#and korea has a bad bad track record

[khaotunng]

Oh nooo she’s not a good person!! She is manipulating them! She’s a terrible person exploiting the fact he is depressed and the entire family is in shambles!

I DARE YOU TO FIND A MORE COMPELLING STORYLINE. give me messy evil people I don’t need a morality lesson. Especially when until now she hasn’t harmed the family in any way

[thanosscross]

Better as team - Pre Squid game!Choi Su-Bong/Thanos x reader

Summary: In Thanos fashion of being different, he managed to pull one of the biggest rappers in America and UK, despite his very odd and unhinged behavior, upcoming singer/rapper Y/n has no issue sharing the spotlight with her boyfriend

Warnings: None really other than Thanos's drug use, just some funny sweet pre games! Thanos! <3

A/n: So I had to take a different approach because Thanos doesn't really have any songs by the character, so I took a route with some of T.O.P's music, making Nam-Gyu this universe's G-dragon for some songs, so let me know what you think <3

Long distance was hard, especially whenever your fiancée lived in Korea currently, even if you moved everything of yours in his house, you were still forced to be in America or part of the United kingdom most of the time touring, recording, or filming. You never knew how to fix it until Su-Bong decided to step into the rap game himself, you were happy to support him, even collaborating with him on a lot of your songs, even if it was just back-up vocals.

Your fans were quick to fall in love with Thanos in the same way you did, but they didn't see the sweet vulnerable of him, only a few thousand of your friends saw the true Thanos, and that was at his first show with you.

As the giant props slid open revealing you and Thanos you were immediately shocked by how loud the screaming truly was, You jumped off the platform, starting to sing along with the track that played in your ear piece, as you heard Thanos rap his verse, you noticed he was still on the platform, holding onto the railing tightly. The entire show Thanos was glued to you on stage, either holding your hand, or just being near you. The more you preformed though, the more Su-bong found his groove on stage, allowing you both to have a lot more freedom and fun on stage as you sung with him.

You had just released your first single for the year, it wasn't your best work, but your fans seemed to like it a lot, including your fiancée. So as you preformed it on stage, following your choreography that you practiced hours beforehand, You shoved your finger to Thanos's chest as you rapped your verse, once you ended it and the instrumental played for a moment you walked away, pointing towards the camera blowing it a kiss before Thanos quickly picking you up running down to the end of the stage smiling "No! Thanos!" You shouted holding onto him "Take care of my girl!" He shouted before gently handing you over to crowd surf, you squealed, nervous about falling and being swarmed, Thanos watched closely as he starting rapping his verse, following you along on the stage "Alright give me her back! You're gonna hurt her!" Thanos jokingly shouted reaching out into the crowd, you thanked everybody as they helped you over the barrier, back on stage.

Once Thanos started making his own singles, it made everything a new type of fun. He had multiple, Doom Dada, Turn it up, Knock out, and Zutter, some that you'd occasionally have verses in, others were solely Thanos, others he had his friend sing with him, and you couldn't be more proud of him. As you stood on the platform you smiled at your fiancée watching him rap, with his friend, hearing the familiar lyrics to Zutter you swayed your hips to Su-Bong's, as much as he annoyed you, he was always hot on stage, his bad boy act he did was always adorable. As he continued moving his hand along with his words he made his way to you, bringing you over with him to the center of the stage, basically using you as his back up dancer, you laughed at him glancing at his friend who just laughing sticking his tongue out to motion he had taken his stupid cross necklace with him to the concert. As you held his hand you mimicked the dancer who was a few feet in front of you with Nam-Gyu, bending at the waist and swaying your hips, Thanos just smirked, it making him even cockier if ever possible. As you spun around to get in line with the others to blend out of the dance, Thanos just pulled you close to him as he squatted down to rap to some of the girls up front against the barricades. You wanted to strangle him, but instead just continued until the song ended, Nam-Gyu going backstage while his next single came on, you walked around, purposely trying to match the moves your chorographers showed you to 'compliment' each other during verses and songs.

As you finished your show, you felt as if you were going to pass out, saving your most upbeat songs for the very end was a mistake, You laid on the stage floor, the curtain had been closed for awhile, the fans all funneled out not long ago, but the floor was so cool against your face "Sunflower, What're you doing on the floor?" Thanos asked approaching you with your coat "I'm so hot, and so tired" You groaned, not wanting to move yet, Thanos just sighed pulling you to your feet raising his eyebrows as your head fell back in exhaustion "I wanna go home" You groaned smacking his side playfully, he just laughed wrapping your coat around your shoulders along with his arm, leading you out to the tour bus "Come on, we can sleep in here, until we get to the hotel" He offered shutting and locking the door after you walked in, you nodded, crawling into the bed placed in the back of the tour bus, Su-bong not far behind.

Your California shows were even more exhilarating, because of your and your boyfriend's hometowns, your guy's music reached to all different areas of the world, making you both known internationally. As you stood on the stage you stood in shock at how huge the arena was "I think this might be our biggest show, Baby" You stated noticing your purple haired boyfriend making his way to the stage floor "Holy shit!" He shouted, spinning around, his little rapper heart exploding at just the size of the place, not to mention that you were sold out, so they were all there for you and him. You smiled walking over to him giggling "We still have mic check" You reminded, he just turned pulling you closer to his body "This is fucking amazing" He whispered pressing his lips to yours, you happily kissed back, never noticing your other band mate walking out "Holy shit, guys!" Nam-Gyu shouted before noticing the both of you "Guys! We have mic check! Not mouth check!" He groaned, going to grab all the microphones from the stage manager.

The show is crazy for you at least, everybody was screaming and singing along, the vibes between the three of you on stage was perfect, everything was going right and you could tell it made the three of you even more pumped. As you jumped around singing along with Thanos to your shared song 'high high', you weren't very open about your sex life, but you had a character to play on stage, using your bisexuality show mainly in your songs. As you got to the chorus you had to hold back a laugh watching Nam-Gyu jump onto Thanos's back as he sang with his friend, Smirking making your way to the edge of the stage, offering your hands to your fans as the boys continued singing. As the show continued you stopped for a moment to breathe "You guys wanna hear my favorite song?" You asked teasingly into your microphone, the crowd screamed loudly in response, Your fiancée's eyes snapping over to yours "Only if Y/n does the chorography right" He replied, his voice deep as he looked up to you through his lashes, you rolled your eyes going to your marker as Knock out started to blare through the speakers. You moved with both boys as they sung, you microphone sitting with your stage manager so you wouldn't risk dropping it. You giggled a bit as you shifted to the left and right quickly with the beat of the music, watching Nam-Gyu make his way to the end of the stage with his verse, as Thanos started up he kept eye contact with you, going along with the track in his ear. You weren't sure what to do for a moment, seeing him going off the dance you rehearsed was confusing, but you quickly got back into it as Nam-gyu made his way back over, following his rehearsed part at least. You kept eye contact as you swayed your hips to your fiancée's verse, Nam-Gyu holding your hand in the air as his hand ghosted over your hips, that was one thing you loved about your fellow bandmate, no matter how much he tried to get with you whenever you first met, he was always respectful of you and your relationship while preforming.

You moved away as the boys moved closer together to sing the end chorus together, as the music cut out, it was replaced by screams, you spun around excitedly before walking between the two smiling before looking at Thanos "You like, baby?" He asked into his mic before the lights cut out and the platform on the stage started to close so you were hidden by the props again. "That was amazing!!" You squealed loudly, Thanos just shook his head laughing before bringing his microphone up "You're still on" He whispered, you gasped, your cheeks heating up in a bright red blush, flipping the switches off and handing it to your manager you hugged both boys tightly "I swear that was our best show yet!" Nam-Gyu shouted excitedly, you nodded in agreement as Thanos kept his arms around you "How about, we go..out and party? As celebration?" He offered, you glanced at Nam-Gyu before you both agreed, making your way to the dressing rooms to change.

After your last show in California, you felt like the three of you just bounced off of each other perfectly, your management even making a statement by getting you a shared house to stay in during breaks from tour. Rushing down the stairs to said home you huffed "Boys! We have promo pictures in an hour! Why aren't you ready!?" You shouted in shock, both boys turned their heads to look at you "We are ready, you're just...overdressed" Thanos offered staring at your baggy jeans and tight as hell tanktop, one of his oversized button ups as a cover-up, one sleeve sitting at your elbow, the other sitting on your shoulder "No, I am dressed for our promo and album cover photoshoot!" You whined, they were starting to piss you off, they had known about this for weeks leading up to it, so why weren't they taking it seriously.

