#fake idol

[sug4rsweet]

ᯓ★ // ... Kaori Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 かおり, Hepburn: Takahashi Kaori; born February 6, 1995), also known as Kimberley Ava Takahashi and mononymously known as Kaori, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter, actress, producer, DJ, and fashion designer. Making her debut as a singer in 2011, she has gone on to be one of Japan's most popular singers. She is portrayed by Hirai Momo.

Kaori Takahashi was born on February 6, 1995 in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan as an only child. Born into a wealthy family, her father is Takahashi Hidehiko, a businessman. Her mother is Nakamura Mamiko, a singer-songwriter, socialite, designer, and former member of the eighties idol girl group Onyanko Club.

Takahashi's parents suddenly divorced in 2004, which caused her and her mother to move out of their wealthy neighborhood and into a small apartment in Yanaka, Tokyo. Takahashi and her mother would reside in Yanaka for two years until they moved into her maternal grandparents' home in rural Nakagawa, Nagano, Japan. They lived there briefly, moving to a larger townhouse apartment in Brooklyn shortly after.

After moving to the United States, Takahashi began acting and modeling as a way to support her mother. She attended an audition for Hannah Montana (2006) and secured a supporting role, and would continue working with Disney until 2010. Takahashi signed with Hollywood Records and released music under the label, but her debut album, scheduled for release in 2009, was shelved.

Takahashi attended high school in New York for a year, but moved to attend school in Tokyo in 2010. She would continue her modeling and acting career there, sending her mother a percentage of what she made.

Takahashi speaks Chinese fluently, as her mother studied it while in high school. She also speaks decent Spanish and French, the former of which she learned in high school, and the latter of which her mother also studied.

2005–2010: Career beginnings, stints with Disney, cancelled debut album

Shortly after moving to New York, Takahashi was scouted by IMG Models. She began modeling for magazines such as Seventeen and Elle Girl, for fashion brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, and in commercials for the fashion doll brand Bratz.

Showing an interest in acting due to her love for actresses Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, and Lucy Liu, Takahashi began taking acting classes and auditioning for roles. Due to her inexperience, she didn't get many roles at first. However, she landed a small role in the television series Ugly Betty in 2005.

Around the same time, Takahashi's mother would spot a casting call in a newspaper for socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's reality show The Simple Life, calling for "eccentric families" on the East Coast that Hilton and Richie could live with. Seeing it as an opportunity for her daughter, Mamiko answered the call, and the Takahashi family was chosen by production. The family's episode aired in October 2005.

Takahashi would continue modeling following her role in Ugly Betty until she was convinced to audition for Disney's Hannah Montana. She scored a supporting role in the series, and she received critical acclaim once it premiered.

Following this, Takahashi would star in other TV shows such as the the sitcom Seven Street (2006), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and in the film Cherrytree (2007). She also had a guest role in the show Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). In 2007, she began writing music and recording demos for Hannah Montana and other Disney productions, which included The Princess Protection Program (2008), 16 Wishes (2010), and Shake It Up (2010). Takahashi was also a cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club at this time, remaining on the show until 2008.

In 2008, she had a supporting role in the Emma Roberts-led film Wild Child. Afterwards, she had her first major film role in Lucky, playing the lead character Elizabeth "Lucky" Jones. The role garnered Takahashi a Kids' Choice Award nomination, as well as a Young Artist Award. In September, she was cast as Patrice in the Broadway production of the musical 13. Takahashi's popularity as an actress picked up, and as a result, Disney decided to push her as a singer, as well. Her debut single album, Kimberley, was released on October 9th, 2008. The album's lead single, "Girlfriend," debuted at No. 1 on Radio Disney. That same year, she also appeared in the music video for Miley Cyrus' "7 Things."

In early 2009, Takahashi starred in the television film Anything But, playing the rebellious Riley "Lee" Sawai. It garnered her first nominations at the Teen Choice and MTV Movie & TV Awards.

The same year, Takahashi was in talks with Disney to star in her own television series, but that would never come to fruition. She later confirmed that her debut album, titled Don't Tell, was set for release that year. However, months passed, and after the album's release faced multiple delays, news about it eventually stopped. By early 2010, Takahashi revealed that Don't Tell had been shelved and that she had moved back to Japan to continue school. Disney confirmed the news shortly afterwards.

The last two films Takahashi was in before resuming school was Talk Talk Talk and Superficial (both 2010), which both premiered in theaters to positive reviews. Takahashi contributed to the former’s soundtrack, which became her only album release in the States at the time. She also sang the track used in the opening credits of the latter and a track that appeared on the film’s soundtrack. Takahashi also appeared in a few episodes of the Nickelodeon TV show Victorious, which she also wrote music for.

2011–2015: Other acting roles, debut in Japan, rising popularity

After moving back to Tokyo, Takahashi moved into her maternal aunt and cousin's apartment. While in school, she continued to write music with the help of her mother, and recorded a few songs which would be posted to her Facebook page.

Takahashi would ease back into work through modeling, scoring jobs with Seventeen, Egg, Nylon Japan, Vivi, and S'Cawaii. She modeled for the clothing brands JSG and Fig & Viper, the former of which was founded by former model Kaoru Watanabe. Takahashi was also featured in various commercials, as well as in campaigns for cosmetics brands such as Dolly Wink and ColourPop. She also became an exclusive model for Egg, appearing on five separate covers.

