzy has signed a new contract with JYP. Here’s hoping she gets to do more excellent, slightly left-field pop music. Live: &Live

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14. A Girl Like Me – Gugudan

It is still surprising that I don’t find the awkward beeping samples in the song insufferable, but the truth is that I love the weirdness and how it’s amplified by the singing parts. I already knew in February that this would be one of my favourite concepts of the year, and it is: there aren’t enough songs about how great the girls are, as opposed to their love interest. It’s not female empowerment, but I have the feeling we can’t get much closer. I love it even more considering how terrible their following comeback was . Live: Music Bank 03/03 – SBS Korea Music Festival

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13. Island – Winner

It goes without saying that Winner is my favourite group in current k-pop, and they can hardly do any wrong in my eyes. However, this entire year could have been a disaster: they had to come back from losing a member who was the main singer and composer for the group. Island has the tropical (drink!) elements of their 2017 hit Really Really, but it’s a bit less conventional, and the video is delightful and incredibly romantic. Live: Inkigayo 06/08 Other songs of note: Really Really

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12. As If It’s Your Last – BLACKPINK

While I find most complaints against YG idiotic, it is absolutely true that having Blackpink release one single song in an entire year is ridiculous. The only good thing is that the song was brilliant, and I’m still not bored of it after having seen it performed at least fifty times. When it came out I found it really frankensteiny, but at this point the structure seems perfectly reasonable and linear to me (Stockholm syndrome at its best). Live: SBS Gayo Daejun – Show Music Core 01/07 Other songs of note: So Hot (Wonder Girls remix)

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11. Cactus – A.C.E

Every year I end up falling in love with one rookie group that will probably not see their third birthday, and in 2017 it was the turn of kings of thighs A.C.E., who singlehandedly resurrected early 90’s eurodance with their debut single Cactus . It was the one of a kind title of their song that attracted me, the weirdness of the thigh dance that drew me in, and everything else that made me stay. They are great singers, charismatic performers and can stand the most high-intensity dance of 2017 without blinking. I am so attached to A.C.E (and Dreamcatcher, full disclosure) that I broke my promise to never watch a survival show again and I am following Mixnine for them. Live: Music Bank 02/06 – Music Bank 26/05

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10. Dinosaur – AKMU

What I love about AKMU is that when they try different genres, they always put so much of them into the song: nobody else could sing Dinosaur apart from them. It’s so simple, yet so full of detail; it’s true that it has EDM elements, but it’s not even remotely a club song. I’m still shocked every time I hear Suhyun hit those dolphin-high notes. The Stranger-Things-y video is still one of the most beautiful releases of this year. Live: Dingo Music Other songs of note: My Darling – Reality

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9. Beautiful – Monsta X

This is yet another song of a overcrowded production that I am totally in love with. The bleeps and bloops leave plenty of space for the members to show their skill – especially Kihyun, who could sing literally anything to me at this point. Just like All In , Beautiful feels like the refined version of the chaotic, loud concepts Monsta X began with. There are raps and aggressive parts, but they are striving for a higher concept than “street urchins” now, and it’s reflected in their music. Live: 2017 MAMA in Japan – Show Champion Ep. 226 Other songs of note: Dramarama – Now or Never – Shine Forever – I’ll Be There

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8. Runaway – Pentagon

Pentagon have already done a lot for being a group that has debuted just over a year ago. Of all these releases, Runaway is my favourite without any doubt: for me it strikes the right balance between the trendy elements that Hui has been carrying over from his Produce 101 successes, and the rougher concepts that Pentagon had to begin with. I find it hooky without being too in your face, and moody without being full-on tragic. Live: Inkigayo 03/12 – Inkigayo 26/11 Other songs of note: Critical Beauty – Violet – Like This – Get That Drink

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7. Boy – EXID

EXID are my everything. I feel bad for choosing Boy as my favourite song they’ve produced this year, when Night Rather Than Day was such a classy, unusual choice for them and Boy is just another dance song. Unfortunately, it’s just monstrously catchy, and my love for it eclipses (get it?) everything else they’ve released. Live: M Countdown 13/04 – Show Champion ep. 224 Other songs of note: Night Rather Than Day – DDD

6. Chase Me – Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher are my rookies of the year. After scrapping the cute concept and adding a couple of members, they spent twelve months delivering a series of metal-inspired, horror-themed comebacks that managed to showcase the members’ talents. While all their singles are amazing, there is something special about Chase Me and its chorus, mixing hammering instrumentals and creepy falsettos. There is no doubt that the only way from here is up, and there is nothing gives me as much joy as a girl group with a non-cute concept being (relatively) successful. Much bigger groups and bigger companies have refrained from embarking on international tours but Dreamcatcher have left survival show Mixnine to go on one. I can’t wait to see what these queens do in 2018. Live: M Countdown 19/01 – Music Bank 03/02 Other songs of note: Fly High – Wake Up – Sleep Walking – Good Night – Lucky Strike (Maroon 5 cover)

