#i'm soooo ready for this summer bop!!!

[monstress]

favorite 2023 korean album releases

episode1: love — soyoon

i loved her first solo album and i have been ecstatic by how much love this album has received because her skills as a songwriter just grew exponentially. what a suave, confident and powerful album. 'till the sun goes up' and 'canada' - the duality of a woman...i'm in love.

dipuc — cacophony

if you're not up to cacophony discography, i would highly recommend this album. from the first track, it was like she's immediately tucking you into her coat - crooning you an intimate sonic odyssey. the run from 'Lean Your Body On Me' to 'End' had me screaminggg. for the season, the track 'Christmas' is gorgeous.

notwitzki — beenzino

dammit...he's still good. beenzino's technical prowess has not slipped since his last release and while i was ready to be punched in the gut, this was a surprisingly tranquil listen. truly just an album perfect for a relaxing night drive with the boys, the girls, and the theys. 'Travel Again' and 'Change' are standouts to me.

pat pat — risso

if you don't find one track you can't groove to on this, you may be entitled to legal compensation. a citypop album i can't get enough of during the summer. the disco track 'SPF' and smooth r&b 'daydreamer' should've hit them to the mainstream stratosphere. it's soooo unfair how they don't have a romance kdrama ost under their belt already.

love pt. 2 — colde

starting out with my number one spotify wrapped artist. what else is there to stay...impeccably engineered k-r&b album with solid bops, an underrated featuring track ('heartbreak club' is the best track of the year to me - the reggae influence, the smoothest beat switch of the album, chan hyuk's 2000s flare rap line delivery), and a surprise cover of a korean indie classic.

sichimi — sumin

a chill, downbeat album to wind down after a long day with an ending that makes you wanna go back to the start. listen to this album just for 'Closet' where sumin and uhm jung hwa are just trying to out queen each other. obsessed.

zip — zion.t

it's been 5 years since his last release that i actually yelled when i saw the notification he released a music video because i wasn't expecting it all. as a long time fan, i loved the evolution you can see from 'oo' with the detour at 'zzz' culminating on this album. witty, eccentric and earworms galore, it's so solid. the lil ditty 'stranger' and the sweeping 'the things i love' (kim hae sol, you don't give me both a jazz solo and a choir in a track and expect it not being my immediate favorite) are gorgeous.

machine boy — silica gel

amazingggg rock album - i was blown away by the first track alone. you know they'd go so hard at concerts. also shoutout to 'machineboygong' for being a nine minute masterpiece which i recommend for you to listen at least once. it'd be remissed not to mention their latest album 'power andre 99' is astonishingly excellent as well.

no one can hunt me — joonie

my favorite experimental album of the year. if you're into electronic, this is a great listen. moody, dystopian, warped tracks that only spiral downwards to isolating madness. it's only four tracks and my fave constantly changes.

____

honorable mentions: yukika's "time lapse", ashmute's 'this place no longer exists', suzanne's "new life, new mind", dpr ian's "dear insanity...", epik high's 'screen time', code kunst's 'archive 01', voyeur's 'same dream, huh yunjin's 'blessing in disguise', thmoon's 'dormant'

[werejusttouchingeachother]

Okay I spoke too soon the last time cause I drowned in another exam that my sleep deprived brain had thought wasn't thaaaat bad for some reason (it was vvvvv bad) but!!!! I've had the entire album on repeat 17+ times now so let's go:

Disclaimer: this will probably be long + memorable lyrics in italics

OBSESSION :

The absolute way this entire track slaps--vocals, raps, adlibs, lyrics, choreo, outfit, the concept! EXO literally redefined dark concept like no other kpop group has done before and I won't go too into it because the MV as a whole is too brilliant to not be analysed by itself so I'll get into details then

TROUBLE :

Kai's "cool hago, mareun smooth hage" adds three years to my lifespan every single time I hear it, first off • The verses' slow beat building to the chorus' timed pace with that "trouble oooooh" is iust glorious, and the entire "good feels bad, bad feels good, wrong feels right, right feels wrong" is so addicting, it stays in your head on repeat • Kai's "Baby you're my goddess" is the single greatest goddess line ever sung after "Neon areumdawa neoneun goddess" (c. Monster) • Kim Jongdae's bridge, sweet lORD UGH

JEKYLL :