After modeling for a while, Takahashi had a supporting role in the Japanese drama Switch Girl!! (2011). The drama made her popularity as an actress rise in Japan, and later that year, she scored another major film role.

Playing the lead in the film High School Debut, it would do immensely well, becoming one of the most popular teen films in Japan and skyrocketing Takahashi to star status. She was nominated for numerous awards in the country, most notably for the Best Newcomer awards at the Japan Academy Film Prize. Additionally, Takahashi also sang "Heart no Tonari Ni," the song used in the films opening credits, which would go on to chart highly in Japan. As a result, the record label Avex Trax would later contact her and offer her a recording contract.

Takahashi accepted, wanting to restart her music career. After nine months of development and recording, Takahashi released her debut single, "Treat Me (Akachan o Atsukatte)."

Meant to establish her "eccentric" image and technopop sound, "Treat Me" debuted at No. 4 on the Oricon charts, selling over 100,000 units. It fared moderately in the States, landing at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single brought Takahashi back into the public consciousness, and it set the precedent for what would be her debut album.

2012–present: Debut album, expansion into other countries, superstar status

Finally, on February 17, 2012, Takahashi released her debut album, Kaori. It was massively successful, selling over 400,000 units and debuting at No. 2 on the Oricon albums chart. It also did well in the United States, garnering a placement of No. 70 on the Billboard 200. With sales of over a million, Kaori was one of the highest selling albums in Japan by the end of 2012. Takahashi's sophomore album, Sweet 18 (2013), would turn her into a teen idol in the country.

After releasing her second studio album, Takahashi released her debut Chinese album, K.T. (2013). Prior to its release, the single "I'm Not Yours" was released. It topped the Global Chinese Pop Chart, selling over 90,000 units in the country.

In 2020, Takahashi signed with JYP Entertainment and ventured into the Korean pop market with the single "I'm Not Cool" off of her extended play Spicy 'n Sweet. Both the single and album topped the Gaon charts, and Takahashi became the fastest female soloist to garner a first win after just four days. She would achieve a triple crown three weeks later.

With over 10 million albums sold in total, Takahashi is one of the highest-selling musical artists in Japan as of 2024. On September 6, 2024, she released her eighth studio album, CHECK IT!, alongside the single "ESCALATE."

The album sold over 2,500,000 units within its first week, and its projected to be the highest selling album in Japan by the end of the year.

Takahashi is a lesbian, of which she's been open about since her debut in 2012. She has stated that she has known she was into girls since she was in middle school, stating, "I guess I've always been this way. I naturally gravitated towards girls more, but I think it really clicked when I was around 11. I never clicked with boys in a romantic sense."

Since 2014, Takahashi has been dating singer and DJ Elizabeth "Liz" Ronson. The two were in a highly publicized relationship for six years, until they publicly split in 2020. They remained apart for three years, but rekindled their relationship in 2023. In September 2024, Takahashi and Ronson announced that they were engaged after seven years of dating. The two live together in Los Angeles and own a cat, Matcha.

At the age of nine, Takahashi was formally diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Since the start of her career, she has been very open about her experiences with both, and has been an advocate for other neurodivergent individuals.

In 2013, nine years after their publicized divorce, Takahashi's parents were remarried at a small ceremony in France. Takahashi acted as the maid of honor. The year prior, she had seen her father in person for the first time since 2004.

In 2014, Takahashi founded the fashion brand Jazzy. Targeted at mainly teen and young adult audiences, the brand was based around Takahashi's own individual aesthetic, as well as around the gyaru subculture. In 2016, Jazzy expanded into cosmetics and began housing Takahashi's first of two fragrances, Electric Pink. The brand, now worth over USD$400 million, is well-known for its eyewear, handbags, and accessories.

Takahashi began deejaying in 2014, following a surprise set at Tommorowland. Since then, she has done sets at Glastonbury, Coachella, and at the Governor's Ball in New York City.

In 2014, Takahashi became the face for Moschino's Toy 2 fragrance, but left the brand shortly after. In 2016, Takahashi was named the global ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion house Versace, which was teased in an Instagram post in April of that year. She became the face of the brand's Crystal Noir fragrance shortly after, and has remained with them since.

In 2016, she became the ambassador for SK-II, the largest luxury skincare company in Japan. A year later, Takahashi was chosen as the face of MAC Cosmetics, signing a USD$10 million contract with the brand. She was later featured in a pictorial for their Viva Glam lipstick line in Vogue Japan.

Takahashi has also been named the global ambassador of Bulgari in 2018, and Hermes the following year, and Marc Jacobs in 2022. In 2020, she became the model for Chum Churum, a soju brand founded in South Korea.

The following year, Takahashi was named the ambassador for South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. In 2022, she partnered with the brand to create her own limited edition line of sunglasses. The line, called Kashi x Gentle Monster, was sold for six months.

In 2023, Takahashi partnered with Push! Color, a colored contact lens brand founded in Japan, to release her own line of colored lenses, called DEJA U. Four separate colors, ranging from light blue to hot pink to gray to yellow, were released in May.

format entirely inspired by @venusvity ! ★

[thececeverse]

OH , WHO'S THAT ?! OH , IT'S KRYSTAL ... !