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5. Love & Affection – Seohyun

Seohyun’s solo came and went almost unnoticed at the beginning of this year: it was smothered by Taeyeon’s releases and the inevitable run-up to SNSD’s tenth anniversary. It really saddens me to no end that, now that Seohyun has left SM Entertainment, she seems to be going for an acting career, when she is such an amazing vocalist with such unique colours. With even her lead single receiving little attention, there was no hope for her b-sides. But Love & Affection is a masterpiece, with a booming chorus and a surprise ending, and what I hope to see if she ever decides to make more music under her new label.

4. I Would – DAY6

There is only one criticism that I have for JYP and DAY6: there must be something else they want to do that’s not singing about love and heartbreak in pretty conventional ways. For the rest, there are only good things to say about the 25 songs they put out this year. It was hard to pick just one song to put in the list, and to be honest there are two or three other candidates I feel kind of guilty for cutting out. Live: EBS Space 11/05 – Kiss The Radio 04/08 Other songs of note: DAY6 released 25 songs this year, so this is just a tiny selection of my favourites. Goodbye Winter – You Were Beautiful – How Can I Say – I Wait – Lean On Me

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3. Good Thing – NCT 127

Despite the complete chaos that surrounds NCT at all times, I keep loving most of their releases (except Cherry Bomb , which I hated): they were my #1 and #3 most played song on Spotify with Good Thing and Limitless respectively. I love Good Thing in itself, but I also wish that NCT didn’t keep circling around that pseudo hip-hop, trappy, appropriative concept they’ve been given a million times and they did something brighter, poppier, that sets them apart from the three hundred hip-hop concepts that are going around without slipping into Astro territory. Live: M Countdown 05/01 – Show Music Core 07/01 Other songs of note: Limitless – 0 Mile – Back 2 U (AM 01:27)

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2. Tendae – Bobby

In an excruciatingly adorable interview for MTV Japan, Bobby says that with his debut album he wanted to show that he can do more than rap, and reveal his romantic side. I had already become obsessed with Bobby’s sing-rapping a long time ago, so Love And Fall gave be nothing but joy. His lyrics show that he’s capable of putting complex emotions in words, and most of all he is also completely able to translate that in his singing. 텐데 is sweet, heartbreaking, sexy. Bobby is one of the best performers of his generation, if not the best. Other songs of note: Runaway – In Love

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1. Gashina – Sunmi

If there is one thing that Sunmi has taught us this year, it’s that there is a life after girl group disbandments. She came back singing about heartbreak and vengeance with dark humour and double entendres, a super-sexy choreography and a vibe that couldn’t be more far from the current sugary girl group trends. Everything about Gashina is iconic, from the song itself to the lyrics to the costumes to the choreography. Sunmi was without any doubt the queen of 2017. Live: Inkigayo 10/09 aka the iconic genderswapped performance – MAMA 2017 ft Taemin – Inkigayo 27/08

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florenceisnottrash · 7 years ago

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10 reasons to stan The Rose

I can’t be the only one that’s been completely obsessed and mesmerized by The Rose since the day they debuted with “Sorry”. Such a strong debut! Since then, I can’t get enough of them and decided to be the one to make content about them since there isn’t much at the moment considering they’ve only debuted in august of this year.

Be prepared to fall in love with those 4 dorks and lovely band, enjoy!

A/N: expect a lot of woosung cause goddamn he keeps posting stories on instagram where he kisses plushies and I die a bit more inside everytime. why u do dis to mi woosung?

Let’s start with some basic info about the band! They’ve debuted on august 3rd under J&Star entertainment as a rock band consisting of 4 members : Woosung, Dojoon, Hajoon and Jaehyeong. Woosung once said that their group name “The Rose” is named this way “to show that there’s music that coexist between the flower and the sharpness of the torns” (How poetic is that, 11/10 would already stan at this point). If you are like me, which is a complet trash about The Rose, well well wel,l you can call yourself Black Rose as it stands for the fandom name!