After a very long stare down between your bandmates, they rushed upstairs to change before meeting you outside in the car, apologizing to your driver for the wait, you were on your way to the shoot. You wished you could say it got easier after that, but it didn't, the boys pulling off their own poses they wanted, rather than what the photographer and PR team wanted. As you approached the scene, you manager gave you a pleading look, without the need of saying anything you already understood, they were high and not listening to instructions. "Boys! Let's wrap this up!" You demanded before walking to them, standing on your marker, listening carefully as the photographer told you how to stand with both men. As you stood proudly between them, you sighed as they were still talking behind you about what stunt they should try next at the next show, you turned around, the photographer expecting you to shout, but instead you just gently took both men's hands placing them on your shoulders "Now, shut up please, and look pretty" You stated looking at the camera lenses, your manager just laughed shaking her head "That's y/n, both boys listen to her like a scripture" She whispered to the team behind the cameras, you didn't have much issues after that, the tension quickly fading whenever you got on set with the boys.

While you weren't sure how any of this would end in the future, you were all three sure of one thing, you all worked better as a team, the boys giving you the confidence you need to preform live, and you keeping the boys in line and sane whenever it came to literally anything.

--

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Taglist!!

@acehasmyheart

@private-vampire

@ag022123

@corrdelia

[pommpuriinn]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪. 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉’𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒, 𝑒𝓈𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑜 1

｡𖦹°‧ pairing ｡𖦹°‧ - idol!yeonjun x superstar!oc x idol!jungkook

｡𖦹°‧ synopsis ｡𖦹°‧ - a love triangle between Hollywood’s sweetheart, Korea’s golden maknae, and Gen Z’s IT boy. Estrella is a very busy woman never had time dating with all her photoshoots, movie offers, recording sessions, dance practices, and public appearances. As she’s doing a little world tour promotions for her latest mini album ‘You & Me’, and let’s just say that stop last a little longer and it becomes a little too interesting.

Italics = korean

“We are so happy you stopped by in Australia to promote your new album called ‘You & Me’ out now! Thank you again and what’s next? Where are you heading to next?” The kind morning talk host asked Estrella. “Um…it’s a secret.” Fans in the studio whined wanting to hear new info. “I know! I want to say what’s next, but all Megan is allowing me to say that it’s worth the wait and there will be many opportunities to see me. So don’t miss me too much starrys~” Estrella had a cute pouting face, making starrys cheer even louder. “And to where I’m heading next is Seoul, South Korea. I didn’t think I had such a big fan base over there, but I’m so grateful that they love me so much and want me to promote over there and experience their culture. I’m excited.” Estrella smiled at the thought of experiencing another culture and trying new food along with meeting new people.

“That’s beautiful and I hope you continue having an amazing time during this mini promotion tour. Once again please listen to Estrella’s new album ‘You & Me’! And don’t go any where Estrella will also be performing her title track ‘Eleven’ after this commercial break.” Estrella was mimicking the talk host’s action making the audience laugh, but was all light hearted because once the talk host took notice Estrella giggles and pulls her into a hug. “We’ll be right back!” Estrella finished the monologue for the talk host.

Estrella’s makeup staff member quickly made her way onto the stage to do some touch ups. “Sana-chan~” Estrella jokingly gasped, making Sana chuckle at Estrella’s cute characteristics. “She must be a sweetheart to work with.” The female talk host compliments. “She is, but she can be a bit mischievous at times and that’s when you have to be careful.” Sana has many stories of Estrella pranking her with “accidentally” messing up her makeup, or when Sana gets close to Estrella’s face while doing her makeup and Estrella would try and kiss her.

Luckily, Estrella stood still for her touch ups and fixing her outfit before getting into position to start her performance. “Let me retuck your hair real quick,” Sana gently pulls Estrella’s under the white flower chocker (hair like in the photo). “Kill the stage.” Sana whispers, before running to stand next to starrys so she can get the perfect view. The second the lights tone down and shine on Estrella and her dancers the audience went crazy.

ೃᰰ࿔eleven (sorry the audio is bad the person that made the video said the artist of the original song was singing live and the person tried their best to blend ive’s ver and original ver together)

ೃᰰ࿔choreography

The room was filled with fanchants which made Estella smile while singing. Also seeing her lightsticks being waved around excitedly shows how many people came and took time out of their day for support her. Just as the song came to an end Estrella made sure to blow kisses at everyone, as her ending pose.

To many people it’s still weird that a non Kpop artist does and has everything an Kpop artist does, but something about Estrella just fits it so well. Maybe because she was trained like one without all the ridiculous harsh criticism instead was given constructive criticism, and actually helped her work on it. She was taught about fanservice, having fanchants, how important photocards and lightsticks are, always being thankful for your fans who got you where you are today. Estrella didn’t much help with any of those because it just came to her like a second nature; she made the fanchants and posted it on her twitter, she made sure to practice taking selfies for her future pcs, the second Megan mention making a lightstick Estrella already drew it with the thought of how pretty it will look in pictures and with starrys waving it around, and ever since the beginning Estrella was thankful of her fans even if it was just one she would give them a massive hug and express how appreciative she is with just knowing her name.

As Estrella was the last segment in the show she was able to wave ‘bye’ to all her starrys that were in the studio. Estrella was making sure to look at each and every one remembering their faces and all the small details. “Estrella could you sign this?!” A fan holds up a recent magazine cover Estrella did. “Of course!” Estrella runs to the fans making everyone around scream with how close she is to them. “What’s your name?” Estrella looks right into the fan’s eyes. “P-Priscilla.” Poor Priscilla was captivated by Estrella’s big doe eyes causing her to stutter her name. “What a pretty name~” Estrella still holding eye contact smiles while signing and gives back and now signed magazine. “I’ll make sure to come back to Sydney, bye starrys!”

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

“Another one down and one more to go.” Megan crosses off the list in her IPad Pro. The crew was currently driving back to their hotel finally being able to relax a bit before their flight the next day to Seoul. “Make sure you write down Australia for a tour stop, please.” Estrella drags out the word ‘please’, making Megan open the tour stop list. “Estrella you practically have the world map on your tour stop list already.” Megan snicker. “Good that means starrys all over the world will have a chance to see me.” Estrella looks out at the window, daydreaming about how her tour is going to look like fill with starrys and their lightstick singing and dancing– “Nuh-uh, don’t start planning the tour already missy. You still need to take a break from working so much before you burn yourself out.” Daya who is now Estrella’s assistant manager, scolds Estrella from the passenger seat erupting her daydreaming.

“Yeah after during some promotional work in Seoul let’s take a mini vacation there–oh! We can also go to Japan and I can show you guys what I grew up with. Plus don’t you love Pokémon mine chīsana hoshi?” Sana was trying to convince Estrella. “I do! Let’s do it.” Estrella’s eyes sparkle at the thought of purchasing all the little cute Pokémon plushies plus the thought of all the cute theme cafes they can go to. “Let’s just rest before planning something else.” Megan couldn’t handle booking more plane tickets and hotel rooms. The migraine was slow seeping through again.

Once everyone showered and all went to rest in their respective rooms for a good amount of time, Megan texted the group chat to meet in her room to give a little run down the schedule in Korea Estrella has. To no one’s surprise both Estrella and Sana walked in with their matching Chiikawa pajamas and matching Sanrio headbands. “Oh was I erupting something important?” Megan holds in her laughter, as she sees not only the matching pieces but they both had a pink skincare face masks on. “No. Not at all.” Estrella innocently answered. “Ah Estrella never loose your bright spirit.” Daya and the rest of the team love how oblivious Estrella could be. They just want to protect her from the world.

“Ok moving on,” Megan cleared her throat. “So once we land we go straight to our hotel rooms and immediately start getting Estrella ready for her interview with very popular television personality, Yoo Jaesuk. Have you been studying more Korean?” Megan looks up at Estrella. She hums ‘yes’, “hi, I’m Estrella Blue and please take care of me.” Everyone clapped. “That was good, and don’t worry you will still have an ear-in so they can translate for you. Next we have music bank promotions only for a week to test out the waters. During that time you can do tiktok dance challenges with some idols, and speaking of tiktok challenges we have this company called Hybe which is the home to many big artists originally know for groups like BTS and Tomorrow x Together. Who want to show you around the building and film again tiktok dance challenges with their artists including showing you around the company. The next one is the ‘You & Me pop up shop.”

“Wait! They aren’t trying to recruit her right?” Daya rises an eyebrow towards Megan. “Hell no! What they emailed me and talked through the phone is wanting to film a little video showing Estrella around that’s it.”

