#loona being essentially over is only just hitting me

[lucidicer]

[askaniritual]

You are very brave for the kpop opinion and it's always great to see someone contain multitudes in the things they enjoy. And that comment about SM groups was funny. Do you have any opinions on LOONA?

lol thanks anon

i am primarily an SM enjoyer, like sorry but i know quality when i see it and in my experience stanning groups from new companies with only one group tends to result in heartbreak (RIP to the fiftyfifty stans in the audience). that being said loona is one of the groups ive followed for a while so. my opinions on loona r as follows:

everything about loona from their very inception has absolutely radiated the vibes of a management company that has more money than business sense. kind of a reverse BigHit situation lmfao. like truly just everything about their concept and debut spoke to the worst excesses of kpop: too many members (not your bias though, shes an essential member)*, an absolutely bananas number of releases, and insanely complicated lore that they were never gonna be able to follow through on (my thoughts on kpop lore r like. a whole separate post lol). like lets be real if EXO couldn't make it work idk why anybody thought that the weapons manufacturer turned entertainment company (i know its a subsidiary don't come at me) was gonna be able to pull it off.

i feel like this sounds like i am critical of them, but i think their concept fucking slayed i just also think its pretty clear that jaden jeong is like. good at coming up with cool ideas and really bad at following through on them. like i am wishing for the best for the tripleS girlies but. not holding out a lot of hope that thats gonna go any better. in general he just seems to be bad at managing scope for his creative endeavors so the fact that blockberry was apparently just sending him wheelbarrows of cash and telling him to go crazy was like. probably never going to pan out.

all that being said i loooved their concepts, i thought their videos were really cool and the lore stuff was mostly well executed and it would have been cool to see if they had stuck literally any kind of landing on that. butterfly is a banger, star is genuinely one of my favorite english-language kpop releases and tbh like SUPER slept on (deserved to be a hit over dynamite thats for fuckin sure), odd eye circle is a hell of a subgroup (chaotic is my fav song of theirs), annnnnddd they slayed that cherry bomb dance cover. even tho i think what happened w them was kind of inevitable (and chuu especially didnt deserve that) im glad it seems to sort of halfway mostly worked out for them because the girls are talented!

*yes yes i know nct fan saying a group has too many members lol

[sondertaewonder]

Some of my Series 🩷

I have four series at the moment, but my main three I hold very close to my heart, and I think they’re a pretty good example of my work, so I wanted to share them (and some moodboards I’ve made for them) here!

Please be warned, I am a ✨rambler.✨

Under Your Spell

“The lives and misadventures of boyfriends witch Taehyung and animal shapeshifter Jungkook.”

I started UYS in early 2019 as my fourth fic on Ao3, so it’s my oldest child, lol. It’s an urban fantasy AU because I adore urban fantasy, featuring a witch Taehyung from a magical family, and an animal shapeshifting Jungkook from a non-magical family! The series itself is mostly just a collection of one-shots of different moments from Taekook’s relationship, from life and relationship milestones to mishaps. There’s also one spin-off, though it a LOONA-focused on.

The series is mostly one I come to when I want to write fun smaller works, but even if it’s nothing huge or special, I adore it quite a bit. I’ve rewritten or reworked parts of the series to improve them and have plans to continue fixing up some things that I’m not satisfied with, as well as adding new fics once the inspiration strikes.

Overgrown

“Siberian tiger hybrid Taehyung and German shepherd hybrid Jungkook navigate daily life, the past, and a country that’s still learning to accept them.”

Overgrown is my second oldest series that got its sleepy (ha) start in late 2019 under the series name ‘Animal Instincts (Human Hearts)’, though that obviously eventually changed. I don’t know if there’s a popular term for this, but I like to call it a free hybrid AU — basically just an AU where the hybrids aren’t currently pets. The series follows Siberian tiger hybrid Taehyung and German Shepherd dog hybrid Jungkook in a post-ownable-hybrid South Korea. At the moment it’s a bit focused on Jungkook’s work as a police officer, but the last edition brought in more of Taehyung’s experiences, and the fic I’m working on now will hopefully dive much more into the world building I have in mind for this AU.

The series started out as a simple one-off work, then tentatively grew into a series, and as I’ve worked with it more and came up with more ideas, I’ve found myself being really in-love it. As I tend to do, I’ve done some edits on the original three fics and plan to revise the fourth to better fit with the current work-in-progress. I’m really excited to eventually share it!

Pushing Up Daffodils

“The story of Persephone and Hades, but make it Taekook and ridiculously sappy.”

PUD is a series I started in early 2021, and it’s my longest series, mostly because its first installment is my longest fic yet (one that took over a year to write, yikes). It’s a Greek mythology Hades & Persephone AU that I wrote, first as just a vague idea, and then at the encouragement of a friend. It follows more modern recreations of the original myth, essentially involving a lot less kidnapping (and incest, why was that ever a thing) and a lot more sappy lovebirds. Taehyung takes on the role of an outsider, the King of the Underworld, Hades, and Jungkook of spring god, the curious Kore. The series consists mostly of one main fic, a small sequel, and one tiny in-between flash-fic.