The Rose Official Accounts : Fan Cafe: TheRose_JNSTAR Twitter: @TheRose_JNSTAR Instagram: therose_jnstar Facebook: @bandtherose YouTube: theroseofficial (Woosung’s personal account is iwoosung where he covers songs)

1- Woosung’s aethetic on instagram

Woosung once said that if his career as a singer had not worked out, he would’ve become a interior designer (Coco’s vlog). And oh god would I let him decorate my house because he is SO TALENTED, he posted some picture of his room on his ig and it’s absolutely gorgeous! While you are going through his instagram wondering how can someone with such a great smile exists on the same planet as you, follow him and show a lot of love! (I’ll take more in depth about instagram on the last reason)

a gif of Woosung’s smile would certainly not hurt anyone right ;)

2- Hajoon’s cute laugh asdfghjkl

I’m a hugeeee sucker for cute laugh because…. Who doesn’t love seeing their faves being all happy and giggly???

He has the kind of laugh that makes you laugh as well, like it’s so contagious i’m extremely soft even while thinking about it. I don’t have a video to prove my point but in every vlive you’ll find him laugh for sure with his chubby cheeks i really can’t he’s too cute bye.

cute Hajoon at your service. Be delighted.

3- The habitual roses they bring on every stage

Ok.

OK.

I’ve never seen anything like that and I find it so clever and original! On their wrists or on their mic, they never forget to attach a rose to show their love and respect for their fandom during performences. It’s not much, but this simple and sweet habit can genuinely make a fandom proud and loved. My lovely The Rose, We don’t deserve your love.

They even have their own “colors of roses” for each members. Wousung is a white rose, which signifies purety (I’m sorry I have so much unpure thought about him while he claims to be pure I don’t deserve to stan). Dojoon is red for passion. Hajoon is blue to express miracle and Jaehyeong is pink for romance ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) hehehehe yes dear.

We can see the roses I was talking about here!

I CANT CONTAIN MY ATTRACTION TO JAEHYEONG SOMEONE COME COLLECT ME

4- They can speak english

International fans! You can stan them without hesitating! They talk in english a whole lot on their vlive and such, you won’t miss out on any inside jokes, cute comments or info! How cool is that?! Woosug used to live in the US and Dojoon lived in New-Zealand for 5 years! Jaehyeong is also making a lot of effort by talking in his cute engrish and Hajoon is as well. They even have english name: Woosung is Sammy, Dojoon is Leo, Hajoon is Dylan and Jaehyeong is Jeff.

5- Their friendship with other idols

I was so surprised when I watched a vlive of The Rose and Woosung got a call from Jae of Day6 to ask them to sing their fav Day6 song, but I should’ve known since a lot of idols that lived in the US became friends in Korea. They are close to Day6, KARD and Hajoon is friend with Chahun and Jaehyun from N.Flying (Expect a post about them soon btw). Woosung is also close with Coco from CocoSri, we can often see them together in her vlogs on her YouTube chanel and I low-key ship them hard lol.

Me: *types furiously on keyboard “How to become a dog”*

Coco is extremely pretty I ship a king and a queen

6- Jaehyeong is so fkg beautiful how is it even possible? Scientist can’t tell

Is there a need to add anything more?? I don’t think so

stob it please

bye i died.

7- Jaehyeong ideal type is realistic

I’m kind of fed up with idols always describing their ideal type as a cute and skinny girl with big round eyes and a sweet and calm personality. I know it’s cultural and I shouldn’t judge, I know. But when idols differ from the usual ideal type, it makes me really happy as a women.

Jae describes his ideal type as someone who stares a lot at him (lol hi) from afar and with a lot of cheek fat! He also wants someone that he can talk freely to about anything and understanding. How chill! I stan and ult the right men.

Who fits in his ideal type???

8- Dojoon voice in “like we used to”

I get goosepumps EVERY FKG TIME. It’s just… so… wow? I don’t now what to say more? I’m sure people who listened to it can understand. It’s like magic mixed with more magic and really can’t describe it. Make sure to watch the MV and cry like I did.

And he’s cute

Like we used to M/V - The Rose

CUTE

HANDSOME

9- Incredible acting skills lol

I legit broke down crying and my lungs were rolling on the floor when Jaehyeong told us about what happen in an enterview with pops in seoul. Hajoon, Dojoon and Jaehyeong all appeared in a drama called “entertainer”, it was bigs roles, but still it could at least give them some screen time and exposure. WHAT IS FUNNY is that the one and only line of Jae was cut out of the drama and he’s still self-conscious about it. Like in the enterview, the guys made him say his line THAT WAS LIKE 3 WORDS LONG and after he said it, all members were poker faced and Jae said: “Thats why it was cut out lol”.

Go watch the enterview I was rolling on the floor.

The enterview is here.

10- THEY ALL HAVE INSTAGRAM YESSSSS

For your daily dose of cuteness, talent and beauty, go follow them on instagram!

