#mnet world klass

[bcatdfox]

Plan(et) B - The Man, The Myth, The Legend [PlanetB #1]

Okay, let's be honest. None of us have any fucking clue what's going on right now. I woke up this morning to the ZeroBaseBraincells server going nuts over this announcement (if you can call a whole website an announcement...) of a brand new audition program from Mnet called 'Planet B'.

Now, based solely on the name, it's clearly supposed to be part of the Planet series (aka, the traumatic experiences known as Girls Planet 999 and Boys Planet, which brought us the lovely Kep1er and Zerobaseone), but other than that, it's a little bit vague. My first interpretation is that it's going to be essentially Road to Boys Planet Season 2, in that whoever competes on this program is going to win not a debut contract, but the chance to appear on Boys Planet 2.0 proper. Which.... sounds like a pretty crappy prize to me, not gonna lie. But the more I think about it, there comes to me a second thought, which I will get into in just a moment.

So, let's look at what little information that's been provided thus far. It's called 'Planet B', it's a new audition program, and they're currently taking applicants. Auditions are open to boys/men over the age of 12 (the lowest age cap is December 31, 2011, which is gross, please stop debuting children) of any nationality who 'love Kpop'. There is currently no maximum age cap, and they're asking for agency trainees, pre-debuted idols, and independent applicants from all over the globe. The only restriction is that, if you're a global applicant, you need to have all your documents in order and have no restrictions in leaving/entering countries. Then, as I was reading back over the... very barebones website, I noticed something else.

My initial assumption about what the show must be came from the line that reads 'Participants selected through Planet B will appear in Mnet's boy group debut program in 2025', which is what implied to me that we were looking at a RTK -> KLW sort of situation. But above that, is a banner that reads 'COMES A MEGA BOY GROUP AUDITION PROJECT'. Now, that could be referring to Planet B, but the order of banners makes me thing it's referring to whatever program Mnet are planning on tormenting us with next year.

With that in mind, my new hypothesis is this: the group that wins Planet B are going to make their debut specifically to appear on Mnet's 2025 show - which is either going to be Kingdom 2 OR a boy group version of Queendom Puzzle. I.e, they're going to essentially recreate TOO going from World Klass straight to RTK back in 2020, but on purpose this time.

This is all speculation of course because we simply don't know what's going on, but I will probably be tuning in anyway, so that'll give me something else to comment on! If you've got any theories of your own, feel free to share them, I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks is going on.

[gowone]

sanity has taken a noticeable dip since TOO promotions ended

[chawoonggi]

someone let chan know i love him

[kyulsoo]

Introducing World Klass’s CHAN!

[antijacob]

sijun (and jungsang) best boys

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Idol Edition)

2020 was shit. But oh boy, at least the music was good.

And it took us a good while to decide on these lists.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 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 are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high but deserves your attention!

Like last year we have a separate post for Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks in 2020 and a list for the Top 10 K-Dramas in 2020 in our opinion, which will drop in the coming days.

Some of the artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (like N.FLYING, SF9 and OH MY GIRL), so hopefully, it happens again!

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.

APRIL “LALALILALA”

APRIL is a very well-rounded girl group but their talents have been squandered by DSP’s mismanagement in recent years. With DSP seeming to try again and with member Naeun’s meteoric rise thanks to acting in webdrama hit “A-TEEN” and the internationally loved K-Drama “Extraordinary You”, “LALALILALA” seemed like the song to finally give APRIL the awards they deserve. Except it did not, which is an absolute shame because “LALALILALA” is easily one of the strongest girl group tracks this year. The futuristic synths and snappy drum instrumental made for a delightful pop track and reminded us of DSP’s heydays of churning out similarly pristine and impactful tracks for KARA and Rainbow. If you were a fan of past DSP girl group bops like KARA’s “Pandora” and "STEP”, this is the song for you!

Cherry Bullet “Hands Up”

Whoever thought of putting “Beethoven” and “girl crush concept” together should get a raise at FNC Entertainment because it worked. Sampling Beethoven’s famous piece “Für Elise” in different parts of the instrumental using different instruments ranging from synths to different keyboards, the producer was able to provide rookie girl group Cherry Bullet with a hip-hop heavy girl crush banger that is catchy and fun. Also, it is clear the girls of Cherry Bullet really enjoy this song, exuding confidence and charm in the choreography and overall performance. After a few listens, you would be nodding to this addictive song and body rolling to the chorus. If you are a fan of girl crush songs, you have to listen to “Hands Up!”