“Good just making sure.” Daya nods. “Then finally attending some Seoul fashion show/parties and that’s it.” Megan sighs, finishing reading the schedule. “I hope I do well guys.” Estrella was stressing a bit about the language barrier and all the new mannerisms she had to learn to make sure not to offend the people of there. “Hey, you got this mine chīsana hoshi.” Sana wraps her arms around Estrella’s shoulder hugging her. “Plus you have a large group of fans waiting for you there already ready to support and cheer you on.” Sana gives some comforting words, hopefully bringing Estrella spirits up. “Yeah, don’t stress Estrella.” Daya affectionately pets Estrella’s head. “Trust me our precious star we will always be by your side. And when things get too much just signal to us, and we’ll be there.” Megan takes a hold of Estrella’s hand gently caressing her knuckles. “Thanks guys.” Estrella pouts, feeling emotional with all the love they are giving her.

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

Waking up at the crack ass of dawn, going to the airport and checking in, finally flying then landing. The whole team were like zombies coming out of plane dragging their feet following everyone out. Estrella’s security got close to the team, as they were getting closer to the door leading out to the main airport lobby. “Wait! Before went enter chaos. Let me fix your outfit.” Sana quickly stopped Estella was moving to fix tiny details. “Ok,” Sana sighs. “You’re perfect.” Estrella snickers at Sana. “Thank you~” Estella sings.

The second those double doors slide open bright lights start flashing and the yelling starts. “Oh my god.” Estrella really underestimated the popularity she holds in Korea. Just as Estrella was going to start walking the Korean press was telling her stop and pose for them. “Just give a couple of cute poses.” Megan whispers before getting out of the shot.

“Estrella over here!”

“Heartu heartu Estrella!”

Estrella was trying to do all the heart poses she remembers. Some fans were showing her which ones to do. “Ok that’s enough we have to get going, thank you.” Megan announces to the reporters. Security immediately goes back to Estrella’s side and start their walk out of the Incheon airport. Estrella is surprise with all the phones and cameras that were filming every second of the walk along with fans trying to hand her letters and gifts. “Oh, thank you.” Estrella smiles, and took the gifts. Some fans were trying to get Estrella to complete their hearts which she gladly completed them. What really took the Korean fans’ hearts were when Estrella was saying ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in Korean as well as giving small bows at them. The team safely made it to their car and Estrella rolled down the window to wave ‘bye’ at everyone who were still filming and yelling encouraging words at her.

“I will enjoy m-my time…”

Estella quickly asks for help, as she forgot some words. “Here in Korea.” Megan quickly helps her. “Here in Korea, thank you.”

“See nothing to worry about.” Daya hands over some more fan letters that Estella missed. “Thanks, and I guess not.” Estrella said, as she looks back at everyone that was waiting for her getting smaller and smaller. “Wow~ they work fast look-” Sana shows everyone the newly posted article of ‘Estrella Blue landing in Korea!’ Megan takes Sana’s phone and starts reading, “The mega superstar Estrella Blue finally lands in Seoul, South Korea and immediately shows her beautiful visuals and amazing fanservice. A born to be artist who has the talent, fashion, and goddess like visuals.”

“Goddess like visuals?!” Estrella is shock at all the high compliments they are giving her. “They also say your Korean sounds so cute and might be a new trend.” Megan adds. “I sound like a baby though.” Estrella chuckles, while looking at all the buildings and people that they were passing by. “Korea will definitely be interesting.” Sana has a feeling Korea might not go the way they thought it will, but in a good way.

[roo-bastmoon]

With 17 versions to buy and 8 versions combined for 160 streams per Spotify account, plus Melon and FLO streams now counting, of course Jungkook’s Seven is charting high and sweeping awards. Firstly because it’s Jungkook of course, and secondly because it’s been given every possible advantage.

My (perhaps controversial) opinions about that are below the cut.

Honestly? I really can’t feel good about any “first” or “most” or “fastest” records achieved by this single—catchy as it is—which wasn’t written or conceived by Jungkook and has nothing much personal or deeply meaningful about it. It’s a fun feel-good summer pop song, for sure, but no more groundbreaking than, say, Bad Decisions (in my opinion… I have no musical expertise.)

But I can’t feel super great about all the records and awards because this many versions immediately restocked and shipped and auto play and promoted to radio and ads and leadership hyping only this while Jungkook says he wants to be the one and only artist to conquer kpop and pop for the next thousand years… it all just doesn’t really sit right with me.

When compared to the 10 months Jimin forewent sleep, food, and showers to have a hand in every aspect of his first (and deeply personal and symbolic) album, which was never sent to radio or restocked, got split tracks and delayed playlisting and shady articles, plus not one kudos or congratulations from leadership even after he made history for South Korea and stocks soared…

Forgive me, but it all leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is ruining the song for me.

Some things like culled streams and sales are out of the company’s control. But the things I mentioned above were all possible for Jimin’s Hot 100 #1. Even if every Tannie has total say in their projects' sales and marketing, and everyone was on board with only Jungkook getting the Hybe America "red carpet" treatment, I can’t lie and say the stark difference feels fine. It doesn't, and I confess I leave the headphones in every time Seven comes up in the playlists now.

I’m not jealous. If anything, I have a warped sense of pride that Jimin has done so fantastically well despite so many, many obstacles stacked against him. I love to champion an underdog and I’m glad I never need to doubt his success was organic. I actually feel extra admiration for how humble and hardworking he continues to be—no resting on any laurels for the It Boy. I'm so glad he is my ult-bias.

*sigh*

Listen to me.

I know Jungkook and Jimin are both genuinely good people. I know they are sincerely talented and hard working. I know they truly love each other. I know all members are legitimately happy for each others' success.

I know what’s important to me may not be important to them, nor what they want for their careers. And even if I feel their company’s making shitty decisions, I know my place as a fan.

So I trust them. And I simply hang in. I hope lessons were learned for smoother, fairer future releases. Because neglecting assets makes zero business sense, and perceived favoritism can erode the group’s bonds and tear ARMY apart. It is, frankly, just plain stupid.

So I may dislike things about their solo era rollouts and I can't bring myself to sugar-coat it; but I mostly try to keep my negative thoughts to myself and find things I CAN celebrate with other fans on an open timeline.

I never want another Tannie to feel anguished and misunderstood the way Hobi did about JitB’s physicals.

Watching Jungkook’s face here on his London live when he talks about people hating him just haunts me. It guts me. I can't stand it. That kid was going through it and I don't believe he has a malicious bone in his body, so it just really upsets me seeing him like that.

There’s so, so much about this company, this industry, this culture that I just don’t understand. But I trust Park Jimin completely. As long as Park Jimin loves and supports his members, God knows, I will too.

So!! On that note...

We have Jungkook’s birthday to celebrate next week and Taehyung’s album to support the week after that. I’m going to do my best to rest up and gather some good energy for these things!

And of course, we must congratulate our Jimin, who made history again today, and no matter what, will always set the standard. I just know he's cooking up something else for us with all these weeks of silence, and I cannot wait to go BERSERK for it whenever it drops.

I’m not really sure I had a point to this post. It’s just that I have been mulling all this over for a long time, and finally felt well enough to sit up long enough to come online and type up my thoughts.

I guess what I mostly wanted to share with my friends here is that it’s okay to feel really disappointed and even enraged at the way some things play out over the (hopefully life-long) careers of BTS members. Don't let folks gaslight you. Call it like you see it. (Maybe keep sensitive things behind a cut or in the DMs--and of course, please change your mind if you get better insight. In the end, only the Tannies really know what's going on with the Tannies.)

But while I’m still side-eyeing the company so hard right now, I’ve decided to love and support the boys as people and artists. I'm trying to believe the best in everyone. I’m still an OT7 Jikooker.

You don’t have to agree with me, and if you need to unfollow, I understand. But I figured I should just tell you guys (especially the new followers) where I am at with all this.

Love, Roo

[collapsedsquid]

Equally clear are Trump’s preferred means of getting what he wants in world politics. The former and future president is a strong believer in using coercion, such as economic sanctions, to pressure other actors. He also subscribes to the “madman theory,” in which he will threaten massive tariff increases or “fire and fury” against other countries in the firm belief that such threats will compel them into offering greater concessions than they otherwise would. At the same time, however, Trump also practices a transactional view of foreign policy, demonstrating a willingness during his first term to link disparate issues to secure economic concessions. On China, for example, Trump displayed a recurring willingness to give ground on other issues—the crackdown in Hong Kong, the repression in Xinjiang, the arrest of a senior executive of the Chinese tech company Huawei—in return for a better bilateral trade deal. Trump’s foreign policy track record during his first term was decidedly mixed. If one looks at the renegotiated deals for the South Korea Free Trade Agreement or the North American Free Trade Agreement (rebranded as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA), his attempts at coercion produced meager results. The same is true with his summitry with Kim Jong Un. But one can argue that this might have been because of the rather chaotic nature of the Trump White House. There were plenty of times when Trump seemed at war with his own administration, often leading to the characterization of his more mainstream foreign policy advisers (such as Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster) as the “adults in the room.” The result was a lot of personnel churn and inconstancy in foreign policy positioning, which degraded Trump’s ability to achieve his aims. That should not be an issue for Trump’s second term. Over the past eight years, he has collected enough acolytes to staff his foreign policy and national security team with like-minded officials. He is far less likely to meet resistance from his own political appointees. Other checks on Trump’s policy will also be far weaker. The legislative and judicial branches of government are now more MAGA-friendly than they were in 2017. Trump has indicated numerous times that he intends to purge the military and bureaucracy of professionals who oppose his policies, and he will likely use Schedule F—a measure to reclassify civil service positions as political slots—to force them out. For the next few years, the United States will speak with one voice on foreign policy, and that voice will be Trump’s.