Woosung: @ iwoosung

Dojoon: @ Parclassic

Hajoon: @ l_hajoon

Jaehyeong: @ qud0011

BONUS - THEY. ARE. ALWAYS. EXPOSING. THEIR. CHEST.

At this rate, their fans will all be DEAD so they better keep their chest covered because my nose is bleeding and I can’t continue like that fuck.

RUDE

RUDE AF

ROOOOOOOOOOOD my chubby boy

BONUS 2 - THIS FUCKING LOOK # Snacks

(You thought it was over right? hell no I have more love to share)

THIS V NECK WITH HIS BLACK HAIR STYLED BACK

CAN YOU SEE WOOSUNG IN THE BACK?? THIS HAIR OH GOD DELIVER ONTO ME THE SWEET RELEASE OF DEATH I CRAVE. AND THIS LEATHER JACKET?????!!!! STOP

This is before… and now the after…

BYE.

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fyeahkard · 7 years ago

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Is KARD Breaking K-pop? The Wild KARD Tour in San Francisco

KARD is unique in many ways. They’re finding unprecedented popularity for a co-ed group but that’s not the only reason they’re so much unlike any other K-pop act. While co-ed groups have existed before — to varying degrees of success — and will likely continue to show up here and there, none of them have resembled the marketing strategy of KARD. It’s becoming clear that no K-pop act in history has rivaled KARD in its ambitious overseas marketing at such an early stage in a group’s career. Which raises the questions: Is KARD breaking K-pop? That is, has their avant garde marketing strategy struck such a nerve with K-pop fans that it begs to be replicated?

Promoting overseas isn’t a trait that’s specific to KARD alone. In fact, many groups during what’s considered the Golden Age of K-pop (2009-2012) focused heavily on overseas promotions, specifically in Japan. Ever since the decline of the Hallyu wave in Japan, and more recently in China, K-pop groups have returned much of their focus onto the domestic market. However, KARD is doing the exact opposite. Instead of focusing on Korea, they’ve put much of their efforts into appealing to fans overseas. And instead of treading into the usual K-pop stomping grounds of East and Southeast Asia, KARD turned its attention to the West.

The Wild KARD Tour in San Francisco marked the group’s final stop in the US and it’s just one of a litany of stops since the group started touring in early May, which at the time was less than six months since the release of their first single. Over the course of the following five months, the group performed in countless cities across the Western hemisphere, making multiple stops throughout North America, South America, and Europe. During this time, KARD also made their official Korean debut with “Hola Hola” by performing for the first time on music shows. This video from Popsori does a good job of summarizing KARD’s rise in international fame.

Hats off to the people at DSP Media who clearly thought outside of the box in their promotional strategy with KARD. Having cashed in heavily on Kara’s run as arguably the most popular K-pop girl group in Japan, DSP understands the importance of overseas promotions. In fact, KARD member Somin first debuted as a member of Puretty, a girl group that promoted only in Japan and never debutted in Korea before disbanding. I wrote back in January that I thought this company was in serious trouble given the lack of revenue-generators on their roster after the departure of Kara and Rainbow, but they have truly hit a home run with KARD as the group is undoubtedly bringing in immediate profits in just their first year active.

As a matter of fact, interest towards this group seemed to be at an all-time high when I stepped into a sold-out venue for the show. Every single seat in the theater was occupied, and I mean that literally because every ticket came with a seat. I thought it was an interesting choice to have actual seats at the front of the stage. I’m not sure if that served an actual purpose though because those seats went mostly unused once KARD took the stage.

Before we get into the show, let’s talk about KARD’s music because I hear people say that it all sounds the same but not in a bad way. I have to agree with that assessment because, among their four singles to date, they all share a very similar structure and sound. They’re also made by the same group of producers behind the scenes so solidifying this sound was very much intentional as it capitalizes on the tropical house trend that’s been everywhere in K-pop lately, perhaps best punctuated by the commercial success of Winner’s “Really Really.”

KARD appeals to international fans in several ways and one of them is by using English in their songs. Opening the show with the English version of “Don’t Recall,” KARD shows right away that they care far more about the international fandom than anyone else. Unlike other groups which tend to treat international fans as secondary, KARD’s marketing strategy has put international fans first and, as evident, international fans have returned their love in droves.

Another reason international fans are drawn to KARD is because the members show that they’re just like us. Following the first set of songs was a variety segment where the members each went around answering fan-submitted questions. One of the more memorable responses was when the group was asked what concerts each member has been to. The two clear-cut answers were FNC Kingdom and AOMG. This was rather fascinating because you rarely hear K-pop idols discuss other K-pop acts, much less attend the family concerts of competing agencies. This aspect resonates with international fans who are largely multi-fandom, and so it’s refreshing to hear that idols are also fans of multiple K-pop artists. In doing so, it undercuts the stereotype that K-pop fans must be loyal to a single fandom. It counteracts the rabid fan culture of stanning your bias and adheres to a more level-headed appreciation for the music and performances.