Okay this. Is my favourite track on the entire album so imma go off • Baek's smooth intro slowly transitioning into Jongdae's and then Chanyeol's smooth as fuck vocals before Jongin's and then. Then. The build to the pre-chorus with Baek's tone going slightly ominous "its do or die for me" followed by Dae's soft "its coming. Get ready." • After the creepy "warning", Them! All! Singing! Like! This! • Baek's moan • Dae's almost pleading as he asks "why are you pushing me away" • Again! This! As! They! Vehemently! Sing! "I'm! In! Control! Of! You!" • The way they've captured the whole concept of Jekyll, fighting with an alterego inside of you, with the slow build-up to the creepy, ominous prechorus that transitions into the chorus which is like a struggle as they try to quieten and plead with each other with the vehement yelling followed by the soft creepy pleas, its like the voices in your head that trying to overpower each other to be heard, its so perfect • Kai's "oh my my" • Baek's adlibs at Dae's and Junmyeon's part in the second verse • I love that Dae does both the "its coming, get ready" parts cause his voice just flows so perfectly and gives the exact vibe • the "oohs" in the choruses that everyone's dubbing as moans and I can't get over them cause they're equal parts-creepy, equal parts-sexy, you know the ones I'm talking about

GROOVE :

Okay tHIS ONE. this one stays in your head, I had it stuck in my head throughout the exam, the way I had to struggle to not hum out loud • Baek's voice fits this song soooo perfectly, the smooth sultry beginning and Dae's honey vocals' "tell me you'll stay" with the "oh, oh ohhh" at the back is just sooo lulling • the way the beat just pICKS UP • the entire chorus, the way they almost sing it in one breath and Baek's "I just wanna make you grooooove, babe", it shone so much for me throughout this song, his voice is so perfect for this kinda subtly-flirty and sexy vibe • SeChan's entire fucking part made my jaw drop at the way the beat changed and their rap-off just so smoothly transitioned and came through • this music. The flute. The tune right after Yeol's "urin pajjeodeureo kkuuuume" will stay in your head on loop, istg • the way all three members drag out and sing the "kkuuuume" right at the end of the chorus • special shoutout to my man Baek's "grooooove, babe" *falls dead*

YA YA YA :

Okay the second this song starts and the "you're the ooooooone" plays, all I can think of is how Kyungsoo would have made this song his bitch • the entire summer bop vibe this song has, it sounds like something you'd wake up to on a late Sunday afternoon, the retro vibes literally made me recall waking up in time for lunch to the radio blaring songs like these as a kid • who tf does retro vibe like EXO, literally who • that song that'll make you just bop your head along and then before you realise it, you're singing aloud "do you love me, do you love me not" and yelling "YA YA YA" cause those are the lines that do you in • still mad that Kyungsoo isn't part of this, I can just imagine how happy and passionate he'd have been performing this live ugh • I absolutely LOVE the way both ChenBaek sing "paboro mandeureoseo" it sounds soooo good • "baby give me some, cause imma give you some" looplooplooploOP • I love that they started and ended the song in the same way with the "you're the ooooone"

BABY YOU ARE :

This is one of the most summery songs I've heard of theirs in a long time and completely took me off guard cause I expected a ballad from the name or anything but tHIS • beach vibes, sunroof of the car down while you stay up, arms raised as the wind whips the hair in your face • the kinda song that you picture them singing with flirty lil smiles while you grin really hard until your cheeks hurt • Jongin shines so so much on this song, I dont think people give him enough credit for his vocals like yes, he ain't the vocal line but his voice is exactly the way he dances--honey-like and sultry beneath a fierce demeanour, his voice is husky and deep but there's a smoothness that flows when he sings summer romance bops like these in which it just shines gloriously (and this entire album has so much more of his clear vocals and it sounds so so heavenly that I'm actually falling for it bAEK CATCH ME)

NON-STOP :

HEY! A LIL BIT OF LOVE! MY LOVE NON STOP! The way the piano caught me off guard at the beginning right as it becomes -> beach! summer! sunny! I saw a lot of tweets talking about how they found this placement of the tracks in the album kinda off because of the positive vibe as compared to the rest and the fact that they're consecutively placed but I actually appreciate that cause it kinda fits well right after Baby You Are, the mood is more perky and uplifted + BYA sets the mood for this one • also if BYA is flirty smiles and setting off fluttering butterflies in your stomach, this one is just your heart pounding and your head banging as you yell the chorus as loud as you can • like, can you imagine the fanchants? "KKABEULKA! KKABEULKA!" "HEY! A LIL BIT OF LOVE! MY LOVE NONSTOP!" brooo the hype i can't even imagine without getting excited • the retro vibes again + summer + refreshing + its just so fuCKING FUN I DONT GET HOW PEOPLE ARE VOTING THIS AS A SKIP SHSNWJ

DAY AFTER DAY :

Kim Junmyeon's "geure bicheon nawaaaaaa" the lilt in his voice at the nawa the fUCKING LILT, MAN, CAN SOMEONE SAY HONEY • Baek's vocals and the adlibs and Jongdae's all of them blending together in a perfect honeyed harmony with Jongin at the end • Chanyeol. Fucking Chanyeol's singing voice has me weak • this song is like chilly evenings, watching the rain while "oneul doo" fills the room and makes you feel warm in all their vocals and the soothing music