Fanfiction vocabulary has so many hyphens—

This series has a special place in my heart. The main work in it took me a lot time and I put a lot of effort into trying to keep it somewhat historically accurate to the time. I have plans to both rewrite some sections of it (are you noticing that I’m never satisfied?), and to eventually add a modern-time installment, but I’m waiting for the urge to return to the series to hit me before I get into any of that.

So those are my babies 💕 I technically have three other series, one of which was a two-fic Halloween series that I wrote mostly as just writing exercises, and the other two currently only have one installment each (and one isn’t even made a series on Ao3 yet). These are just the ones that make up the bulk of my works, so I feel like they’re the best introduction to what you can expect from me :)

Bye~

[kpoptimeout]

Top 20 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs of the Decade (2010-2019) PART 1

The 2010s has come and gone before we knew it.  

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2018 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below we have created a list of the Top 20 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs of the Decade because 10 spots is not enough to cover the amount of talent slept on.

For these reasons, we will list 10 of them here in PART 1 and an additional 10 in PART 2. This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

100% “U Beauty” (2014)

TOP Media has really failed to make their groups successful since TEEN TOP (and have not really promoted TEEN TOP these days either) and 100% was the first group to fall victim to TOP Media’s poor promotions. Debuting in 2012, the group had so much potential and talent. Rockhyun is arguably one of the best K-Pop main vocals of his generation (which global superstar Rain concurs as a coach on KBS’ “The Unit”) but most K-Pop fans won’t even know.  Out of their repertoire, we found “U Beauty” to be worthy of being in the Top 20 most underrated tracks of the decade because of how catchy and wholesome the song is - boy groups often go for either a very cute or very powerful sound and this was a perfect balance of the two. The boys are able to show their cool and manly side through the powerful choreography and the soothing bridge while the rest of the song is cheerful and sweet. It blows our mind that these boys did not receive more attention in 2014 following such a great track. The boys are still an active boy band so go support their latest releases and check out this underrated gem called “U Beauty”!

A-JAX “INSANE” (2013)

A promising boy band which debuted during DSP Media’s more problematic years (essentially this whole decade until 2016/17), A-JAX never got the promotions they deserved. “INSANE” could have been the right direction for the group to pursue (except DSP gave them cute songs afterwards and later no songs at all). Perhaps because this song was slept on at the time of promotions (the album only sold around 2000 copies) that DSP did not try the sound again. However, it is powerful, slightly dark, yet poppy and fun with a good amount of EDM thrown in. We have had lots of quirky sounding girl groups like f(x), Orange Caramel, Red Velvet and Oh My Girl but not many quirky sounding boy bands since SHINee. “INSANE” was a unique song that could have paved the way for A-JAX to have gone down such a path. While the group has officially disbanded this year, “INSANE” is without a doubt one of the top underrated bops of the decade that you should check out!

B.A.P “WAKE ME UP” (2017)

B.A.P had a great start during their early days and were essentially EXO’s rivals in the 2012-13s and brought the powerful self-produced boy band sound before BTS’ debut. However, likely due to a combination of TS Entertainment being shit and them being shittier after the members sued them during 2014-15, B.A.P never reached the heights of their early 2010s popularity again after returning in 2016 and have officially disbanded in 2019. While B.A.P dropped many underrated bops in their final years, we found “WAKE ME UP” to be the one making our Top 20. Not only was this song wonderful to listen to with the haunting repeats of “WAKE ME UP” in the intro and chorus, but it also has a brilliant message as one of the first K-Pop MVs to clearly illustrate different types of mental illness. Especially since the lyrics also spoke to some of the members, especially leader Bang Yongguk’s own mental health struggles, it was frustrating seeing such a good and heartfelt song receive so little attention in South Korea. If you love meaningful K-Pop tracks, you would love “WAKE ME UP”!

C-Clown “Shaking Heart” (2013)

C-Clown was one of the many amazing new groups in 2012 and had a clear sound and direction of ballad-pop bops. “Shaking Heart” was the last song they made in that style before their company made them go for the more generic mainstream hip-hop heavy sound and it definitely one of the best songs of the decade that was heavily slept on. It showcased the vast talents of the group - Kangjun and Ray’s amazing vocal colour and range (and lowkey still most visually powerful vocal line from a small label), Rome and TK’s contrasting rap styles, Siwoo’s consistency and Maru’s potential in becoming a golden maknae. The group has unfortunately disbanded in 2015, only 3 years after their phenomenal start. While most of the members appear to be doing quite well, with Rome (now going by his birth name Christian Yu) having founded DPR and being a famous K-Pop MV director, Kangjun having a solid modelling career and Maru re-debuting as the main vocal for RnB trio TREI, the group itself could have done so much more if more people took notice of what a bop “Shaking Heart” is and gave them the opportunity to do more tracks of that style. Hence, if you enjoy boy band tracks that combine more ballad styles with pop, this is the song for you!

Dalmatian/DMTN “E.R.” (2012)

Dalmatian, later styled DMTN, was famous K-Pop producer MC Mong’s boy band that was gaining positive attention until member Daniel’s marijuana scandal. Member Simon often still does impromptu fan meets when he travels for work (he is now a coach and producer for idol groups in Japan) but the group has been inactive following 2013. While DMTN may now be a group of the past, their music was without a doubt amazing, with “E.R.” being a perfect example of the epitome early 2010s K-Pop sound (those who heard the DMTN “E.R”/B2ST “Fiction” mashup back then knows what’s up). The song had an emotional chorus filled with amazing ad-libs and beautiful piano instrumentals, a subtle yet sexy choreography and dramatic MV. If you love the early 2010s K-Pop sound, you would love this underrated bop!