A second reason for the group’s international success is that the marketing appeals to both genders. As the night went on, the group performed various covers of English songs and played variety games which included the participation of a few lucky fans. Another memorable moment was when the MC, Danny Lim, pointed out that there was a fair amount of male and female fans in attendance which is actually quite a rarity at most K-pop events. He’s hinting at the heteronormativity of the marketing strategy behind most K-pop groups, where male groups are marketed to female fans and vice versa. In the case of KARD, that heteronormativity is still very much in play but it’s being deployed on both male and female fans simultaneously. That’s likely the biggest draw with KARD; they attract both genders equally and so they bring in twice the number of fans. The math is undeniable.

As the group performed their final set of songs and an encore, I couldn’t help but think what a long journey this has been for KARD. It’s been roughly ten months since anyone has even heard of the group and they have already held packed concerts in close to 20 cities throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Amsterdam. That’s more concerts held in the West than what even the most successful of K-pop groups ever dare to attempt over the course of their careers, and all of this occurred over the course of five months!

This brings me back to my original question: Is KARD breaking K-pop? It remains to be seen if other companies can successfully replicate this formula. There are many factors which stand out but the most significant features of this group comes down to: 1) They are a co-ed group which appeals to both genders simultaneously, 2) they draw their fanbase from international fans in the Western hemisphere, and most importantly, 3) they tour feverishly in places that do not traditionally attract a ton of K-pop acts. If this business model continues to find success, other companies will start taking notice and the future of K-pop will look noticeably different.

For once, K-pop fans residing in in the Western hemisphere don’t feel like we’re being ignored and that is likely the single biggest driver of KARD’s success. They’re showing that there is a viable K-pop market here and that other companies would be making a mistake to continue to ignore it. In that sense, I believe this group has broken through the K-pop industry’s traditional business model — of marketing mostly at home and to countries in Asia — by pioneering a new marketing strategy that has allowed the group to gain an inordinate amount of exposure to Western audiences.

via seoulbeats

#kard #k.a.r.d #t:article

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smengus · 7 years ago

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favorite kpop songs of 2017 from a fan who got into kpop the beginning of this year

aye!! 2018 is almost here, and i have been DYING to make a favorite songs/mvs in kpop of this year thing. it has been a fucking ride let me tell you.... first things first, just to celebrate this year and give myself some leeway, there will be 17 songs!! and they are in no particular order!! i am not a favorites person, i have too much love in my pitiful heart.... anyway, lets start!!

17. movie - btob (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42A-rFdralM) there are many things i love about this song. i got into kpop quite literally the very beginning of this year, and thats wild, but this song was one of the first of many i had heard, and didnt know much about then but love now. i specifically remember going through that one hot 100 kpop song playlist on youtube and finding this one, and instantly love it. its one of the classics of this years, and def opened my mind to a lot more.

love’s like a movie~

16. really really - winner (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tBnF46ybZk) ohhhhh my god i could go on and on about this song. out of all the wonderful kpop songs weve been blessed with this year, this is the one that’s consistently stuck, and everyone knows it. its just that song. the music video is gorgeous and diverse but so simplistic with the black and white. dare i say its iconic; all of it.

널 좋아해~

15. rookie/red flavor/peek-a-boo - red velvet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0h8-OTC38I) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyiIGEHQP8o) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uJf2IT2Zh8) ok, so yall are gonna hate me for literally putting all of their 2017 title tracks but oh my god... every single comeback they had this year was amazing, and id feel like id be playing someone if i just chose one or the other. like most sm groups, its not hard to absolutely love all of their songs. but in terms of aesthetic, sound, and all around look, red velvet killed it this year. so there. hope yall are satisfied with this.

peek a booooo~

14. fine - taeyeon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHXUM-6a3dU) to keep this b/b/g/g pattern going, im choosing this one next and dear lord. this is another song id heard in the very beginning, and i was... frankly i was shocked. like, btob was surprising, but it was what i expected it be: boy group, fun, catchy, etc., but with taeyeon... god, her voice and the whole video... i was tearing up, not gonna lie. the lyrics especially got to me. its been in most of my playlists consistently this year, and i cant say the rest of the album isnt a must listen, just a recommendation from me personally.