I feel that this piece by Drezner is contradicting itself, Trump administration did not and will not speak with one voice, having more people like him is not what he does, he appoints people to rattle the cage and then tries to swoop in personally in a sort of good cop/bad cop thing. Or maybe he just doesn't really care if they speak with one voice.

[ppeonppeonhan]

2023 BL Breakout Actors

I really hope to see more of these actors next year.

Louis Chiang | Kiseki: Dear to Me

He played a tiny lovesick tyrant who pined for his childhood bff and fellow gang member. I could've watched an entire drama just about him and his journey from impulsive orphan thug to feisty romantic. He was simply electric.

Suggested Role: There's a sports trend in BL right now, and he's so good at the physicality of acting that I'd love to see him play a competitive professional tennis player who's conflicted when he's forced to partner with his nemesis.

Lim Ji Sub | The Eighth Sense

He had to play such a heavy character -- a college student and surfer suffering from depression and survivor's guilt -- and his heartbreaking performance made you want to reach through the screen and give him a hug.

Suggested Role: South Korea does slice of life SO well that I'd really love to see him switch it up and pine for someone in a quasi comedic role. He could play a young real estate agent who starts to fall for one of his picky clients, and they learn together that the perfect home is one you make and not one you find.

Film Thanapat Kawila | Laws of Attraction

I honestly did not enjoy this drama, but I did enjoy his performance. He is so captivating as Charn -- this scenery-chewing, maniacal, traumatized, good-boy-turned-bad lawyer -- that his romantic love interest could not manage to keep up.

Suggested Role: I dunno. I feel like I'd happily watch him play this role again, and take down another corrupt politician.

An Jeong Gyun | Love Class 2

It's so easy to get lost in an anthology when there's three couples and when you're not traditionally attractive, but his character stole the whole damn series. He was so bold and upfront about his emotions in a mature and refreshing way that it made you ignore the beige flags of playful manipulation that comes with courtship, and root for him to win his crush's heart.

Suggested Role: He's actually older (30), and I appreciate that South Korea is exploring more love stories between older men as Thailand conquers the under 25 demo. So for him, I'd say a divorced storyline. Maybe explore the story of how two ex-husbands rebuild their lives apart and rediscover their friendship while they fall for other people.

"Silvy" Pavida | The Warp Effect

Speaking of bloated casts, this series had like a million people in it playing characters of a variety of genders and sexualities, because it was intended to be -- in part -- a modern sex guide that pushed against traditional constructs. But in the midst of all that was a brief performance by Silvy, who was only tasked with playing an aspiring "plus size" actress, but managed to leave a lasting impression, making you want more.

Suggested Role: She's a singer and she's half-Italian. There's gotta be something we can do with that. Maybe the story of a shy singer, who is often hired to record tracks for rising tone-deaf artists, and is encouraged by one to make her debut as her opening act and help her write a romantic duet in Italian for her international audience.

***

Now...most of us agree that Step by Step was...not great. But it did have a lot of Thai actors that I hope to see again soon -- in an entirely different storyline far away from whatever the hell that was.

"Saint" Paramee Matthanadul | Step by Step

Was his character a whiny little shit? Yes. Is he so gorgeous you almost forgot how hot his big brother was? Also, yes. The fandom was pissed his romantic subplot did not get a resolution, because there was so much he could've done with this character if given the opportunity.

Suggested Role: I think he has baby girl potential, so I really want to see him either play a spoiled mafia kid who falls for his mentor OR a rich kid pretending to be a working class waiter at the restaurant he owns, marinated in gay panic every time the head chef scolds him.

Zorzo Nathanan Akkharakitwattanakul | Step by Step

I have yet to watch a proper GL series, but if she was starring in it, I'd clear my TV schedule. There's something so femme fatale about her and her features. She had no business stealing scenes from the nearly full cast of dudes, but she did. Every time.

Suggested Role: I really want to see her in a mystery produced by whoever is doing The Sign right now. Maybe she could play an undercover cop trying to solve a missing person's case in a small town, and her love interest is married to her prime suspect.

"Ben" Bunyapol Likhitamnuayporn | Step by Step

Last, but not least, is the adorable Ben. Who, in spite of wasting our time with the most anticlimactic drama ending, played a character that was an inspiration to every office employee who has been dying to tell their ungrateful and abusive boss to step back and let a bitch cook. He played him with such naiveté and earnestness that it made you want more for his character than a lustful boss who struggled not to abuse his power.

Suggested Role: It's so easy for him to get sucked into passive roles opposite the zaddys of BL, so I'd like to see how he fairs against an equal. Maybe another workplace ensemble comedy where he plays a reporter posing as an intern at a new social media company run by an unhinged mogul spreading fake news, and falls for another intern who helps him take the company down.

[1004sface]

1996.04.04 TV Times Magazine - R.ef article

Scans credit: yours truly!

No such thing as secrets!

'Sung Daehyun death rumor' happening

Return to retro, the 2nd album's secret

On the evening of the 22nd, Lee Hyundo makes an international call in tears

"Is it true that Daehyun died?"

"Is it true that Daehyun oppa died in a car accident? People say it was on the news this morning."

Early in the morning of March 22, R.ef fans sent the TV Times office phone into flames. A week before, a rumor that Seong Daehyun had died had peeked its head through, but today the phone exploded with calls. PC communication must have been swept up by the rumor.

Another funny happening! The same evening, Lee Hyundo, who was in LA, called sounding close to tears, "Is it true that Jeongsik (Daehyun) died?". It was Chae Rina, who was staying close to Hyundo, who ran crying and delivered the news.

To get to the point, R.ef finished their last recording at 6 P.M., March 22nd, and soon after went to Kimpo Airport, where at 8:30 A.M. they rode a plane to Singapore and arrived safely at their destination. As soon as they took out their travel gear, they notified their company that they had landed safely - they plan to return to Korea on March 27.

Recording lasted until 6 P.M. before leaving to Singapore

Park Chulwoo wore a mask due to his swollen throat

2 A.M., March 22, at the Paju King Records recording studio just hours before leaving to Singapore. Opening the studio door, Sung Daehyun, the man of the hour, was alive, but a little haggard on account of staying up late.

"Staying up all this week has made me out of my head."

The other members are the same. It felt bad to even talk to Park Chulwoo, who wore a mask because his throat was swollen, or Lee Sungwook, whose nerves were frayed having to finish recording on the day of departure.

Nearing the final stretch, they pulled a week-long all-nighter, and even worked intensively on the day they were set to leave for Singapore. Due to this, production on the album is almost finished; the rest—mixing, mastering, and jazz session playing for one song—are technical processes that will be handled in America, with R.ef not directly participating.

The final touches will be finished in America by Kim Gukhyeon, an engineer who participated in the production of Seo Taiji and Boys' 4th album, and their producer Choi Minhyeok. It will take place in Ocean Tower Studio, a spot Kim Gukhyeon found, located in the vicinity of LA.

11 songs themed on love, with rave as the main genre

Gathered an orchestra and the world's top artists

As the D-day of R.ef's second album, to release around the middle of April, approaches, its secrets are being unraveled one by one, drawing curiosity. As its title, Back to the Black, implies, the album's songs seek a "return to retro". To bring a new feel to the retro sound new generations are unfamiliar with, a sound designer—a position new to general audiences—was appointed into their team for the first time in Korea. Additionally, to differentiate the album from the digital music of other dance groups, producers scoured American instrument stores for analog instruments that they would work with.

As expected of the group that first introduced the genre to Korea, R.ef's second album is composed of various types of rave music. About five rave tracks are included on the 11-track album.

"In order to strengthen the color of R.ef's unique rave music, we made unique attempts, like adding orchestral instrumentation or metal guitars. It'll probably sound new."

One of this album's other features is the diverse range of genres, such as US house, hip hop, jazz, techno, and pop ballads, aside from the 5 rave songs. For the jazz song in particular, itself a hard feat for a dance group, more work will be put into it than the title track. While in America, the country's top notch jazz artists will be hired to participate in session recordings; Michael Miller, a famous jazz guitarist famous for his work with Chuck Korea, has already been scouted. They plan to invest generously in scouting A-class musicians.