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ... KRYSTAL TSU, also known as KRYSOO or KRYS, is a fictional soloist under YG Entertainment. Originally starting out as a YouTuber, model, actress, and the internet's resident cool girl, Krystal quickly turned her online persona into a booming business, and she eventually found her way into the music industry. Debuting in 2017 as a Mandopop artist, she branched into K-pop shortly after with the track "Got Ya," and instantly found success. She has since gone down as an iconic soloist within the industry, known for her upbeat sound and second generation feel.

... BASICS

STAGE NAME // Krys (크리스)

BIRTH NAME // Krystal Karlie Tsu

CHINESE NAME // Xu Changchang (徐昌昌)

KOREAN NAME // Soo Kyung-ah (수경아)

BIRTHDAY // January 25th, 1996

BIRTHPLACE // Shanghai, China

HOMETOWN // Beverly Hills, California

ETHNICITY // Chinese

NATIONALITY // Chinese-American

... PHYSICAL

FACE CLAIM // Shen Xiaoting

HEIGHT // 5'9" 1/2 (177 cm)

BLOOD TYPE // B

... CAREER

OCCUPATION // Idol, songwriter, dancer, actress, model, YouTuber, businesswoman

YEARS ACTIVE // 2017–present

COMPANY // YG Entertainment, Interscope Records, Gold Typhoon

SURVIVAL SHOWS // Girls Planet 999 (2021)

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ ... Krystal Tsu was born in Shanghai, China into a relatively wealthy family. Her father is the chairman of a large scale real estate company, while her mother is a former model. She's the eldest of two daughters, with her younger sister—Stephanie—being an actress herself. Krystal and her family didn't spend much time in China, as two years after she was born, they moved to Beverly Hills. Her father was looking to expand his business, and California seemed like the perfect place to do so.

Krystal would thus spend the rest of her life on the West Coast, and her desire to start a career in the entertainment industry would start early. At six, she was entered into jazz dance lessons by her mother to help with her balance and to help her develop a hobby, and she would remain in those lessons for the next eleven years. However, two years later, Krystal would look to become an actress after falling in love with actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Lindsay Lohan. She couldn't juggle both acting and dance lessons, though, so her mother—with the help of a family friend who happened to be a photographer—had her begin modeling in hopes that it would lead to an acting career.

She wouldn't take modeling too seriously until 2013, when she would unexpectedly go viral. After a photo of her with Rihanna surfaced, the internet was scrambling to find out who she was. That led to the discovery of her Instagram account, and all of that prompted Krystal to revitalize her previously dead YouTube account, which had already been in existence since 2009. She used it to indulge in another hobby of hers, which was makeup, and she quickly became an internet celebrity overnight.

By 2014, Krystal had reached mainstream fame in the States. With nearly 2 million subscribers, she was an idol for young girls across the country, and was labeled as the internet's "cool girl." She was specifically noted for her head of blue hair, which would cycle through a few other bold colors over the next few years. Within the next year, Krystal would capitalize on her fame by turning her online persona into a fashion empire, founding the pop culture phenomenon of a brand I-Kon. 2016 saw the founding of Kosmetics, Krystal's very own beauty brand. It was just as successful as its predecessor, seeing significant success in Asia. Krystal would continue to be successful as a businesswoman, and would establish a parent company—KRYSTAL TSU—three years later.

Aside from her booming social media, fashion, acting, and modeling careers, Krystal had always loved singing. She spent her life before fame and her earlier career posting song covers to her Instagram, after all. She decided to give a music career a go in 2017, when she unexpectedly signed with Gold Typhoon early in the year. She would make her debut shortly after with the track "Medusa." The album which spawned the single—XI—was a smash hit in China, topping multiple charts and selling over four million copies to date.

Due to her interest in K-pop, Krystal decided that a debut in Korea wouldn't hurt, either. After signing with YG, she would make her debut on November 17th, 2017 with the album Khrysalis. Her debut single was lauded for its unique pop rock sound, which "came out of nowhere." It got Krystal her first and only win that era, and also made quite the splash on the charts. However, the album's second single saw a bit more popularity. "Change" became the dance track of the year, and its complex choreography spawned multiple covers across the internet. Eventually, Krystal also made her debut in the States in 2019 with the single "Like This," which would be a modest success. She released an album the following year, but she hasn't returned to the Western market since.

With successful careers in multiple industries and a concept that's known for its refreshing vibe throughout the K-pop industry, Krystal has cemented herself as an It girl and iconic artist, and as one who isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

[p0pstarz]

" WE'RE SOFT 'N SWEET , LIKE A STRAWBERRY CUPCAKE ... ! "

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ ♡ ۫ . 🧁 ... PINK MARMALADE is an 8-member fictional girl group under SM Entertainment. Debuting on February 14th, 2019, they've gone on to be one of K-pop's most successful girl groups, often being praised for their ability to capture the vibe of second generation girl groups and their ability to retain their cute, feminine concept in a sea of dark, girl crush ones. They're often referred to as the "Nation's Daughters" and "Girls' Generation's little sisters."

♡ ... by cece , creator of @urmykrushhh & @thececeverse

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ ♡ ۫ . 🧁 ... MASTERLIST // coming soon ... !