BUTTERFLY EFFECT :

okay the intro had me already • I expected a very quick-paced fast beat song cause LDN like Monster but this was such a pleasant surprise • The chorus is soooo... idk how to explain it but it makes me feel really warm, like I can feel the song rushing through my veins and just exploding from within, the "you're saving my liiiiiife" with the "oh oh oh yeah yeah" in the back and "sara jijima" makes me feel so warm + "angel in my life" gets me grinning too, the warmth in their voices when they sing it, it honestly does bring butterflies • this is the kinda song you play during a long ride in the car late at night when you're on the highway and the kind that isn't toooo loud neither tooo soft but just the right vibe for a night drive • also @starlight-linguist pointed out that Obsession ends with "negeseo sarajyeo" which means get away from me while Butterfly Effect's last line is "sarajiji ma" (don't leave me) and that's just so fucking incredible and clever and brilliant • "angel angel angel" tell me you don't feel like blasting this as loud as possible in the car after hearing that, I dare you

OBSESSION isn't just one of the greatest albums of the year, its one of the greatest of all time and of all of EXO's discography, the versatility in all the tracks is surreal, they took this concept and went to fucking town with it -> the beats, the lyrics, the vocals, SeChan's raps, Jongin's honey vocals, Junmyeon's vocal range, Jongdae's literal versatility with every single fucking track and vibe, Baekhyun's adlibs and destroying every song as per usual, all of it is just the most incredible thing I've heard all year and I mean this in an as unbiased manner as possible but if you aren't listening to EXO, you're seriously missing out

In conclusion or TL;DR:

Stan EXO, stream Obsession

the end.

I'm finally listening to the entire obsession album without a terrifying exam breathing down my neck, today's a great day 🤤

[unmyoongi]

Okay, so I'm curious and i saw that you asked six questions as well, soooo Elis......

4. How did your elementary school teachers describe you?

12. Name of your favourite playlist?

18. Ideal weather?

23. Strange habits?

63. Five songs that you would play in your club?

70. Left or right handed?

Omg I already know this might get long…I apologize hahah

4. The typical lines were “she’s a good student and she’s a pleasure to have in class since she never disturbs anyone, she’s also very tidy. However we’d like to see her interact more with everyone as she seems to talk only with a few of her classmates and rarely with others. She should participate more during lessons too, she listens well but she never asks anything” they always tried to put me near the kids who talked the most in hope of making me more active hahah

12. Probably this one cause I listen to it often to fall asleep

18. When it’s cloudy but bright (does it even make sense..? lol) and there’s that warm breeze blowing. When you can wear short sleeves or a light cardigan without being cold nor hot. Or summer storm weather, I love that too

23. Strange habits would probably be

sleeping with headphones in. I either have to watch videos or listen to music at all costs. Tv or white noise don’t work that much with me

I eat the crust before the rest of the pizza cause I leave the best for last. I do it with any food, I like to leave my favorite part for my last bite (I’m Italian so I’m ready to be disowned after saying this)

I mentioned it a while ago but I tend to do math if I get stressed, for example if I’m going somewhere and get anxious I’ll start adding up the license plate numbers or whatever sequences I happen to see around me

I talk and argue when I disagree with myself a lot, when I’m alone (mostly in English)

I like to sing while doing daily chores (or while playing games, my dog sometimes sits between my legs and falls asleep while I sing to him, it’s a serotonin boost)

I tend to involuntarily mimic the facial expressions of the character I’m reading about or watching on the screen (and cry when they cry without realizing)

I yawn when I feel moved by a movie scene, it’s my automatic response to holding back tears during movies apparently

I sneeze whenever I’m under an air conditioner. Not because of the dust or the cold, it only happens if I’m directly under the air flow. I won’t stop sneezing until I slightly move away. Not too much but I just can’t be directly in contact with it…I literally don’t understand myself

I refuse to talk in the morning, like in the first 30 minutes or so, idc what it is about. I’ll ignore you no matter what because I’m way too sleepy to formulate an answer and actually speak. I just wanna have breakfast and my coffee in peace and then we can discuss world politics but until then it’s gonna be a big no from me

I always bring with me a small bag with “necessities” as in painkillers or meds in general, creams, toiletries etc. cause you never know. Everyone always came to me right away in school if they were feeling unwell, as they knew I had the solution to whatever they might need haha

63. Wow hard one…👀

Gottasadae - Bewhy (honestly he makes many bops)

Pour up - DEAN

Berzerk, She loves me, Discombobulated - Eminem

Mona Lisa - Lil Wayne

R.I.C.O - Meek Mill

NF songs cause 🔥

Red sun - Hangzoo

70. I use my right hand the most but I can actually use both hands for anything, some things are more comfortable if done with my left one, so I could say I’m ambidextrous I guess…