its not fine~

13. dramarama - monsta x (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1afdZk0qcI)

ok, i had a hard time on this one. its common knowledge they went through 3 major comebacks this year, all of which were amazing, but originally, beautiful is what stuck with me. i love the heck out of that song. then dramarama dropped a little over a month ago and... lets just say thats what convinced me to finally start stanning them for real. i have a thing for story driven music videos (bonus points if the story is actually mad good), so combine that with the absolutely amazing song and choreography, and you get their best comeback yet. honestly, it was so good, i urge yall to check it out if you havent.

dramama ramama ramama hey~

12. cherry bomb - nct 127 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkuHLzMMTZM)

this song... THIS SONG... oh my god. i dont have an in depth discussion over the music video or the song or any of it but good lord... if youve heard it you know what im talking about. its another one of THOSE songs. its too bad it was generally slept on, but god... can i add i also love the choreography??? like a lot???? im the biggest hit on this stage~

11. palette - iu (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9IxdwEFk1c)

yall KNOW i wasnt gonna put this one off any longer. this is also the song that got me to start stanning this wonderful, amazing, beautiful, spectacularly awesome woman. she’s great. and this comeback?? ive easily listened to the whole album about 50+ times. i was going to put ending scene instead since i adore that one too, but this is the one that really stuck out to everyone. aesthetics?? on point. lyrics?? poetic. voice?? like an angel. lmao, i really love iu...

i like it, im 25~

10. as if its your last - blackpink (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amq-qlqbjYA)

ok the best part about this one was... since i was a new baby fan, at the time, the only group i really like, stanned, was bts. but i wasnt shut off from the rest of the music community tho, ofc. thats what im truly into kpop for: the music. so duh, i knew about blackpink and their bops (whistle was a personal favorite of mine). but for some reason, over time, they casually just became another group i was into? like, i knew the names, voices, roles, songs, etc.. so when i heard they were having a summer comeback, while i was free from school no less, i was ecstatic. i rewatched the teaser several times, stayed up and hyped with people online. and it finally dropped and instantly became my favorite song by them. its so goooood. my wife lisa, like, yas baby slay that rap while looking cute af. i love it very much, and im sure other blinks do too.

blackpink in your area~

9. dont wanna cry - seventeen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97cx53Tpp6g)

yeahhh, im not gonna choose their most recent comeback for this one, sorry guys... its a good song, dont get me wrong but! this one is the one lmao. its so fucking beautiful. when i watched the mv for the first time, i was in awe cause the choreo was so good, and so different from what i had seen before, but it went with the song so well. its a very good listen.

울고 싶지 않아~

8. move - taemin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcEyUNeZqmY)

yes. yes. yes. this song??? yes. oh my god. so, this next bit is gonna be a bit sad (to read and to write), but just because an explanation is needed for each of these... im a shawol. i was the second i watched 1 of 1. and god, it still hurts so much to think of what happened? but, this explanation is taemin. so, i was into shinee, period. i knew taemin was a solo artist. i dont know why i wasnt paying close attention to it, but one day move just like, dropped. out of nowhere. and i went ‘where tf...?’ and watched it and OH MY GOD. i cant convey on here well enough, but bitch, i rewatched that shit repeatedly. the song was constantly replayed, and it finally pushed me to take the step and go back and listen to all his other stuff (which i love). its just so... androgynous and he dont give a flying fuck how he looks, dances, or sounds, and i adore it. definitely another THAT song of this year, dear lord.

youve got got the rhythm~

7. 1+1=0 - suran (ft. dean) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA6G74gk6R8)

ok, i was torn over this one. i bet everyone and their mother knows her for her “collab” with my boy suga, if i get drunk today. and YES!! THAT IS AN AMAZING SONG AND IM STILL SO PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM. but bitch, this had dropped sometime whenever, idk when since i dont stan and her, and i saw it on youtube and thought ‘shes the suga girl, i wonder if thisll be good’. i was so surprised when i listened to it. the music video?? snatched. the song?? snatched. wig?? bitch its gone. lets just say, first listen, i had already loved it way more than the song i originally knew her by.

1 plus 1은 0~

6. ddd - exid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axVvZrDz60k)

i put this one off long enough too. and this is obviously a very split opinion. they also dropped night rather than day which i am also 100% over the moon for. but god, i love sexy exid. and that is exactly what this comeback was. sexy, powerful, and aesthetically catchy as hell. (btw, exid is another group i actually stan, so i had been anticipating this one; i watched it while i was at school dusbgukg). so sad solji couldnt physically make it this comeback, but she was in the album, and that was enough for us. still wishing her the best recovery!

덜덜덜덜~

5. dont recall - kard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41Dp7Q-SM1Y)

oh kard. the group that had millions of fans before they even debuted... they gave us many tasty treats this year, all of which were total bops, but dont recall... bruh, its just stuck with me. i still know all the others, but when i think kard i immdiately think the of the legendary beat drop tied with the beautiful mv of dont recall. also another THAT song, no doubt. sorry i dont have much for this one, i dont know much about kard, but this song has personally been a go to of mine for the past many months.