[rosesnthornz]

🌹 — ROSES is the first KOREAN LANGUAGE full album by LEE JANG-MI, released on august 9th, 2019 by YG ENTERTAINMENT. it consists of TWELVE tracks, including the title track “BELLA DONNA.” released to much acclaim and commercial success, the album was seen as one of the best debuts in the industry, and it was the MOST SUCCESSFUL debut album by a female soloist under YG in south korea until the release of ME in 2023. however, it remains the most successful debut album by a soloist under YG internationally.

🌹 — TRACK LISTING !

SHE ! PRE-RELEASE SINGLE

BELLA DONNA ! LEAD SINGLE

ROUGE ! B-SIDE

ANYTHING BUT

GOING, GOING, GONE

LIKE THAT

DIFFERENT

UP THE WALL / 벽 위로

BY THE PHONE (AGAIN) / 다시

ROLL

YOU AND I

SAY THE WORD

🌹 — COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE !

once pre-orders for ROSES began shortly after the release of “SHE,” the album was quick to sell. within the first week, it surpassed 700,000 pre-orders. within two weeks, it cracked a MILLION pre-orders, becoming the first album by a female soloist to reach such a milestone

“SHE” itself was just as much of a success. it debuted atop the SPOTIFY daily chart, and with over 200,000 units sold, it debuted at number one on the BILLBOARD HOT 100, becoming the first korean language track by a female soloist to top the chart. to JANG-MI’s surprise, it also topped the GAON chart, and won FOUR music show awards. the song remained atop the BILLBOARD chart for FOUR consecutive weeks, while it remained atop the GAON chart for THREE

ROSES saw further success upon its release. within its first week, it sold over 1.5 MILLION copies worldwide, becoming the highest selling album by a female k-pop soloist until it was surpassed four years later. it topped the BILLBOARD 200 with over 300,000 units sold, and also topped charts in japan, the united kingdom, france, germany, the netherlands, australia, and the the philippines. as of 2023, ROSES has sold over 7 MILLION copies worldwide

the album’s lead single “BELLA DONNA” managed to surpass the success seen by “SHE.” with a little over 300,000 units sold, it topped the BILLBOARD HOT 100, remaining there for a staggering SIX weeks. it topped charts in countless other countries, including south korea, where it debuted atop the GAON chart and remained there for FOUR weeks. it became the MOST STREAMED track on SPOTIFY within its first twenty-four hours, and would end up winning NINE music show awards, including a TRIPLE CROWN on M COUNTDOWN

following the release of “ROUGE” as a single, it was quick to replace “BELLA DONNA” on the charts. remaining atop the BILLBOARD HOT 100 chart for THREE weeks and atop the GAON chart for TWO, it won TWO music show awards. it fell into the top ten after its tenure on the charts, but after gaining traction on tiktok, the track rose to a surprising number two on the BILLBOARD chart. additionally, upon the album’s release, every track on it ended up occupying a spot on the ITUNES chart. it also garnered numerous awards at end of the year award shows, including ALBUM OF THE YEAR at the MAMAs

🌹 — CRITICAL RECEPTION !

as expected, ROSES was met with immense critical acclaim. like JANG-MI’s previous works, this album saw the most praise for her vocal performance and lyricism, as well as for the album’s production. as most of the tracks were written, composed, and produced by JANG-MI, many critics claimed that it added to the album’s more personal subject matter when it called for it, making it much more “raw”

receiving a 90 on METACRITIC, this album became one of JANG-MI’s most critically acclaimed albums to date. critics and fans alike fell in love with the richness of its production, as well as for the nuances in her lyrics and the more “gothic”and elegant concept in an industry where girl crush was becoming the norm. many claim that a standout track is “ROUGE,” as its production is a “feast for the ears,” and the lyrics discussing a toxic, failed relationship are some of JANG-MI’s best. other favorites include the pre-release track and the lead single, as well as “ANYTHING BUT,” “LIKE THAT,” “UP THE WALL,” “BY THE PHONE (AGAIN),” and “SAY THE WORD.” the use of R&B in the tracks is seen as one of JANG-MI’s signatures, and the public was pleased to see that it was utilized in her first korean album in addition to more traditional sounding pop

the last track is especially a favorite, as it’s more vocal heavy ballad that was written and composed by JANG-MI in a mere thirty minutes. it discusses the feeling of abandonment, desire to be loved, and confusion that she hadn’t been able to shake for over two decades, which came with the sudden experience of being ripped away from her biological parents before she even got to meet them. critics constantly praised this track, calling it the rawest and most personal one on ROSES

the public ate up this album, claiming it was one of the best debuts in the industry and expressing astonishment that such rich, nuanced production came from YG, especially in its more recent years. although TEDDY PARK handled a lot of the album’s production (alongside MOONSHOT and SHINSADONG TIGER), JANG-MI had complete control over the creative direction, composition, arrangement, and she would constantly give her two cents while in the studio, which explains the album’s depth and diversity. by the end of the year, ROSES was listed on the rankings of many publications and was lauded across the world

🌹 — STYLING !

the styling was so distinct this era, but still very cohesive !

there were flowy fabrics and lighter colors used for “SHE,” shades of red and flower motifs for “BELLA DONNA,” and lace + gothic elements for “ROUGE” ! there was also some corsets used here and there, especially from vivienne westwood

a lot of mirror palais and dior used too sjiwjs like yg went all out for her !