GLAM “I Like That” (2013)

Many new K-Pop fans either don’t know them or only know them as the reason Big Hit Entertainment has not been recruiting female trainees for many years now (because one member went off to blackmail world star Lee Byunghun - you can learn all about the drama here). However, GLAM was actually an extremely promising girl group and the first idol group fully produced by Bang PD under Big Hit. Like their now world-famous brother group BTS, GLAM was a group with great vocals and rap, with no problem going hard in choreography and making woke statements (their debut song includes lyrics about being down to kiss boys or girls). “I Like That” was a perfect example of their style and abilities. While the song was just a remake of 1990s K-Pop track "Why Do You" by Chuli and Miae, it was done so well it was essentially GLAM’s own song. It is fun, it is catchy and just a strong and confident girl group bop that existed early in the decade when most girl groups besides 2NE1 and 4Minute did not go hard but cute or sexy. If you love powerful girl group tracks, you would love “I Like That”!

HISTORY “DREAMER” (2013)

The first boy band ever debuting under LOEN Entertainment (now Kakao M), the 5-member group of all visuals had many amazing tracks usually in the vein of dark and sexy concepts. The members were also active in song production and choreography and honestly had everything one could ask for to create a successful group. However, South Korea and overseas K-Pop fans both did not seem to have noticed the existence of such a talented and consistently awesome group and they disbanded in 2017. “DREAMER”, their debut track, is arguably one of the best songs of the decade because of the stage musical style of the song - the piano instrumentals in the verses and the marching band inclusion in the buildup to the chorus, with the crazy smooth footwork and wonderful harmonisation of the boys. There is no other K-Pop boy group song like this. If you are a fan of musicals, this is the song for you!

Ladies’ Code “Galaxy” (2016)

Ladies’ Code had a strong debut, being one of the top rookies in 2013 along with current superstars BTS. While their developing career took a huge blow after the car accident which claimed the lives of two members, EunB and Rise, the remaining girls Ashley, Sojung and Zuny powered on to continue creating amazing music. It is painful to see how their excellence is still ignored by the K-Pop fan base at large. Even Billboard listed “Galaxy” as the #19 best K-Pop track of the decade and very deservingly so. “Galaxy” was their first return as a 3-piece and see the girls take a darker and more mature sound following their earlier fun and quirky retro bops. This transition was done well, as more retro sound choices like jazz instrumentals and 80s chime synths were still used in this comeback as a bridge between the sounds of the two Ladies’ Code eras. The song also complements main vocal Sojung’s exceptionally raspy and low voice very well. These girls are still active and deserve so much more. If you enjoy the darker experimental tracks of f(x), Red Velvet and LOONA, “Galaxy” would be your jam! 

MYNAME “Baby I’m Sorry” (2013)

Debuting in 2011 under legendary Korean RnB duo Fly to the Sky’s Hwanhee’s label, MYNAME was the boy band you knew could sing. And damn they could sing so well. Even the rappers of MYNAME sing typical K-Pop lead vocal quality. For this reason, it made a lot of sense for MYNAME to go for a more ballad-pop sound and flourish in such a musical environment. While they did produce a lot of great songs of that sound, the lack of attention from the Korean public pushed them to go for a more generic hip-hop based boy band sound in 2015. “Baby I’m Sorry” was an example of the greatness of their earlier sound which was just brilliant Korean action drama OST material. The MV was also one of the rare story MVs that make it seem like you are watching a movie (plus the boys acted well). While MYNAME is still active, they now pretty much exclusively promote in Japan, where they are actually appreciated and chart high. In Korea, the members gave their last shot as being idols in KBS’ poorly received survival program “The Unit” and now just act sometimes or model. If you love dramatic ballad-based boy band tracks, you should check out MYNAME’s “Baby I’m Sorry”!

Nine Muses “Wild” (2013)

Once known as the real generals of the Korean military due to their huge fan base among conscripted soldiers, Nine Muses was THE sexy girl group of the decade who somehow always existed between real fame and nugudom during their active years from 2010-2019. Like they have dedicated fans but they never win music show #1s. And the song that should have really put them on the map for all Koreans and K-Pop fans is their 2013 comeback “Wild”. This was just pop perfection - it is catchy, showcases each of the 9 members’ unique vocal colours and performance style, and had some of the sharpest and most in-sync girl group choreography execution of all time. It was also one in a long line of Nine Muse songs that sound like high fashion runaway music and arguably one of the peaks due to the specific line-up of members at the time. Check out “Wild”, if you would like to listen to one of the best K-Pop girl group tracks of the decade!

The other 10 Top 20 Underrated K-Pop Tracks of the Decade are listed in PART 2.