그만해 i dont recall~

4. ko ko bop - exo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdssuxDdqKk)

lmao, you will not catch me in a 10 mile radius even THINKING about power. i drink to forget. its cute and all but... mmmm.... ANYWAY. im gonna be totally honest, i really love their 2016 year in terms of music more than i did this one (lotto, lucky one, monster, etc., etc., etc.,) BUT! out of the comebacks they had this year, i am 100% 10x more into ko ko bop. not gonna lie, i didnt dig it at first listen. but a little later, i tried it again and... hooo boy, what a good song. i dont know anything knowledge based about music or music production, but i know that ko ko bop is a good song. very good.

shimmy shimmy ko ko bop~

3. gashina - sunmi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur0hCdne2-s)

ok. OK! so... yall gonna hate me, but i intentionally put off listening to this for the longest time. why?? i have no clue, its a great song. but i did. so by the time mama 2017 (IK THAT LATE) came around and i found out my boy taemin would be doing a collab stage with sunmi i was like... ‘ok i need to know who this girl is...’ i FINALLY sat my butt down and watched it and BITCH. okokokok, scroll back up, skim that taemin one, and imagine all those feelings, except like, gay. like, instead of thinking it was inspiring, i was just thirsting and being absolutely in love because holy shit everything about the song and the video are perfect????? THE LYRICS THOUGH TOO??? absolute women power i was 100% there for jesus christ. 왜 예쁜 날 두고 가시나~ 2. snow - zion.t (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiGSDywrX1Y) this song made me cry :( straight up, when i first watched it, i cried so much. it got even worse the second go round when i knew the lyrics. its so.... beautiful. im a big fan of zion.t as well, so this was no disappoint for me. i luv it... and fun fact, its my favorite music video ever, kpop or not. im very into cinematography and photography so it was such a treat to watch it. youd have to watch it for yourself to know what i was talking about.

눈이 올까요~

1. anything from bts this year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBdVXkSdhwU << this is dna just cause i dont wanna post 3 songs lol)

yall honest to god probably hate me. ‘we just read this whole list to get a biased, lazy ass answer?!?!’ but hear me out... lmao thats all i got. bts is my ult group, but ult group or not, every single thing they dropped this year was spectacular. truly honest to god, its probably been their best year yet. jk, idk about that, 2015 and 2016 were pretty good. BUT STILL. spring day, not today, dna (lots of ayes), ALL OF IT SO FUCKING GOOD. gosh, i love them...

dna~

well, thats all of them! keep in mind, this is a personal opinion thing, and there many, many, MANY songs of this year i loved, but this is a list and its gotta end somewhere, so i chose the ones that really stood out to ME. this was probably a waste of time, and bet this gets no notes, but in my heart, it was worth it. i love writing and ranting out my thoughts. this was my first year in kpop, and while yes, there were a few devastating and heart breaking moments that im still not fine about, it was good. my friends are gonna hate me, but this is just one of many years to come of me being into this shit. hope next year delivers as good as this one did. happy new years kpop fans!

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kpopgerapitico · 7 years ago

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EOYR 2017: Dance

As a person who is no way qualified to talk about dance, here is a whole post where I get picky about k-pop dances. So this is now a thing. Also, this is LONG, like stupidly long, like holy shit why can’t she get succinct.

Note, there are some qualifiers to this: 1. Unlike last year, there wasn’t a cool show with lots of live performances that were all dance centric and blew all of our collective minds. So only one song listed here is a live performance only. 2. There were some really fun dance practices that I wanted to mention. Some of them even accompany cool dances. 3. A lot of these songs did not make my end of year list for k-pop. It doesn’t mean I don’t like the songs, just that I don’t love them. 4. Only 1 song per artist. 5. My rules include: no one can be standing still for more than a couple seconds, and it has to look cool to me. That’s it. That’s all the rules.

Anyways, let’s start with those fun videos:

Hyuna’s Babe was not to me her best work, on first listen. My mind has changed about it. And while her dance itself is not particularly special for her, it is still on point. What makes the practice video so fun though is her staff, who seem determined to have her break from the badass character she plays on stage to her normal shy self. Via fanchants. It is amazing. Especially the end where she commits to it too.

The onesies trend in dance practices is great. CLC did the cutest version of it this year. Especially when juxtaposed against the banger Hobgoblin. You can’t help but grin, especially as they do the chorus, with its much harder hitting moves, or they constantly fight to keep the heads of their animals on their heads.