her makeup was very put together for “SHE” and “BELLA DONNA,” featuring soft eyeshadow in shades of pink, red, silver, or white. there were lots of sparkles used, as well as pearls, bows, or flowers around her eyes ! there was this one stage where a lot of pink blush was used on her cheeks, and for “BELLA DONNA,” her signature was red lipstick !

the makeup for “ROUGE” was dark all over, with heavy, smudged eyeliner and colors such as dark purple, dark red, and black. the sparkles were more minimal, but rhinestones were used around JANG-MI’s eyes, and sometimes, her mascara would be done in a way to make it look like she’d been crying ! there were crosses painted around her eyes, broken hearts painted on her cheeks, the whole nine yards !

the styling for her music videos was also insane ! it was so princess like for “SHE,” with lots of florals, corsets, and dresses used ! “BELLA DONNA,” of course, had a lot of cut outs, rose motifs, and shades of red, while “ROUGE” was a combination of the two !

the budget was crazy too bc there was archive mugler, vivienne westwood, dior, and chanel all over the place ! and ofc, JANG-MI had a hand in the styling, as well, bc she put together over twenty outfits for her music videos !

the fashion girlies were eating her looks up, though ! like she truly looked incredible

🌹 — ERA HIGHLIGHTS !

although she was exhausted due to release of her english album earlier in the year, jang-mi had so much fun during this era !

prior to the album’s release, some pretty unique teasers were released !

we got four posters that looked like they were ripped straight out of a vogue editorial, two concept videos (titled “ROSA” + “SPINA”), a moving poster (!!), and a highlight medley in the form of live performances !

the music video teasers were also incredible bc they truly looked like a movie

now buckle up bc a lot happened after the album’s release sjhdjdk

thirty minutes before the release of “BELLA DONNA,” there was a countdown livestream held, and it was so funny bc her staff intentionally chose questions that would annoy her sjiwjsjsk

they even chose questions that she answered already and jang-mi was yelling her head off ! she was tired y’all

at the end, she was asked to give a spoiler, and she almost danced to the entire chorus of her song BSMSJD her staff were all “that’s too much !” and jang-mi was sitting there cheesing

had to get her revenge !

following the music video’s release (which got 70 MILLION views within its first twenty-four hours !), jang-mi was everywhere !

all over korean television, doing a thousand magazine interviews (her puppy interview with buzzfeed is a fan favorite always !), appearing on radio shows, and she even got herself a lil vogue korea cover !

her running man episode was so good ! she was absolutely hilarious, and all the yelling she did gave knetz a new meme sjdksh

she was also on when mom’s asleep ! the promo was serious !

and oh her showcase, y’all,, jang-mi had a crowd of 30,000 at gocheok sky dome,, that many people for a SHOWCASE !

it was fun and it was your typical showcase, but then she found out that her family and her boyfriend came,, oh girl she cried like a baby,, and reportedly, they all took a picture backstage, but we simply never got it

jang-mi wants to protect the identities of her family, and that’s okay !

afterwards, we got a lil live performance on youtube ! it was like tiny desk but not really, and oooo girl that video went so viral

we know jang-mi can sing, but she hit a whistle note during “UP THE WALL” and practically parted the red sea

the band renditions were also so good ! till this day, fans are still begging yg for a live album skjdkdj

at the end of the year, she was a headliner at new year’s rockin’ eve ! she hadn’t been since 2016, so ny rosies were thrilled

girl the labelmate support was strong !

jang-mi was making tiktoks with blackpink almost every day ! when she did the #RougeChallenge (which was HUGE) with lisa the world truly stopped

and girl she and jennie became THEE duo in kpop that year ! just two mothers mothering like

the girls even showed up to jang-mi’s showcase !

and it was too sweet bc they literally trained together ! like at that point they hadn’t seen each other in four YEARS, and then they literally reunited after they both found success like how prophetic is that !

those girls were jang-mi’s best friends when she was a trainee like </3 the reunion was everything truly

and omg the jangtan interactions !

they were crossing paths all over the place like skhwjdjd and they already met during the amas in 2017 so ! they were sat next to each other at award shows, they took pictures at new year’s rockin’ eve, and their tiktok pages were FULL of each other for a good two weeks MSNKJSJS

and she and namjoon clicked ! they were discussing literature every time they saw each other

jang-mi also had a few japanese promos ! she was on the cover of vivi (with a lil rockstar concept going on !), and ofc, she was also all over japanese tv skiwjsj held an album press conference there, too !

all in all, an incredible debut ! jang-mi had to rest for the next 5 years, but the public loved her and she truly made waves <33

[nxmuzluv]

THE FIRST SINGLE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

“GIRLS DON’T CRY” is the debut single by CHOUKA AIKAWA. Released on April 5th, 2024, the song went on to top charts in various countries. Hailed as one of the best debuts of 2024, critics and fans alike fell in love with the song’s “girlish” and carefree production, and praised how Chouka stayed so true to her hyperfeminine, “princesscore” image. The song’s success as caused critics to name her as a pop girl on the rise.