One song composed by Lee Sungwook, 2-3 written by Sung Daehyun

Choreo and outfits will be prepared at their return to Korea, on March 27

A song composed by Lee Sungwook will be included in this album, which will show how much the group have grown musically. Lyrics will be written by Hong Jaesun, Lee Yongmin, and Sung Daehyun, who all wrote for R.ef's debut, as well as the rising star lyricist Kang Eunkyung. Sung Daehyun wrote lyrics for 4 songs, two to three of which are being considered for the album.

This album's main theme is "love". It includes stories about lovers, self-love, love for a departed partner, and things one would want to say while parting with a lover.

Aside from "Brilliant Love", which serves as a part two to "Heartbreak" off their debut, the rest of the tracklist has not been decided on—only the title of the song "Forbidden U-Turn", composed by Lee Sungwook. Kang Eunkyung wrote the lyrics off of Lee's idea, and it reportedly contains autobiographical lyrics about how he chose to become a singer.

On another note, R.ef will be busy finishing up their dances and outfits, when they come back from Singapore, appearing on various TV and radio programs and shooting a music video with their travel companion Kim Sehoon.

[naniskys]

✨lamonnaie's 2024 bl (+ adjacent) wrapped ✨

i realised i haven't been using mdl very well to track my series watched, so i'm doing a post on here to look back on in the future, and because i like having the stats in one place :)

In 2024 I watched a record low number of programs: 16 series and 4 movies.

Movies ✨

The 4 movies were How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (Thailand), Uranus2324 (Thailand), Hoon Payon (Thailand) and The Post-Truth World (Taiwan).

Out of these, the lowest I rated was Uranus2324 at 5.5 (possibly one of the worst movies I've ever watched)

The highest was The Post-Truth World at 9 (probably because I'm a sucker for murder mystery thrillers)

Special shoutout to How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies for being a really nice experience to watch at the cinemas, definitely elevated an already pretty good movie. (I also watched Uranus2324 at the cinema, unfortunately no theatre atmosphere could save this flop)

Since I've mentioned the other 3, special shoutout to Hoon Payon so it doesn't feel left out: it was fun seeing so many familiar faces and while it wasn't the most memorable, it was a solid movie !!

Series ✨

Out of the 16 series I watched in 2024, 4 were from Thailand, 4 from Taiwan, 3 from South Korea, 3 from Japan and 3 from China. This is a very even spread of countries, which is quite surprising since in all previous years, my watched list was dominated by Thai series.

Out of the 16 series, 5 of them are non-BL (however a number of these are pretty strong bromance). In combination with the 4 movies watched (none of which are BL), this brings my total watched programs to 9 non-BLs and 11 BLs (which is making me feel a little silly with the name i chose for the title of the post,,, at least BL shows are still the majority lol)

More specifically, out of the 20 programs, it was 11 BLs, 1 GL, 4 gen series/movies (these might have romance but it was barely mentioned), 1 het series, and 3 bromances (I'm counting Under the Skin and Link Click as bromances because they're gay as hell, and ofc i don't even need to mention High School Frenemy lol).

This marks a pretty huge change in my watching trends, because in previous years I watched at least 90-100% BLs. (i'm pretty sure i was just burnt out from seeing the same faces at one point in the year, and then i was burnt out from romance in general, hence the prevalence of gen shows).

Highest ratings go to High School Frenemy (Thailand - hsf has consumed my mind, body and soul, changed me as a person, and most crazily, even managed to get me to change my url on here, that's how serious it is) and Under the Skin (China - I don't talk about it much on here but that does not lessen the fact that i consider it a masterpiece. i love mystery-type stuff + the bromance flavours in this are also perfect), with both of these shows receiving a 10.

Out of 75 shows/movies in total on my completed list, only 6 have ever received 10/10, and somehow 2 of those were shows I watched in 2024. Apparently 2024 for me was all about quality over quantity.

Another huge change in my watch behaviour was the lack of GMMTV shows. The one GMMTV show I watched in 2024 was High School Frenemy (and I wasn't even planning on watching it, I just started it on a whim, which is pretty interesting considering how many of the other shows I was very excited for, but never actually ended up watching/finishing). This was likely because of burnout at a point from seeing the same faces, which is what led me to branch out into watching more shows from other countries.

Lowest rating this year (apart from Uranus2324) goes to The End of the World with You (Japan) with 7.5 (which isn't too bad tbh). The atmosphere of the show was really nice and vibey, and the concept of the show was interesting, but both the main characters were moderately to highly unlikeable to me, which just made it difficult to really enjoy the show and root for them.

SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS TIME WOOHHH

Special shoutout to Eternal Yesterday (Japan) for changing how I see the world. There was something so profound in the way it explored grief and love and the intersection of those two, I was a crying *mess* for days after watching this, i can't recall another show that's touched me in this way. I rated it a 9.5 only because some plot points were a bit unpolished or unnecessary, but the way that this show as a whole has moved me is something i'll never forget. (also sunshower by ayumu imazu is the opening theme and it is absolutely GORGEOUS, i still listen to it on repeat)

Special shoutout to Blueming (South Korea) for being the first Korean BL that I've been able to really enjoy. It's one of those shows where the specific character type has the potential to be unlikeable to me, but the actor was so damn good in the role that they pulled it off and instead made me love the character. The acting and chemistry in this show absolutely pulled it together and made it one of my favs, earning it a 9.0 rating.

Special shoutout to My Stand-In (Thailand), for being engaging enough to be the only show apart from High School Frenemy that I was able to watch every week while it was airing and actually stay interested. Honestly a pretty banging show, which earned it a 9.0 rating as well.

Special shoutout to The On1y One (Taiwan) for having one of the best OSTs i've heard. Ricky Hsiao's 寂寞而已 from it was my top song on Spotify wrapped, which is all that you rlly need to know. (However if spotify tracked til the end of the year, Promise by SkyNani would be my actual top song, as confirmed by last.fm).

Special shoutout to Unknown (Taiwan) for being my first obsession of the year. Unfortunately the ending fell a bit flat with how they portrayed it, but all the cast (including the kids) were absolutely brilliant throughout, and chris chiu deserves all the awards.

= THE END =

the full list of series i watched this year:

The End of the World With You

4 Minutes

A Breeze of Love

Blueming

Cherry Blossoms After Winter

Copycat Killer

Dead Friend Forever

Eternal Yesterday

I Hear the Sunspot

High School Frenemy

My Stand-In

Reset

Under the Skin

Unknown

Link Click

The On1y One

[minsungchronology]

I think you mention m1nsung being able to utilize things in the industry to hide in plain sight in your latest post. Can you expand on why you think that and why they wouldn’t make an effort to hide themselves?

Ok this is gonna be long cause it's a good question:

I personally think it largely depends on the type of fanbase they have, the other members and people around them, the industry that they’re in, the type of "marketing" that the group does, and the number of years that the idols in question have been in the public eye.

I’ll use a parallel as an example.

There’s the group Mamamoơ. A good proportion of their fanbase (larger than most popular groups) identify as queer. I think this applies to both their international AND Korean fanbase. One of the members, MoonbyuI, has strongly hinted/implied that she herself is into women. (First, through the type of music she writes. She literally wrote a sapphic love song. Second, her shutting down an interviewer by boldly changing male pronouns to feminine ones when they tried asking her about her love life). She, like many other idols, have done heavy fanservice on stage with their bandmates as well and part of that aligns with what fans want to see. Yet, she’s not shy about toeing the line and expressing herself through her music/words. The group as a whole has a very good track record with their lgbt fans/people as well (in Korea and outside of Korea). 

I feel like she’s able to share that side of herself because of her fanbase, the type of fanservice/marketing that they do as a group, and the reception it gets amongst their fans.

Compare that with Skz:

You have a fanbase with a good portion of shippers (a lot of them who ship Han and LK whether it be in a casual or serious light). Like Mȧmamoo, Skz as a group has a very good track record with lgbt fans, and the group as a whole do plenty of ship-heavy fanservice and the fans react well to that.

Also, a lot of what public figures do/show to us largely depend on fan reaction (especially in the idol industry). This can also extend to more personal things. You’re more likely to share something personal if the fans have a track record of reacting positively to it. Couple that with the amount of years that they’ve been in the industry (both groups in question have been with us for awhile now, with idols who are experienced when it comes to knowing how much to show).

Which plays into a part of how open they can be without compromising the trajectory of their career.

MoonbyuI writing a sapphic love song (to a fanbase that is largely queer)

Han writing a love duet for himself and his bandmate (that a lot of the fans ship him with)

MoonbyuI strongly hinting that she likes women (on a show)

Han strongly hinting that Want So Bad is indeed about LK (on 2 Kids Show) - he literally said he kept thinking of LK when he went over the lyrics...and LK's reaction to that 😶‍🌫️

And, again, I feel like the nature of the industry allows idols to utilize the glass closet. (For LK/Han, it's the shipping and fanservice surrounding that imo).