[rosemcrys-blog]

            chicago’s  very  own  𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲  𝐤𝐢𝐦  has  been  spotted  on  madison  avenue  driving  a  𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑠 - 𝑟𝑜𝑦𝑐𝑒  𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑡𝘩  ,  welcome  !  your  resemblance  to  𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔  is  unreal  .  according  to  tmz  ,  you  just  had  your  𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦  𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑  birthday  bash  .   your  chance  of  surviving  new  york  is  uncertain  because  you’re  𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠  ,  but  being  𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔  might  help  you  .  i  think  being  a  𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠  explains  that  .  three  things  that  would  paint  a  better  picture  of  you  would  be  𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐡��𝐫  𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫  𝐨𝐧𝐞  𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬  𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐛𝐞𝐝  ,  𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞  𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬  𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫  𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥  𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  ,  𝐚𝐧𝐝  𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬  𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  .  (  𝐦𝐲  𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬  𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝  𝐨𝐟𝐟  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞  𝐢  𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐨  𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭  𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦  𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐭𝐨  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 .  )  

            for  an  accurate  description  of  me  and  the  man  who  essentially  runs  my  life  ,  please  click  here  for  giggles  .  but  hello  everyone  !  i’m  johnny  ,  twenty - two  ,  and  i  go  by  either  𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞  or  𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫  𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥  pronouns  !  i’m  super  excited  to  be  here  and  i’m  really  excited  to  write  with  everyone  ,  so  i  won’t  keep  my  own  introduction  long  so  we  can  go  ahead  and  hop  into  everything  about  rosemary  !  my  discord  is  𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌  𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙  .#6807  if  that’s  your  preference  for  plotting  over  tumblr  im’s  ,  and  before  i  go  ,  stan  loona  !

𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡  𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞  :  kim  eun - jung  . 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡  𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞  :  rosemary  michelle  kim  . 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞(𝐬)  :  ro  or  romy  ,  only  . 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 / 𝐚𝐠𝐞  :  december  15th  ,  1997  /  22  . 𝐳𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐜  :  sagittarius  . 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬  :  she / her / hers  . 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫  :  cis - female  . 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥  𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  :  bisexual  . 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜  𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  :  biromantic  . 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭  :  5′5″  (  five  foot  ,  five  inches  ) 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧  :  chicago  ,  illinois  (  click  !  ) 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭  𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  :  new  york  ,  ny  (  click  !  ) 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  :  korean - american  . 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲  :  korean  .  𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬  𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧  :  korean  ,  english  ,  and  conversational  portuguese  . 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫  :  ballet  dancer  ;  soloist  with  american  ballet  theater  . 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬  :  alpha  bitch  ,  royal  brat  ,  bratty  teenage  daughter  ,  socialite  ,  daddy’s  girl  ,  and  wicked  witch  .

          kang  eugene  was  a  nineteen  year  old  and  already  living  in  the  wealthy  district  of  gangnam  in  south  korea  thanks  to  her  career  as  a  drama  actress  .  she  mainly  found  her  claim  to  fame  starring  in  coming - of - age  dramas  that  focused  on  high  school  or  university  aged  students  ,  but  she  had  recently  landed  her  dream  leading  role  as  a  chaebol  heiress  looking  for  love  in  a  ruthless  world  .  she  ends  up  meeting  the  love  of  her  life  that  very  year  ,  and  it’s  purely  by  coincidence  ,  when  she  gets  into  a  minor  fender  bender  with  kim  ho - seok  ,  the  heir  of  a  multi - billion  dollar  real  estate  and  construction  conglomerate  ,  who  was  back  in  korea  while  on  vacation  from  school  in  the  states  . 

          eugene  tried  her  best  to  keep  their  relationship  as  friends  ,  mainly  because  her  contract  with  her  company  put  her  on  a  dating  ban  for  a  few  years  ,  but  it  was  nearly  impossible  for  the  young  woman  to  turn  down  his  attempts  at  wooing  her  .  after  a  few  months  of  sneaking  around  ,  eugene  finally  approached  her  company  about  her  dating  ho -seok  ,  and  surprisingly  ,  they  were  on  board  .  eugene  and  ho - seok  had  a  rather  whirlwind  relationship  ,  making  their  relationship  instagram  official  in  the  matter  of  a  month  and  eugene  was  wearing  a  promise  ring  once  they  hit  their  two  month  anniversary  .

          the  only  downside  was  that  eugene  had  to  stay  in  korea  for  her  career  while  ho - seok  returned  to  the  states  for  school  ,  but  they  promised  and  managed  to  make  it  work  .  during  breaks  ,  and  whenever  she  had  time  ,  eugene  was  traveling  to  the  states  and  whenever  the  summer  months  rolled  around  ,  ho - seok  was  back  in  korea  .  it  came  as  a  surprise  to  now  twenty - two  year  old  eugene  when  ho - seok  got  down  on  bended  knee  and  asked  for  her  to  marry  him  at  his  graduation  from  the  university  of  pennsylvania’s  wharton  school  of  business  .  

          both  american  and  korean  media  outlets  were  floored  when  they  discovered  the  couple’s  engagement  ,  and  it  was  hard  to  ignore  the  sizable  ring  that  sat  perched  on  eugene’s  hand  .  so  ,  the  couple  marries  after  six  months  of  planning  in  a  lavish  ceremony  in  bali  ,  indonesia  .  eugene’s  contract  with  her  company  was  up  ,  and  while  she  had  the  chance  to  renew  ,  the  young  actress  decided  that  she  would  take  her  chances  in  america’s  scene  .  the  couple  decide  to  settle  in  chicago  ,  where  ho - seok  was  taking  over  the  new  headquarters  of  his  family’s  company  .  about  eight  months  after  settling  in  their  new  home  ,  eugene  had  exciting  news  :  she  was  pregnant  .