TRACKLIST … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

GIRLS DON’T CRY ! LEAD SINGLE

CAKE ! B-SIDE

GIRLS DON’T CRY (SPED UP)

PHOTOCARDS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Highly praised for its sound and how it fit Chouka’s style, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a resounding success. The music video’s teaser, which was released with no prior notice onto a completely new YouTube channel (“c.a.”) with no previous content (it was later turned into a channel for all of Chouka’s music related endeavors), garnered over 3.2 million views within its first twenty-four hours after Chouka posted it to her Twitter and Instagram accounts. The single’s title was revealed on both platforms an hour later, coinciding with the launch of her official website, which displayed the title alongside a countdown timer.

The song received over 400,000 pre-saves, and the title was trending on Twitter with over a million Tweets. Shortly before “Girls Don’t Cry” dropped, Chouka’s website was updated with the single’s cover, and she posted behind the scenes photos of her on its set, which received over two million likes within the first day.

Upon the song’s release, it was a smash hit. The music video garnered 32 million views within its first 24 hours, finding itself at #1 on YouTube’s trending page, and topping both the Spotify and Apple Music charts. It went on to become the second most streamed song on Spotify in regards to first day streams. “Girls Don’t Cry” topped charts in several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the Philippines (it also managed to remain atop the Oricon chart for seven weeks).

Surprisingly enough, “Girls Don’t Cry” would debut at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with sales of over 200,00 units, despite industry insiders predicting a Top 20 debut; probably due to the song’s immense popularity online. Unfortunately, it would never reach #1, falling to #7 after five weeks and staying there for two until falling off, but Rosettes were still happy to see that Chouka’s debut managed to get that high. In total, the single would sell over 850,000 units within its first week, cracking a million by the end of April.

Additionally, the song was also praised for its lyricism and feminist commentary on how women who are seen as “strong” or “smart” are not allowed to cry or display negative emotions and are expected to act as role models, while women who appear as if they have everything are told to “just deal with it” and that they have “nothing to be upset about.” Many Rosettes (and critics) were also surprised to find out that Chouka had written most of the lyrics, as she never expressed interest in songwriting before.

“Cake” was released as a single a month later, on May 3rd, 2024. Although the music video received over 11 million views within its first twenty-four hours, Rosettes were … a bit divided. It seemed like none of them could figure out whether they liked the song or not, with certain Tweets saying …

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ y’all are just HATERS ! like y’all have truly forgotten what real pop music sounds like bc cake is a hit idc ! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ chouka girl with all due respect i think letting a major label get a hold of you was a mistake ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ no bc this is girly girl music ! it’s cute it’s fun it’s bouncy and it’s so HER ! chouka bby get behind me PUT DOWN THE HATERADE NOWWWW !! ”

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ “ #notmychouka girl why does this sound so EMPTY ??? republic needs to pay for their crimes bc ….. ”

Despite the confusion, “Cake” also went on to top charts. It also debuted atop the Apple Music chart, and came in second beneath “Girls Don’t Cry” on Spotify. It managed to debut at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, although Rosettes were gunning for a higher placement (it was definitely because they couldn’t stop beefing with each other). The song remained on the chart for two weeks (managing to jump to #5 during its second), before completely falling off the Top Ten.

Luckily, more retrospective reviews shows that Rosettes have warmed up to “Cake,” saying that it fit the aesthetic of the lead single. Everyone loved the “sugar sweet” concept that Chouka had going on, and expressed pleasant surprise that her try at a music career was going so well.

STYLING … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

ERA HIGHLIGHTS … ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

Definitely a fun era! Republic was truly pushing this single and girl, it showed. There were billboards playing her music video (Rosettes in New York even crowded around one when it first launched), ads plastered all across YouTube, “Girls Don’t Cry” was all over the radio, and it was the most popular song on TikTok for a good month.

The promotions were insane! Chouka was all over television this era. She was on the Kelly Clarkson Show (which was too cute! Like Kelly literally complimented her accent), she was on Jimmy Fallon, she was on GMA … like you truly could not escape her! She also had a photoshoot with Harper’s Bazaar and people ate it up! It was very Marie Antoinette themed with huge dresses, pastries, and of course, it was shot at a chateau in France!

And of course she had to promote in Japan! Chouka performed both “Girls Don’t Cry” and “Cake” on Music Station, and no one expected either song to have choreography. But the choreo was so cute, and especially for “Girls Don’t Cry!” Like you could truly tell that Chouka was having a blast, and everyone was so surprised at her stage presence because she’s literally a YouTuber. She also held a press conference in Tokyo, and she even got to visit a pop-up event held by Rosettes at a café in her hometown, Kyoto! It was the cutest thing to see her interacting with her fans, and she thanked them at least five times.

Chouka managed to squeeze in Korean promotions, as well! She performed both of her singles on M Countdown, Inkigayo, and The Show, and she was even on Weekly Idol! She held a small fansign for 200 fans who participated in the pre-order and received a “mystery ticket” with their album, and it was so cute! Chouka was cracking jokes with them and receiving SO many gifts (most of which were either pink or ridiculously expensive; she got a lot of bouquets, too!). Her Korean promos even saw the birth of her first fansite, Strawberry Sweet! She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Korea, and after that, Korean promotions ended unfortunately.