As long as they don’t explicitly come out to the GP, there's still that plausible deniability. No official statement through the company/press = it doesn’t truly count. You’re still going to have people (a majority probably) who think that they are close friends who sometimes do fanservice for their fanbase (which technically is true b/c the group as a whole does it), simply because of how the industry historically works.

Finally, in both cases, I don’t think they would be as “open” if they didn’t have the type of fanbase that they have. (As well as members who have a track record of being explicitly supportive)

[thehaniverse]

absolutely loooove your coverage of the ador vs hybe legal battle. the absolute gag of the century was reading that the whistleblower was a potential investor ador higherups met with. I want to know what you think of mhj's plagiarism allegations. is it plausible for her to have a legal standing in saying that hybe did not have the right to use her old concept art from the source music x bighit audition as inspiration for illit?

Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed my coverage! And also your question is very interesting!

I'm by no means a legal expert but put simply, no, I don't think she has grounds for anything.

The difference is basically plagiarism vs copyright. Copyright (in most cases) includes a process in which an idea or creation is registered legally as a person's creation (sometimes automatically) and people can still replicate that idea if they add their own transformation to it. Plagiarism on the other hand is a copy that doesn't intrude on someone's copyright (ie not transformative) but also doesn't give them credit - it isn't illegal and is also much harder to prove as a well-known song doesn't need explicit credit to be recognized. (For example, if you covered Michael Jackson's 'Bad', you don't need to directly credit MJ for people to know it's his song.)

If you record a song cover and post it on YouTube as an example - this is not a copyright violation because it involves the original vocals of the person doing the cover, and thus is transformation. Similarly, if you add some variation to the original song such as in the vocals, but still label it as a cover then it is not plagiarism. The difference becomes when you try to pass it off as your own. As mentioned, because the vocals are different you can say the vocals are your own creation, but the backing track is technically being copied and violates the copyright. Ironically it isn't necessarily plagiarised because you could argue that the song is well known enough to not need credit.

Bringing this back to this situation, MHJ's '2YK concept' is technically based on an acclimation of various pre-existing ideas, images, and sounds from the 2000s, while she can say the combination she's made is unique, she can't copyright that interpretation because they aren't her original ideas. Similarly, with plagiarism, it's even harder to prove because she's complaining about individual dance moves instead of the whole routine - it can be argued that not only does she not have rights to those individual moves, but their incorporation into a technically new routine makes it transformative.

Put simply, she can't prove that she owns the move nor that the new routine isn't transformative so she has no legal case. However, I don't think that's her intention, it's all about public perception. Actually, a lot of K-Pop dances are not completely original or pay homage to other existing dances, but she's framing it as 'copying' to win public sympathy, and ultimately the public is the consumers. Many people are boycotting or picking apart both ILLIT and NewJeans depending on which side they stand on, and they will ultimately vote with their dollars.

Ironically, the fact she doesn't seem to have a legal case could be further grounds for BELIFT's case against her, as he publically accused them of copying NJs and she could be sued for defamation (which they are currently trying to do.) The only saving grace is that she said plagiarism, not copyright, but in Korea, you can be sued for defamation even if what you said is true. Even if she could prove it was plagiarism, she still doesn't have any legal standing as it's not covered by law.

Again, I'm no legal expert (especially not in Korean law) but that's how I personally understand the situation! It'll be interesting to see the results of everything, and I hope this helped at least a little bit~ I focused more on dancing but the same logic could be applied to the concept art too.

[twistifiedz]

"i'm the female monster! twist, let's go!"

TW1ST is the eponymous first extended play by South Korean girl group TWIST. The album was released on January 1, 2017. Consisting of seven tracks which feature various genres such as Hip Hop, Trap, Pop, and R&B, the album is supported by the lead single, “Crazy”, produced by Pdogg and Supreme Boi while the lyrics were written by Chaeyoung and Hyerim. Prior to the release of the lead single, "Crazy" made its' debut performance at MBC Gayo Daejun's 2016 Music Festival as a surprise for a stellar debut era of TWIST.

The EP was a commercial success, topping the Gaon Album Chart for the week of January 8, 2017 with 300,000 albums sold in the first week and remained atop the chart for six consecutive weeks. Prior to the release, TW1ST received a record-breaking pre-order of over 400,000 physical copies, the highest for a girl group in the first half of 2017. The album also became the group’s first entry on the Billboard 200 at no. 30, the highest charting position for a Korean girl group at the time. By the end of 2017, TW1ST had sold over 800,000 copies. The album topped the Gaon Monthly Chart for January, as it was the album that sold the most copies that month.

The album has two singles; Crazy and Whistle. 

With the surprise release of “Crazy”, Crazy was a commercial success in South Korea and debuted atop the Gaon Digital Chart for the week of January 1. It also peaked at number one on the equivalent Download Chart, selling over 532,191 digital copies in its release week. “Crazy” remained atop the charts for ten weeks, becoming the longest-running number one song in the chart’s history. 

“Whistle” was released as a single on February 1, 2017. Although blocked by its predecessor, “Whistle” also experienced success in South Korea. The song debuted and peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart for the week of January 8, 2017. It sold over 200,000 digital units and earned 5 million streams in the album’s release week.

TRACKLIST:

Crazy

Cut It Out

WHISTLE

Love Song

Every Night

Lady

Boy

ERA Highlights:

This was an extremely ambitious project that TWIST and JYL Records collaborated in regarding budget. The girls take WORLDWIDE to a whole different level as they showcase various performances in different cities, showing the endless possibilities of TWIST.

You thought you had enough of Twist? TOO BAD! They opened the year up with the plan of DOMINATING 2017!

The lead single, Crazy, was praised for its production and hip hop sound. The girls also sounded amazing! 

When I say the girls were ALL OVER South Korea with this album?!

Crazy was choreographed by Sohye and Son Sungdeuk from Big Hit!

Composer!Sohye made her debut! She has a credit for “Love Song”, where she wrote and played the violin!

“Boy” is a track written by Hyerim, and she explains that she was influenced by Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” in terms of harmonies and a Darkchild-inspired sound.

The album earned 400,000 preorders and sold over 800,000 copies by the end of 2017, becoming the best-selling girl group album of the year.

The girls first performed “Crazy” at the 2016 MBC GAYO DAEJUN MUSIC FESTIVAL as a surprise performance! Netizens roared! 

This was Hyerim’s era! She said the rent was due and she was gonna be a beast on stage!

Mina made her debut as a host on Mnet Countdown! 

Crazy earned 15 wins and a grand slam across all music shows!

The girls had their first solo concert “Let’s Get Twisted!” in Seoul, South Korea, which was an album showcase for the release. The girls had a sold out concert of 15,000 fans. 

Whistle was a certified hit in South Korea!

Performance Highlights (Popular Performances / Iconic Moments):

For the debut surprise performance (123116) of ‘Crazy’, Hyerim is shown dropping from MBC Gayo’s ceiling and onto the main stage as an entrance. She was previously stated by JYL Records to not be attending the festival due to an undisclosed injury, nor was she on the red carpet. (Which was suggested by Hyerim to create high expectations for the performances that night)

For the official comeback stage of ‘Crazy’ (01117), the performance takes place at night, in which the girls are dropped off via helicopter on a helipad rooftop and surrounded by 30 backup dancers. Hyerim kicks the camera in her opening verse and leads a dance break, Mina makes her debut as a sub-rapper in Twist, Chaeyoung gets the bridge where the backup dancers and the rest of the group drop around her. At the end of the performance, the girls are seen exiting the rooftop via helicopter, in which Sohye makes a run and hangs off the rope ladder as the helicopter flies off. The performance sets an all-time high viewership record in Korean television history with 10 million viewers.  

On 010817, the stage for ‘Crazy’ took place at the Summit One Vanderbilt Skyscraper in New York City. The girls are seen performing intensely atop glass floors above the bright city. The reasoning behind the international performance connects to Chaeyoung’s verse in ‘Crazy’; “You can’t step to me, I go crazy wherever I go New York, Paris, Milano, Tokyo, London”. The performance goes viral, earning a television viewership of 8.7 million viewers. 

On 011217, the stage for ‘Crazy’ took place in Milan, where the girls performed an opera version of the song at the Teatro alla Scalla, an 18th century theatre for Italian opera and ballet. Twist’s ability to switch up the rendition of ‘Crazy’ garnered praise for the girl’s creativity. The performance received a total of 7 million viewers in television history.