          after  an  instagram  pregnancy  announcement  ,  photoshoot  ,  and  red  carpet  appearances  with  a  protruding  belly  ,  eugene  finally  had  their  first  and  only  baby  girl  ten  days  before  christmas  in  1997  ,  who  they  affectionately  named  eun - jung  .  being  their  only  daughter  ,  eugene  and  ho - seok  smothered  their  daughter  with  the  finest  things  .  if  you  thought  kylie  got  a  lot  for  stormi  ...  that  had  nothing  on  the  kims  .  growing  up  ,  eun - jung  who’s  name  was  assimilated  to  rosemary  ,  attended  the  francis  w.  parker  school  in  chicago  (  they  don’t  wear  uniforms  there  but  i’m  gonna  pretend  that  they  did  because  plaid  pleated  skirts  ?  chef’s  kiss  !  )  for  the  first  few  years  ,  rosemary  seemed  to  not  have  any  interests  in  extracurriculars  ,  only  focusing  on  her  academics  .

          it  wasn’t  until  she  was  around  thirteen  years  old  when  her  parents  took  her  to  see  the  nutcracker  for  her  birthday  that  year  when  she  decided  that  she  wanted  to  be  a  ballerina  .  eugene  and  ho - seok  would  do  anything  for  their  daughter  ,  so  despite  the  people  who  would  laugh  in  their  faces  because  their  thirteen  year  old  daughter  was  just  starting  ballet  ,  they  made  sure  that  she  would  get  whatever  she  wanted  .  the  people  who  laughed  soon  found  themselves  with  egg  on  their  faces  as  rosemary  had  the  natural  ability  to  embrace  the  fine  art  ,  winning  a  top  prize  after  only  a  year  of  training  .  soon  after  ,  she  had  grown  out  of  her  dance  company  and  was  soon  training  with  the  top  coaches  in  chicago  .

          the  sudden  thrust  into  the  dance  circuit  went  straight  to  rosemary’s  head  which  of  course  ,  changed  her  personality  as  a  whole  .  she  entered  the  upper  school  with  her  head  held  high  and  her  posture  straight  ,  never  letting  those  around  them  forget  who  she  was  .  rosemary  often  found  herself  meddling  and  treating  others  without  kindness  ,  bullying  those  around  her  especially  when  she  wanted  something  .  when  it  came  to  yearbook  superlatives  ,  rosemary  got  whatever  she  wanted  because  she  used  her  parents’  donations  over  them  and  promised  things  that  she  had  no  interest  in  fulfilling  .  rosemary  was  quite  the  bitch  throughout  her  high  school  career  ,  and  she  only  ever  really  had  superficial  friends  who  only  stuck  close  because  of  her  father’s  billion  dollar  net  worth  .  

          during  her  high  school  years  ,  rosemary’s  bullying  had  never  gotten  the  physical  realm  ,  but  she  had  definitely  done  a  number  on  those  of  a  lower  social  status  (  yuck  )  .  however  ,  rosemary  was  able  to  continue  with  her  ballet  (  and  even  managed  to  have  a  completely  different  personality  when  around  her  ballerina  ‘  friends  ’  )  .  during  her  summers  before  her  junior  and  senior  years  ,  rosemary  traveled  to  new  york  where  she  spent  summers  training  with  the  american  ballet  theatre  .  come  her  graduation  from  high  school  when  she  was  only  eighteen  years  old  ,  rosemary  moved  out  of  her  parents’  home  in  chicago  to  her  current  apartment  in  the  plaza  hotel  ,  as  she  was  invited  to  become  a  member  of  abt’s  corps  de  ballet  .  she  participated  in  a  number  of  performances  ,  ranging  from  romeo  &  juliet  to  swan  lake  to  the  sleeping  beauty  .  after  four  years  ,  rosemary  was  promoted  to  soloist  ,  and  she  made  full  circle  when  she  made  her  soloist  debut  as  clara  in  abt’s  production  of  the  nutcracker  .  her  all  time  dream  is  to  become  a  principal  dancer  within  the  company  .

          outside  of  her  career  in  dance  ,  rosemary  is  a  brand  spokeswoman  and  stage  performer  ,  often  participating  in  broadway  productions  during  the  off - season  of  abt  .  

          when  it  comes  to  her  personality  ,  rosemary  is  every  inch  the  girl  that’s  clearly  had  a  silver  spoon  in  her  mouth  since  birth  .  she  was  always  one  of  the  popular  girls  in  her  grade  ,  so  naturally  that  went  to  her  head  .  of  course  she’s  used  to  being  amongst  the  richest  in  her  school  ,  but  rosemary  still  rides  on  an  extremely  high  horse  .  she’s  ridiculously  petty  and  can  be  quite  manipulative  at  times  ,  also  pulling  out  her  bratty  side  whenever  she  feels  like  she  needs  to  use  it  .  she’s  mean  and  vindictive  ,  especially  when  she  feels  like  someone  has  done  something  wrong  to  her  (  no  matter  how  small  it  may  be  )  .  she  can  be  nice  when  she  wants  to  be  and  it  all  depends  on  if  people  are  gonna  challenge  her  or  not  .  for  the  most  part  ,  she  can  be  chill  but  she  100000%  believes  in  the  philosophy  of  if  you  can’t  take  it  ,  don’t  dish  it  out  .

          i  ...  would  put  a  list  of  wanted  connections  here  ,  but  i  kind  of  prefer  brainstorming  or  going  based  on  chemistry  !  that  being  said  ,  i  do  have  a  wanted  connections  tag  that  can  be  found  on  my  page  (  for  whatever  reason  tumblr  is  saying  it  doesn’t  exist  but  i  promise  ,  the  posts  are  there >:/  )  !