Side note, every performance of “Girls Don’t Cry” started with a costume change! It was usually Chouka tearing off a huge ball gown like skirt to reveal her shorter costume underneath, and her performance on M Countdown was literally her playing a princess getting ready for a ball. There was also a lot of ribbons, platform heels, and satin gloves used styling wise, and Chouka’s makeup was always so soft and pink!

Although she didn’t have enough songs to perform a full set, Chouka attended Coachella anyways and met a bunch of Rosettes! Jason (her fiancé) also tagged along, so fans got to meet him, too! Fashion girls were all over her festival looks too … being raised in Milan truly did wonders for her fashion sense.

Girl, the way the “#GirlsDontCryChallenge” blew up on TikTok is insane. The song had over a million videos underneath it by the start of June, and Chouka was doing it with celebs like Kelly, Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, the members of Aespa, the members of Itzy, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Nayeon and Momo from TWICE, Yuju, the members of Viviz, and a few members of Stray Kids and NCT; among others! Chouka also did the challenge with Leeseo, Rei, and Wonyoung of IVE, and the way Dives and Rosettes were across every social media app absolutely freaking out that Chouka and Wonyoung were the same room was truly crazy.

Towards the end of promotions, a full length documentary covering the making of “Girls Don’t Cry,” the music videos, and the subsequent performances premiered on YouTube. It was a mix of professional camera shots and footage personally shot by Chouka herself, which was refreshing since Rosettes got to see a sillier side to her personality. The documentary garnered over 3 million views within the first twenty-four hours, and would end up at #5 on YouTube’s trending page.

At the end of promos, Chouka posted a long, heartfelt letter to her Instagram thanking fans for their support and expressing how surprised she was at the single’s success. She wrote, “I know that you guys have been waiting three years for me to try my hand at music, and words cannot express how happy I am that it was worth the wait. Over these last few months, you all have shown me so much love, and just thinking about it is moving me to tears as I write this! I promise that I’ll repay your support tenfold. You guys truly mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for you. You are truly my other half, even if I unfortunately don’t know you personally (don’t tell Jason I said that). I hope and pray that one day, I’ll be able to meet every single one of you from around the whole world in person, and tell you just how much you mean to me. Until next time, my loves. Ti amo sempre e per sempre. Ciao ciao. ♡”

Additionally, there was also a remix planned with PinkPantheress, but unfortunately, plans ended up falling through because Chouka simply … didn’t want to do it. However, Rosettes ended up finding out about the planned collab, and demand for it was huge. So the remix could happen in the future! Who knows.

All in all, this era was great. It truly showed how much untapped star power Chouka had, and the numbers proved it. It reinforced her “It girl” status, showing that no matter what industry she tried her hand at, she would still dominate. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

[choihaneul]

𓊍 .  ⊹ㅤׄ 🍓   ꒰⠀ 𝟵𝟳    ︵   🥊   ۫ ✧   INSTAGRAM UPDATE: @/aethra see haneul's masterpost

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aethra barbie, seoul 2023 🌸 it was such an honour to be invited!

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NETIZENS REACT (+99, -12) her visuals look so innocent in these photos TT (+12, -82) its so obvious her company had no one else to send with all the other bangtan sonyeondan members being busy (+78, -03) even ten years later, our sweet aethra looks so young isn't she adorable

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ☻︎ :; 🛒 https://asktobe-added-or-removed.co 💬 @venusvity​​ @ateezjuliet​​ @cafemilk-tea​​ @justmochi​​ @cosmicfairygirl

[ensohyun]

ABOUT ENHYPEN’S HYUNI

k-profile | weekly idol self profile | pre-debut life

love life | hyuni in mixnine | hyuni in i-land | wiki

hyuni is a fictional 8th member of k-pop group enhypen.

[ai-idol-magazine]

[elektra-world]

COMMENTS

hanzbananz morning precious kay! You're so pretty!!!

lilywattsrus you are spectacular though

kimyeona76 are u still releasing a solo?

nojamjamie ilyyyyyyyy ❤❤❤❤❤🥰😍🥴😘

[nyxxlikeskpop]

Fake Idol - QWER

This song is interesting.

From my understanding this group has gotten backlash as each member did online streaming before becoming idols?

I think that might be the inspiration behind this song.

It is very interesting and fun to listen to. It sounds kinda Jpop coded or like an anime theme. I like it.

[tilbageidanmark]

There's so much going on here: Greed, Sales of hard liquor, Richie Rich, Gambling, Cigarettes, Flags of a Fake Messiah, Lottery, Boxing, Energy drinks, Monopoly, Bright colours, Ice cream!

Bansky couldn't cram so much into such little wall.

[sug4rsweet]

ᯓ★ ... CHECK IT, GIRL!

YOUR FAVORITE POP STAR RETURNS! THE EIGHTH ALBUM, CHECK IT! 09/26/2024 MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

[thececeverse]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗ so , what does the fanbase think ... ? (DREAMQUEST EP. 1 !)

long story short , they're a little pissed , but better times are ahead , they swear !

— @dreamquest ♡

(inspired by @limegogi !)