On 012117, The performance took place at the Musée d’Orsay museum with 50 backup dancers. In the second half of the performance, the setting cuts to the Eiffel Tower, where the girls perform in front of. 50 backup dancers surround the Eiffel Tower in circular unison as they dance in sync. 

For the final stage of ‘Crazy’, the girls were seen performing in the streets of Tokyo and London, leading a flash mob with fans.

BONUS: LIMITED EDITION ALBUM COVERS FOR 'TW1ST'

hey guys! i know it's been a while since i've posted content, but i want to let you guys know that i do have stuff lined up and i'm working on everything! i would preferably like to post everything in chrono order while also fleshing the members out. side note: this is easily one of my favorite twist eras, honestly? i would say its a top three era. please stay tuned for future twist content! enjoy the holidays and be safe!

[mjohnso]

Quarterly Debut Review: Q1 2024

Quarterly Debut Reviews are a supplementary series to my biannual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which are published quarterly. Each installment covers three rookie groups that debuted over the past three months. For the fifth installment, I covered ALL(H)OURS (January), YDS (February), and Heimish (March).

As always, a full list of rookie groups that have debuted thus far in 2024 is available here: 2024 Rookie Groups Debuts

January / ALL(H)OURS Debut: January 10, 2024 Debut Song: “GOTCHA”

Although I have been tracking rookie groups for over a decade, I am no soothsayer. I cannot predict with any accuracy the number of new groups that will debut in 2024 or if more groups will disband this year than last year. Nor can I tell if the recent reversal of a multi-year decline in the number of boy groups I covered in Periodic Rookie Groups Report No. 22 is permanent or a temporary deviation. At best, what the numbers tell me is. 2024 is not off to a bad start, especially regarding boy groups. The four boy groups that debuted this year in January mirrors the previous year's total. While this may not crack 2019’s record of nine boy groups in January, it is better than 2018's where boy groups' poor performance was foreshadowed by a single debut at the start of the year.

No matter how this year shakes out for boy groups, it cannot be said that boy groups did not try like ALL(H)OURS who was one of the four boy groups to debut. Their name externalizes their ambition signaling, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, their intention to “pour everything it has at all times.” Their debut song doubles down on this message with the chorus, punctuated by a deep bass sound, emphasizing their laser focus on their goal.

Of course, it takes more than focus and hard work for idols to achieve their dreams—or stardom —in the industry. Those are only parts of an equation with multiple variables, many of which idols have no control over, including their image, musical director, or whether a group gets to come back and try again or build on the momentum. But at least ALL(H)OURS are committed to doing what they can do and working with what they have control over.

February / YDS (YeoDongSaeng) Debut: February 21, 2024 Debut Song: “A Fluttering Love”

YDS’s debut single “A Fluttering Love” can claim more so-called ‘firsts’ than your average debut single. The song is the group’s first release under a proper label, as well as, their official debut and first single. Contrarily, it is also the first song in the industry's history to qualify as both a debut and a comeback single, a fact that the marketing has not hidden but highlighted. On a teaser image released to promote the song’s release, above the two members seated back-to-back on a white table, it reads “YDS 7TH DIGITAL SINGLE ALBUM.”

This discrepancy in qualification is a byproduct of YDS’ unorthodox career trajectory. The duo began their career uploading covers of k-pop songs to their YouTube channel, before pivoting to producing their original songs in 2022. They released six singles and built up a small following before according to their December 2023 Instagram post, signing with HO Entertainment. Then as established above, in February they released their seventh single that doubled as their major label debut. In other words, unlike most k-pop groups who debut after being assembled through the industry’s traditional top-down method, YDS debuted in reverse.

While there are tradeoffs for both YDS and HO Entertainment for bypassing this usual path, I see the appeal. For HO Entertainment, in particular, it is a cost-saving measure. A group with a pre-determined lineup eliminates the need to recruit and train future members of a group, a process so expensive that according to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)’s 2023 Pop Culture & Arts Industry Survey, most agencies do not even maintain a pool of trainees. They also come with a pre-defined image and sound, which although certainly adjustable, HO Entertainment has left unchanged. Indeed “A Fluttering Love”, features their signature sweet acoustic sound and lyrics about a love confession. This is consistent with their previous releases, only this time it comes with a name attached to it and an accompanying promotional rollout, typical of your average group.

March / Heimish Debut: March 15, 2024 Debut Song: “Golden Hour”

So far, this year has gone according to Rainbow E&M’s plan. That plan, laid out across their 2023 year-end Instagram posts, indicated that they aimed to debut one group per month – a feat they have pulled off. Three months into 2024, they debuted at least one group under the Future Idol Asia banner every month: Flora in January, Bluebell in February, and now Heimish and Pearlys in March.

Practically speaking, these are all new groups in the sense that Future Idol Asia has never debuted a group under these names or with these lineups. Of the four groups that debuted, Flora and Heimish’s lineups are partly a patchwork of members from prior Future Idol Asia groups. In the case of Flora, of the group’s six members, four previously debuted under Redplum and Closer, respectively. As for Heimish, their group is comprised of one new member, two members of Blossom, and one member of Winsome. This is a byproduct of the nature of the project. As I have written before Future Idol Asia groups are not intended to be permanent homes for aspiring idols but a temporary waypoint on their journey. Ideally, a member who debuts as part of a Future Idol Asia group would catch the attention of an entertainment agency scout at a showcase who invites them for further auditioning before inviting them to join their agency. In reality, though not every member gets picked. For example, in the case of Closer, two of whose members re-debuted this year as part of Flora, only one of the ten members in the group was chosen for additional auditions with other agencies.

This poses a conundrum for the Future Idol Asia project, as they are left with groups with gaps in their lineup, although groups like Flora and Heimish point to their solution. Since last year they have been repackaging members from their previous groups into these new groups. That allows the project to pad its numbers, giving the illusion that the project has more recruits than it actually does, especially if recruitment does not meet expectations. More importantly, it also gives those not picked the first time another chance. With a new group, concept, song, choreography, and opportunity to perform at the showcase this time might be the charm.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

hi bpp,

i hope this isn't a controversial ask. i really want your opinion. do you think another kpop group can win a grammy before bts? another group or singer winning a grammy first or even getting a nomination before bts returns - do you think it is possible?

***

Hi Anon,

Of course it's possible. BTS isn't the only group in k-pop putting out incredibly good music, after all. So it only tracks that before BTS returns in 2026, another k-pop artist or group may get Grammys recognition. In fact I expect it because of BTS, because BTS has put the spotlight on k-pop in a way no artist or group before them has ever done. Not even BoA and she's a legit g.o.a.t. in the industry. BTS has elevated k-pop to what is still widely considered to be the highest echelon in music. There's more attention on k-pop globally than there's ever been, and BTS is a big reason for that. So it's only a matter of time before good music coming out of Korea is more widely recognized.

Personally (and some of my friends agree), there's no group in the history of k-pop that has put out a better song than Dis-ease by BTS. And I do think they are the absolute best performers in the business. So my verdict is if the universe was fair, BTS would've been walking away with a Grammy every year since 2015. Nobody ever has done a better remake than Come Back Home by BTS, Fake Love by BTS is the song that caused the decisive shift in the dominant 4th gen sound or formula. I mean, much of what we understand as k-pop today is undeniably influenced (and to some degree, even forged) by choices and achievements BTS has made so far. Including the music, and some of that music happens to be pretty good.

There's also the fact the k-pop industry will push very actively for that sort of recognition, and they certainly see an opportunity to do that while BTS enlists. Expect any of the groups people try to force into the 'next BTS' discourse, the usual suspects being Blackpink, Stray Kids, Twice, Seventeen, and any random SM group (for some reason the animus is especially high with SM). Just calling a spade a spade...

In any case, let's hope good music wins because the Grammys don't have a good track record on that note.

Some favourites in the current Grammys eligibility period (October 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023):

On The Street - J-hope ft J. Cole

Indigo - RM

Set Me Free Pt. 2 - Jimin

Ay Yo - NCT127: The song is decent but it’s the performance that elevates it to something special. Too bad the beauty of the performance is in the details which would be lost in a grand concert setting.

NewJeans' Summer 2023 Release

Hurt was the best non-BTS k-pop song to be released in 2022, but NewJeans was much too green to submit their debut EP for consideration at the Grammys. So I really do hope they take the chance to be considered for the Grammys next year by dropping another smash-hit album/EP before August/September 2023. Ditto and OMG are nice but we know they can do better, and I expect them to in their upcoming album this summer.

*

This isn't to say I don't think BTS will win a Grammy ever. I'm personally indifferent, but I do think if they ever win it, it won't be soon. But I’ve been told I’m a k-pop pessimist, so please take all I’ve written with a pinch of salt.