[rxmvns-blog1]

                𝐇𝐈,  𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒  !  i’m  𝒅𝒓𝒊  (twenty,  she/her,  pst)  !  i  was  late  posting  my  intro  for  the  first  iteration  for  pinky,  so  nothing  has  really  changed,  huh  ?  some  fun  facts  about  me  are  that  i  have  the  incredibly  dangerous  combo  of  high  ambition  and  poor  time  management  and  i’d  risk  it  all  for  a.c.e,  ateez,  and  loona  !  i’m  back  with  ya  fav  skater  eboy(?)  roman,  so  if  you’re  interested  in  plotting  connections,  feel  free  to  im  me  or  ask  for  my  discord  (where  i  would  be  way  easier  to  reach)  !

                *  𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊  𝒔𝒂𝒏.  𝒉𝒆/𝒉𝒊𝒎.  𝒄𝒊𝒔  𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆.  ╱  i  am  pretty  sure  i  saw  𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏  𝒋𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒈  at  manon’s  party  that  night.  the  𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚  year  old  is  in  their  𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅  year  at  west  bridge  studying  𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒎.  i  hear  they  were  at  manon’s  party  because  𝒉𝒆  𝒘𝒂𝒔  𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅  𝒕𝒐  𝒃𝒆  𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈  𝒂  𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅  𝒖𝒑  𝒃𝒖𝒕  𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕  𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅  𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.  i  wonder  if  they  got  the  same  restricted  call  as  us.  will  they  comply?  +  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕  𝒐𝒇  𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒍𝒚  𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒅  𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆,  𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒅𝒔  𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅  𝒐𝒏  𝒂  𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎  𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍,  𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈  𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆  𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅  𝒊𝒏  𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈  𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔  𝒂𝒕  𝟐𝒂𝒎.

c://roman_jeong//quick_stats.txt

full name: roman jeong / jeong jinwoo (정진우)

age: twenty

pronouns: he/him, cis male

orientation: bisexual

zodiac: scorpio

place of birth: san jose, california

c://roman_jeong//history.txt

born in san jose, california, roman lived with his parents and little sister clarissa until the age of eight, when his mom left them in pursuit of an old flame from high school that she apparently never got over. their dad tried to raise them for maybe… a few months… before realizing he had close to no parenting ability. he and clarissa were sent to live with their rich aunt in wisconsin, and they’ve been there ever since.

listen… their aunt turned out to be a Helicopter Mom to them and it was… super suffocating, especially to roman. she expected so much out of them and tried to force her own dreams onto them but he was just Not Feeling It. he’d always hit her with the “ur not even my real mom” line. despite being a rather intelligent dude with a relatively quick wit, he put the bare minimum into school (especially around the halfway point in high school) … but still lowkey wanted to do well. he was the guy who always found a way to get test answers inconspicuously and found ways to work around the turnitin system, ya feel? tl;dr: smart and capable, but incredibly unmotivated

when he was fifteen, he found out (while eavesdropping on one of his aunt’s phone calls) that his dad had gotten remarried and had twins with his new wife, a girl and a boy. furious over the fact that this was kept a secret from him for two years, he went to rant about it to his sister, who told him that they should just keep pretending like they don’t know. roman suddenly couldn’t hear, and during dinner that night, he brought it up and it was an angsty time.

after this revelation, he began Acting Out more because he hated the idea that their dad just sent them away almost like it was nothing but ended up raising an entirely new family of his own afterward. it started to feel like it was him and his sister against the world, and even to this day he would do anything for her. he got into fights a lot in high school because he gets defensive and doesn’t know when to Stop. his temper is… so short…

he took a photography class his junior year high school and just… really enjoyed it?? it was practically the only class he actually wanted to Try in. his teacher noticed this, and they ended up being pretty close. when roman wasn’t out messing around, he spent a lot of time hanging in the classroom and talking about life and photography. probably the One adult he respected, but his teacher ended up moving to new york shortly after he graduated high school. it felt like he was being abandoned once again (yikes!!!) even tho he knew it had nothing to do with him.

but yeah, for the past few years, roman has just been studying film (his aunt thinks he’s there for engineering but he did a switchy switch… haha keep it a secret!), doing freelance photography on the side, and fuckin’ shit up ! his sister is currently going to school in california, and her decision to attend berkeley lowkey rubbed him the wrong way since it’s relatively close to where their dad lives and he doesn’t want thim to reach out to clarissa or anything because he’s supposed to be dead to them.