[hjnxx]

did you hear? the door is finally open. the girl isn't clueless anymore. she knows now what she failed to understand before. she isn't scared anymore. she knows. she knows. she knows. something has shifted. SEPT 2021.

after radio silence for almost a month from their last known online presence, hijinxx would unexpectedly make their debut on september first, twenty - twenty one with the extended play attitude.

four tracks to the ep's name, the group would win nine awards during its promotional period in total. promoted as a lead single, attitude alone would receive six of those awards, while the other tracks would each receive one award. attitude was promoted for seven weeks ( from september second to october twentieth. )

ahyeon is credited on the ep with the writing, production, and arrangement of attitude and what i want. micha is credited on the ep for co-writing croquis. netizens were pleasantly surprised to see that kq was keeping the theme of having their artists involved in the creative process with their newest venture.

attitude is described as the presentations of the four selves. a series of different emotions being showcased in each track, it is a look into the psyche of each girl. attitude is a state of mind, hence the eerie sounding and low register of the backtrack and most of the vocals. next page’s lyrics are very self explanatory with its lyrics of heartfelt devotion, but weaves in bits of uncertainty despite the insistence on wanting more. what i want is bold in its declaration of seeking companionship, a connection, a bond. and in deriving its name from the sketching of a live—usually nude—model, croquis is a lighthearted take on the difference between a bland sketch and a breathing body.

styling

with attitude, while each member would dress in formal attire, ahyeon’s looks would be more contained ( dressing rigidly, less accessories, minimal makeup ) while the others would have a little more creative flair. this is to distinguish the mind’s conservatism in contrast to the other three in the realm of creative expression. despite so, it’s clear that mind is the one holding down the foundation, evident in ahyeon having most of the killing parts in the stages for this song.

with next page, the styling for the girls becomes a lot more whimsical with flowing dresses, dangling jewelry, and dainty heels. the goal was to capture the feeling of falling in love with eunji as the center focus. her styling is more focused on the youthfulness and naivety of a hopeless crush, with the other’s styling being a lot less extravagant.

what i want’s styling is different from the rest. in searching for a connection, we tend to gravitate towards people with the same values and views as our own–which is showcased in the outfits being the same ‘bland’ color. however, since connection is not based on individuality, we often encounter people with different personalities and opinions, represented in the stylized attire of each member’s outfits. our differences are set aside for the sake of companionship.

and lastly, with croquis, the body centric track focuses on micha’s mannequin inspired styling while the others have more free flowing attire. it’s noted that micha had a hand in designing the looks for the stage outfits, wanting her outfit to represent constriction and awkwardness—while her movements are more rigid, like an unmoving sketch, the others are able to move freely, much like a live model.

left to right — ahyeon, micha, yuina, eunji. in order — attitude, next page, what i want, croquis

debut notes

the girls promoted the hell out of attitude, which granted them the many wins they earned. it's not as if debuts haven’t been blessed with many accolades before. micha, when asked about the netizen reaction to the amount of awards they won on a variety show, would simply say, ‘we put in the work. we’re very thankful that it has been received so positively. we are reaping the rewards of nearly two months of preparations.’

much to the surprise of fans of ateez, it was revealed that hongjoong was also present in the studio due to writing and producing credits also being given to his name. it’s then that it was revealed that ahyeon and hongjoong have been friends since their trainee days, which explained the comfortableness the two exuded together.

when asked how she felt at the end of the ep’s completion, ahyeon would go on to state that it was only just the beginning. ‘‘attitude’ as a body of work can really be taken at face value. it’s four songs released by a new group that debuted out of dozens this year. but to me? ‘attitude’ is the product of us coming together and putting our heart into our work. it’s more than just an ep. it’s someone’s story. it’s our story.’

attitude ( lead single ) entered the gaon music chart at number two for its first week, then topped the chart for another two before dropping back to second place. it would also enter at number five on the billboard’s k-pop hot 100 for two weeks, before peaking at number two for the week of september 18th. attitude ranked fifth on gaon’s year end digital chart, making it the second best-performing girl group song of 2021 just behind brave girls’ ‘rollin’’.

many would praise the song for its addictive and alluring sound, said more specifically for the song’s chorus, post-chorus, and the bridge.

at the end of the year hijinxx would be nominated for and claim a few music awards as well, namely rookie of the year and stage of the year, the latter giving them their first daesang. during the acceptance speech of the rookie award, all the girls were brought to tears, but it was eunji who would capture the hearts of netizens as she tearfully thanked their new fans for supporting her dreams. a clip of her mic picking up the words i never thought i would be here as ahyeon hugged her would gain widespread and heartfelt congratulations from both online viewers and seasoned idols alike.

the music video for attitude received 4 million views within 24 hours of its release on september first. the girls would celebrate this achievement with an acapella version of the song on the eighteenth–debunking rumors of them not singing live while promoting. netizens were quick to highlight eunji’s high runs and vocal adlibs during the bridge and last chorus, praising her for her vocal talent.

out of all four tracks, attitude was unanimously voted as the group favorite, though eunji claims a special place in her heart for next page.

yuina stood out the most as her fancams went viral for her expressive facial features, drawing some to claim overperformance while others flat out called her weird for it. in response, during a live set up in one of kq’s studios, yuina would jokingly minimize her movements as the other three flailed around with much more wilder movements. the joking atmosphere would be abruptly cut short with micha stopping in dead in her tracks to bluntly tell netizens to ‘get a job because she already has one.’ the clip would soon become victim to the clutches of stan twitter.

[rosesnthornz]

A GIRL IN BLOOM.

… COMING 08.09.

[isabaeart]

I needed to vent.