While Dingo music has a bunch of ways that they make lives more interesting (I’m partial to cooking live). There first attempt at a dance practice is pretty great too. And they get to take a very good dance to a very good song and make SF9 look like idiots. I’m partial to the full hanbok look, or maybe the matador. And it is O Sole Mio, with multiple changes, that still manages to look super cool.

The minute and a half before the song actually starts in the dance practice of Seventeen’s Clap is the best part of the dance practice. I don’t even need to speak Korean to understand most of the things being said. By far the best part is them realizing Vernon isn’t there, yelling for him, and having him walk in with headphones looking totally out of place. I get that he is faking it, but I also don’t care, because at least half of them lose it at his face. Oh, and there is a Seventeen level dance after, full of fun and lots of synchronization.

And now, for my single live performance. While Mnet absolutely murdered the filming of Shape of You, it is easily the best thing to come out of Produce 101 season 2 filming. The choreo is so damn good, that it doesn’t look like it was made by an idol, it looks like a professional choreographer spent hours on it. Also, I’m partial to anything that isolates movement in parts of the body, so all of the rhythmic stuff I just adore.

Finally, I looked at lots of dance practice videos, and chose some of the best and brightest. Or you know, the ones that looked cool . . .

Bottom 5:

I couldn’t mention dances this year without mentioning KARD, who put their mixed composition to such good use. I love the mirror image stuff they do across the center, as well as the different parts for the girls and guys. It works so damn well, especially in the choruses, where the differences disappear.

Ten is super young, but is already looking like he will take over SM’s dance line. I can see the youth in Dream in a Dream, where he is vibrant in his movement. And the backup dancers are working their butts off. I think he still has a way to go with some more subtlety in his movements, but for now, the drama is absolutely there.

Best props goes to VIXX, which in no way surprises literally anyone who saw the choreography for Shangri-la. I am still surprised that this song didn’t get much recognition, if only for the beautiful stage outfits that often accompanied the fans. It is super creative, and such a nice use of an accessory.

Speaking of props, Brave Girls also did a great job with the classic stage chair. I would not be brave enough to do their chair dance at all. Every time I watch the dance for Rollin’, I get super jealous of the core strength all of the girls have. They sit fully in a squat on a small surface and then still dance.

Another group I couldn’t leave out was Gfriend, with my choice of Fingertip. It is the only Gfriend song that I moderately like, and just like all of their songs, their dance is absolutely on point. It is exactly the best of what you expect a k-pop dance to be: so in-sync that you cannot tell if any of the members have made a mistake. Fingertip is another great example of this.

Top 5:

In 5th, we have the first influence of 1Million, a dance studio in Korea that has just in the last year really gained popularity. In fact, they got some idols, for their debut track. So the choreography of ACE’s Cactus is just a little bit harder than many idols have to deal with, and just a little bit more trendy. The resulting dance is damn impressive, especially for rookies.

In 4th is the dance practice that made everyone very very very thirsty. And no one can blame anyone except EXO’s choreographer. Not that literally anyone is complaining about The Eve. It is a song that depends on the members having mastered a body roll. Most of them do this successfully, and those who don’t, well we all still love them very much (poor Chanyeol . . . and you can’t even see Baekhyun try, since he is stuck in the back). Also the song is good? Like why wasn’t this the comeback? (I get it, Ko Ko Bop got chosen for reasons).

Moving on to another 1Million entry is the effortless Yacht from Jay Park. It would be so easy for him to get shown up by all these professional dancers, but instead, Jay Park carries it with loose muscles, lots and lots of practice, a just a little bit a humor at his own mistakes. The practice videos for him learning choreography with 1Million are almost as great as the dances themselves, which are the kind of effortless cool that Jay Park seems to be made of.

I couldn’t make a list and not include at least one of the dances that was a craze of variety shows, as idols and entertainers alike tried their best to be Sunmi. Because everyone wanted to make a finger gun a pretend to be a badass. But there is nothing like the original, who absolutely kills a dance that is entirely about attitude. Add to that a killer best, and there is a recipe for greatness.

Finally, is a group who I would never have guessed would hold such a high spot, if you told me before I watched the choreography for this song. The reality of Tomorrow, Today from JJ Project begs to differ. It is hard enough to dance in perfect harmony (see Gfriend), but to switch back in forth from mirroring choreography and matching choreography is insane. I can’t even imagine how you practice it together, because you are doing the same thing, but absolutely not the same thing. You can’t practice in the mirror, but have to practice facing each other, especially since so much of the choreography is done in that position. It breaks me in the best way. SUCH GOOD DANCE!!!

#eoyr 2017 #dance

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