c://roman_jeong//personality.txt

people think roman comes off as intimidating, but they’re not entirely wrong. he takes a while to warm up to people, and even then, he doesn’t have a lot of actual friends.

he doesn’t express it often, but he would literally do anything for his sister and close friends. can be incredibly protective. no kidding, his sister has complained that people didn’t want to date her because they were afraid of him KJDHGDSG

you know that friend who is able to find a persons facebook page and essentially everything about them with very, very minimal information given? yeah, that’s roman. he :// lowkey keeps up with his dad through facebook bc all of his wife’s posts are public :// he looks at posts of their family and just Suffers… it’s so bad!!!

he is the type of person that won’t share his own food but eats other people’s.

listen… you didn’t hear it from me… but he’s really just a softie… he’s just scared

doesn’t know what it’s like not to hold a grudge

acts on impulse and emotion often

c://roman_jeong//fun_facts.txt

can and will argue about the superiority of ice cream over frozen yogurt

has an emotional connection to cats and will stop to pet one; also has a cat and he loves her with his entire being

is sustained by coffee and sarcasm; drinks his coffee black

romcoms are his guilty pleasure tho they lowkey make him feel a sort of longing

his bedroom wall is covered in polaroids, which are of his friends, scenery, and neighborhood stray cats! but mostly his friends. he loves taking pictures of his friends :/ he also loves the idea of polaroids capturing a singular moment unlike how digital cameras can be used to get the Perfect Shot after like… 30 tries

has that one second every day app

mildly allergic to bananas but didn’t realize it until he asked a friend if they liked the tingly feeling they get when they eat bananas

pushing people around in shopping carts at 2am/being pushed is one of his favorite pastimes

“u can’t wear thrasher unless u can deepthroat an entire skateboard” is his instagram bio and he thinks thrasher elitists can choke. bought all of his friends black thrasher hoodies for christmas in an act of spite.

going off of that, he started saying “sk8 or die” ironically but now he can’t stop

will look you in the eyes when he holds a conversation; this is sometimes terrifying bc it rly looks like he’s staring into your SOUL but tbh he just be like that

can solve rubix cubes very fast!! when he was 13 he once spent an entire night studying rubix cube algorithms online bc he didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t solve one

walks fast DGJHGS like slow down speed racer where r u goin

c://roman_jeong//that_night.txt

roman didn’t even want to Be at the party, let alone get entangled in the Big Mess

he showed up around 15 minutes before they found manon’s body, only in the area to pick up a friend after receiving a phone call

he went inside to seek them out, but little did he know what would take place 5 minutes later.

he finds it kinda unfair (and shitty karma) that he was brought into everything… but then again, a girl Died, so he doesn’t really have the right to complain.

[k-reviews]

2018 IN REVIEW: ALBUMS/EPS

The time has come for us to have a look back on the 2018′s most memorable and impressive albums and EPs. As per usual, it was not possible to listen and to and review every album which dropped this year however conscious effort was made throughout the year to listen to as many as possible and to review them whenever time permitted. Following last year’s format, this list will outline a top list of 10 albums/EPs released this year. The placement of the entries are based on a mix of review scores/critical opinion and my own personal enjoyment and preferences. One entry per artist was permitted. 

In case you missed the 2018 Top 15 Singles roundup you can catch that here.

2017 - Singles

2017 - Albums

10. LOONA - [++]

Taking their sweet time before finally uniting, the payoff was mostly worth it; resulting in a tight 6 track EP filled with bubbly ideas that are expressed through its charming production and glistening performances. LOONA demonstrated a commendable degree of versatility in the sounds they approached on ‘[++]’, from the frenetically sweet title track ‘Hi High’ to the soaring ‘Heat’ and the hard hitting impact of pre-release banger ‘Favorite’, LOONA lay down foundations that paint a bright future for the group. [Full Review] 

Recommended Track: Perfect Love

9. Giriboy - Science Fiction Music

Wasting no time after dropping his most accomplished project yet in last year’s ‘Graduation’, Giriboy stayed busy in 2018 with a myriad of collaborations, singles and a winning stint as a producer on SMTM. ‘Science Fiction Music’ is yet another excellent record, filled to the brim with razor sharp production that bleeds with vibrancy, depth and creativity. Giriboy’s performances remain energetic as ever, working in rapping and singing seamlessly. The guests he brings on the record also shine in their own regard. Giriboy continues to elevate himself above his contemporaries as one of Korea’s most engaging MCs. 

Recommended Track: Acrnm (feat. Goretexx)

8. Dreamcatcher - Nightmare: Escape The Era

The rocking girls of Dreamcatcher bring their defining sound to a climax with ‘Escape The Era’, a mostly familiar, but undeniably confident and impactful EP. ‘You And I’ presents gorgeous, open verses with timid, yet emotional vocal melodies that ascend to an explosive chorus. The production across the board has the right amount of polish balanced with just enough grit to give the EP a tangible edge and palpable energy. Flexing effortless vocal performances that work in gorgeous unity with the production, ‘Escape The Era’ is peak Dreamcatcher. [Full Review]