[alottamoney]

I feel like fans also need to grow up a little bit, not everyone is going to like what Tae does, and when he goes into acting, there will be more of this stuff happening. His acting won’t always be Oscar-worthy and he won’t always be in the best shows or universally liked shows, and that’s ok. Feeding into this negative shit just ruins fan experience, yeah it’s weird that it’s coming from a Hybe employee, yeah Hybe doesn’t have a great track record with him, but he’s everywhere in SK right now, he’s enlisted, but his face is plastered all over, there’s media calling him the treasure of Korea, like 😅 I’m down bad for the man too, I don’t think I’ve ever liked a celeb as much as I like Tae, so I get the want to defend, but not everyone has to like him for me to like him. And not every dumb take needs a response, that person’s story would’ve disappeared in 24 hours, and the few media articles will be read today and forgotten tomorrow, meanwhile the song is on it’s 18th RAK or something so 🤷‍♀️

"His acting won’t always be Oscar-worthy" You know what, I won't ruin it for you lol but agreed, no need to center the discussion around him when he's just playing love interest in IU's song.

[etherchive]

[Pann] "NCT Mark's schedule that makes you wonder if it's possible to be carried out"

"Starting with the 2023's first schedule..

1. U.S. and South American tour (the 'and more..' here is the South American tour)

2. NCT 127 'Ay-Yo' comeback music show activities (1st comeback [in 2023])

3. NCT DREAM's overseas tour (it ends in May on the picture, but the encore concert announcement came out [after that], so they did an overseas tour until June)

4. Solo track release (he released his own solo song in the middle of the tour)

5. NCT DREAM 'Broken Melodies' music show activities (pre-release track) (2nd comeback)

6. NCT DREAM's 'ISTJ' music show activities (full-length album) (3rd comeback)

7. NCT 127 and NCT DREAM Fanmeetings (he's in two groups, so he participated in both)

8. NCT DREAM 'Yogurt Shake' music show activities (follow-up song) (4th comeback)

9. NCT U 'Baggy Jeans' music show activities (5th comeback)

10. NCT full-team concert (tour in Korea and Japan) ended in September 17th

When (we) thought he would rest a bit after the tour ends...

11. NCT 127 comeback schedule on October 6th (6th comeback schedule)

In 2023 alone, because he's in 3 different teams, he did 3 overseas tours, 5 comebacks and music show activities, and even filmed a lot of contents in between.

Whenever the fans sent messages full of concerns to him, the replies are mostly like this:

"I went to the hospital as soon as I woke up todayㅠ" [5:10 PM] "I will get better soon" [5:10 PM] "I'm sorry for making you worry" [5:10 PM] "Mark Lee who's not sick is here!" [10:49 PM] "Don't mind about anything else, don't worry about anything else, let's just have fun waiting for the days coming ahead of us and be together!!" [10:58 PM]

The schedules in this post are only the ones in 2023, and he's been on this kind of schedule for 8 years. Except for the time that he got Covid-19, he has never been absent in any schedule.

Without including recording and dance practice, if the schedules that can be seen (official schedules) are of this extent, I think the fans would all understand if he unintentionally shows bad attitude or suddenly wants to rest."

Comments:

[+12, -0] "Actually, all of the idol are busy, but I think no one is as busy as him.. so I feel thankful and I appreciate that he always does his best. Even if he suddenly takes a break, I think I would understand. I love you, Mark."

[+9, -0] "He even did (activities with) SuperM too, back then"

🔗 Original Post

[mariacallous]

China’s economy is limping back to life after President Xi Jinping’s ill-fated “zero covid” decree, but there is one big victim: the country’s efforts to tackle climate change. China’s carbon emissions recently recorded their largest annual jump and are on track to reach an all-time high. Fueled by new Chinese Communist Party (CCP) language that posits coal as the mainstay of the energy system, domestic production and consumption have ticked up. As has approval of new coal-fired power stations.

Xi’s signature “dual carbon” goals—for China to peak emissions before 2030, and to reach carbon neutrality by 2060—are not yet at risk. But that’s only because of Beijing’s preponderance for setting its climate targets so low to begin with. However, the cost of China now meeting these goals is only going up, and the room for them to do more is shrinking.

The problem is that for the CCP leadership the only thing that matters at present is ensuring a short-term economic bump. Xi’s modest annual growth target of 5 percent must be achieved at all costs. That’s why if we are to have any hope of stopping runaway climate change in time, the West needs a strategy that is as much about climate sticks as it is about carrots. It’s about time we see climate inaction on the same par as human rights abuses or even incursions to international peace and security.

By far the biggest stick available to the west is implementing new green tariffs. These tariffs would increase the cost to China of exporting carbon intensive goods such as cement, steel and aluminum to regions like the European Union where local manufacturers are already subject to strict regulations on their own pollution. For the first time, it would mean a direct hip pocket cost for climate inaction on the Chinese trade balance sheet. It would help force Chinese manufacturers to adapt to lower polluting methods.

In October, the European Union will begin implementing a “carbon border adjustment mechanism” (CBAM), due to be fully operationally in its coverage by 2026. In the United States, both Republicans and Democrats have already taken steps to prepare for a similar scheme. A bill to calculate the emissions intensity of industrial materials produced domestically was recently passed, and there is a possibility of a follow-up to the CHIPS and Science Act or a new standalone “Foreign Pollution Act” bill will put in place the cornerstone of a future scheme—though that is still some time away. In the meantime, the United States and the European Union are also negotiating a green steel deal that will be an important placeholder by individually placing some tariffs on China absent a wider scheme.

The Middle Kingdom hates the idea of green tariffs. For them, trade and climate should never be discussed in the same sentence. It’s easy to see why. Deloitte estimates China will be the most exposed market (behind Russia) to the EU’s new scheme, with €6.5 billion of trade from China affected to begin with. The United Kingdom and Canada are also considering similar schemes. Persuading others like South Korea and Japan—which already have or are implementing domestic carbon markets—to follow suit would help tighten the screws on Beijing by covering over a quarter of their export market. Just as important will be getting developing countries like South Africa (and perhaps even India over time) to also do so to avoid fragmenting the global trade environment they already complain of.

It’s crucial these countries can not only come together, but that they then stick together. When dealing with China, it is always better to move in packs. Unfortunately, Brussels has a propensity for wanting to play the good cop with China to Washington’s bad cop. For instance, a recent commitment by the EU to “better understand and address China’s concerns” with their scheme has raised eyebrows.

Diplomacy therefore still matters. It can also show the foreign policy hard heads in Beijing who continue to set the small playing field for China’s international climate agenda, that this issue is fundamental to China’s global standing and not one that cannot be geopolitically horse traded. Given his proclivity for the opposite, Wang Yi’s return as foreign minister has likely made that job harder in recent weeks.

The bottom line is the world is running out of time for dialogue alone to solve the climate crisis. In May, the World Meteorological Organization said that by 2027 we were more likely than not to breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature limit, widely considered by scientists to be a climate tipping point.

Yet in the face of this, Xi is only standing firm. During a recent visit by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, Xi defended the pace and intensity of China’s actions, which he said “should and must be” determined free of outside interference. And while the resumption of climate talks between the United States and China is a welcome step forward in the geopolitical milieu of the broader relationship, Beijing clearly feels it owes nothing more to Washington.

It’s time get tougher. For the last decade or more, the cornerstone of the West’s approach to China on climate change has simply been to encourage the country to play a part in combatting it. That has had some impact. In 2009, China was prepared to walk away from a proposed global deal in Copenhagen that posited developed and developing countries should be treated the same. But by 2014, China stood alongside the United States and put forward its own plan to reduce emissions that helped pave the way for the Paris Agreement. A shifting domestic zeitgeist as air pollution in Chinese cities, and a greater awareness of the impacts of climate change taking hold was far more consequential for changing the attitude of the CCP leadership. The west needs to help that shifting domestic sentiment along.

For its part, China would say its installed more renewable energy last year and sold more electric vehicles than the rest of the world combined. China is also on track to double its goal for installed solar and wind capacity this decade. But absent a more concerted effort by Beijing, none of this is likely to matter much. More than two-thirds of the world’s installed coal-fired power capacity will soon be in China, if over 300 mooted new plants are built. By the middle of the century, China will also overtake the United States as the world’s largest historical emitter. This will remove its bifurcated defense against responsibility that because it did not cause the issue, it has no responsibility for fixing it.

If the West can move quickly to implement new green tariffs, it won’t take us long to know if they have been effective. In 2025, China along with the rest of the world will be required to set new targets to reduce emissions for a decade ahead. For its part, the United States will be under particular pressure to take a big step up from its goal of a 50 percent to 52 percent emissions reduction by 2030, buoyed by the Inflation Reduction Act’s new measures. Having finally peaked emissions at the end of this decade, the key question for China will be whether they can put them into structural decline. If it doesn’t, the consequences will be felt by us all.