Recommended Track: Mayday

7. EXO - Don’t Mess Up My Tempo

Coming through with arguably their best record since ‘Exodus’, even topping that perhaps is EXO’s ‘Don’t Mess Up My Tempo’. EXO once again demonstrate superb vocal performances whether it be in the bravado that carries the electric nature of lead single ‘Tempo’, or the emotive prowess they bring on the sensual ‘24/7′ and airy ‘With You’. The production is more modest, but infinitely rich throughout - ‘Gravity’ being the shining star in this field. ‘Don’t Mess Up My Tempo’ is a very focused effort that plays within very defined sonic borders without ever feeling static, instead its tracklist courses swimmingly. [Full Review]

Recommended Track: Gravity

6. BoA - Woman

Seemingly each year, there is just one phenomenal straight-up no twist and turns pop record that sets out to do one thing; make great pop and do so with flying colors. BoA does exactly that with ‘Woman’, her ninth and best album to date. Boasting abundantly colorful production in tracks like the fierce title track and the springing ‘Little More’, the record maximizes what’s fun in the current pop landscape while cutting the fat so that it’s just back to back joyrides. The glittery production aside, ‘Woman’ would not be what it is without the charisma that BoA carries herself with in all of her performances throughout. 

Recommended Track: Little More

5. Jonghyun - Poet | Artist

Jonghyun of SHINee’s posthumous album, ‘Poet | Artist’ is a record that incites a myriad of emotions. It brings childish joy in ‘Shinin’ and infectious confidence in ‘Sightseeing’ all leading to the record’s closer ‘Before Our Spring’ which is nothing short of beautiful in its honesty and longing. As always, Jonghyun’s vocal flexibility, and sheer force illuminates the album’s broadly toned production. It can be a confronting listen, but what Jonghyun put together on his final album is ensures that he will be remembered not only for his stature as a successful idol, but as a compelling musician with a kind heart and a sharp ear. 

Recommended Track: Take The Dive

4. Simon Dominic - Darkroom: Roommates Only

Finally following up his debut solo project in 2011, Simon Dominic presents the grim and intoxicating ‘Darkroom: Roommates Only’. Despite its heavy tone, it feels like a cathartic listen as Simon D candidly invites the listener into a dark state of mind that is muddied with anxiety, depression and uncertainty. He evokes moods through his masterful writing; blunt and grounded at times, and others he immerses us in his engaging storytelling, often supplemented by haunting performances that hold onto listeners with a suffocating grip. Sonically, Simon D’s harrowing rapping and singing is over very moody, atmospheric production that intertwine with his performances perfectly. 

Recommended Track: Demolition Man (feat. Kim Jong Seo)

3. Younha - Rescue

Also making an anticipated return in 2018 was Younha with her fifth full length album, ‘Rescue’. ‘Rescue’ has Younha continuing to show her versatility and adaptability as a singer-songwriter as she approaches this record with a subtle, but atmospheric pop flare. The record is still nicely stocked with dreamy ballads that drown listeners in her luscious and crystalline vocal displays like on the opener. Brighter moments on the record truly sparkle, ‘Feel’ is one of the year’s most uplifting tunes that pulses with joy. Younha successfully unites her signature sound with some of the sounds of today, and none of it feels contrived at all. ‘Rescue’ stands proudly and comparable to her best works such as 2012′s ‘Supersonic’. 

Recommended Track: Feel (feat. Chancellor)

2. DAY6 - Shoot Me: Youth Part 1

From the commencement of their EveryDay6 project in 2017, DAY6 have been an unstoppable force and they keep up their momentum with ‘Shoot Me: Youth Part 1′ in 2018. Headed by a fiercely bold lead single of the same name, the record is essentially the foundations laid down in 2017′s ‘Sunrise’ milked to their absolute potential in a compact EP format. The songwriting is incredibly tight and engaging, the performances from the boys both instrumentally and vocally are consistently thrilling and the production is supplemented by nicely toned and textured arrangements. DAY6 hits hard and fast with tracks like ‘Warning’, while also throwing curveballs like ‘Talking To’ in the mix. Whatever you want to label DAY6 as; idol group, idol band, pop rock band, pop punk band - there’s simply no other act doing what they’re doing at this very moment. [Full Review]

Recommended Track: Shoot Me

1. Paloalto & Justhis - 4 The Youth

Uniting two of South Korea’s most technically skilled MCs from two different generations of hip-hop, ‘4 The Youth’ presents a strong case to be one for the history books when it comes to hip-hop records. Paloalto’s demonstrates an effortless mastery in adapting beat to beat with his inhumanly smooth flows which glide over instrumentals with a sense of authority and concurrent airiness. On the other hand, Justhis brings a frenetic energy on his hyper-articulate and precise performances that cut through beats like glass. The duo come together on gorgeous and serene beats like the Groovyroom produced ‘Seoul Romance’ and the cold ‘Brown Eyes Views’ with sensitivity and inspiration. Harder hitting songs like ‘Zombies’ and ‘Cooler Than Cool’ is where our MCs let loose on their flows, with back to back highlight verses filled with cut-throat flows and an unparalleled command of attention between the two. The 22 track, 70 minute runtime could’ve divulged into a chore but thanks to tasteful beat selection and the raw talent of Paloalto and Justhis, ‘4 The Youth’ is a monumental hip-hop record, and the most outstanding record of 2018 overall. [Full Review]

Recommended Track: Switch, No Reason, Zombies