Cignature “ASSA”

Honestly, we are annoyed with C9 Entertainment scrapping the highly talented girl group Good Day after merely one song and their relatively strong run on KBS’ “The UNIT” and re-debuting only some of the girls in Cignature under their sub-label J9. However, we cannot deny that “ASSA” is a powerful track. It is many things at the same time - it covered the quirky girl group demographic with the cute and somewhat bratty sounding introduction where the girls seem to be talking and singing at the same time, then a somewhat mature buildup came out of nowhere with a more raspy and charismatic delivery on the vocals front before an aggressively girl crush drop begins the chorus carried by the members feeling themselves (specifically their hair) with attitude. If you love the quirky sound of fromis_9 and Oh My Girl but also want some OG girl crush energy like 4MINUTE, “ASSA” is your song!

CSVC “No Mercy”

Okay, CSVC is not really an “idol” group in the traditional sense. A project group made up of 4 indie artists (CHEEZE's Dalchong, Stella Jang, Lovey and Park Moonchi), CSVC tries to recreate the 90s girl group sound of legends like S.E.S, Fink.L and Baby VOX and we are here for it. Not only do all four members have the pipes to carry the early K-Pop sound that has heavy RnB influences, they went all out in the song production with the retro reverbs littered throughout the track and new jack-swing inspired intro. The MV was also a love letter to 90s K-Pop girl groups with the intense use of flares, extreme use of lighting, the “futuristic” sets seemingly made of tin-foil and the members all donning all black or all white outfits. If you are a huge fan of 90s K-Pop, CSVC’s “No Mercy” is the song for you!

ELRIS “JACKPOT”

Honestly, we have no idea what the hell HUNUS Entertainment is doing with ELRIS but even with the mismanagement, they continuously give ELRIS great songs and “JACKPOT” is easily one of the best girl group songs of the year. It builds up from silky vocals to strong rap, which is followed by wonderful harmonisation before we dive into a two-part chorus which made use of the members’ strong vocals as well as gave us catchy moments to sing along to. The music video is also a delight, with the girls dancing on a stage built to look like a roulette. The addition of the 2 members also made ELRIS’ already powerful stages even more impactful. We have been hearing rumours of disbandment but we hope it is not true. If you want to listen to the definition of a well-rounded and fun K-pop girl group track, ELRIS’ “JACKPOT” is THAT SONG!

IMFACT “Lie”

IMFACT is truly a strong boy band with great vocals and strong song production skills of their own yet they CONTINUE to be SLEPT on. I mean being managed by Star Empire Entertainment does not help but it is ridiculous how little domestic and international support they have. They have a distinct sound which they continue in “Lie” - electropop infused with K-Pop song structures and a generous use of unique drums patterns. If you love electropop and K-Pop, it is time to stan IMFACT and check out this amazing song!

NATURE “Girls”

Maybe n.CH Entertainment go a boost in Mnet money after taking on the job to manage TOO after Mnet’s “To Be World Klass” show because their budget really went up and it shows in NATURE’s “Girls”. This song is truly a masterpiece. The chorus is like what you would expect of a club banger EDM track but the verses are made up of clean vocals exhibiting anguish and longing over a relatively simple beat and the bridge was orchestral instrumentals mixed with the drumming of a marching band and the loud chants of the girls. The music video is also simple yet haunting. If you like the darker tracks of 9MUSES and RAINBOW like “Sleepless Night” and “Black Swan�� but also the electronic sound of Berry Good in “Don’t Believe” days, this is the song for you for you!

ONEWE “End of Spring”

We need more bands making it in mainstream K-Pop and ONEWE’s “End of Spring” gives us another reason why we think so. “End of Spring” is a breath of fresh air in this year of mainly 80s retro dance tracks and hip-hop heavy pop songs in the K-Pop world, as it instead went for a pop rock sound more reminiscent of American pop rock acts like Train in “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and One Republic in “Counting Stars” but with a dose of the energy in a teen summer party. If you enjoy a fun pop rock song, ONEWE’s “End of Spring” is the song for you!

OnlyOneOf “dOra maar”

OnlyOneOf is a rookie group with a lot of potential given their heavily alternative RnB and overall escape room-esque sound. They had many great songs in 2020 with wonderful music videos but our favourite here at K-Pop Timeout has to be the MV-less “dOra maar”. This laid back and smooth song showcases each member’s unique vocals and sounds more like a top Korean RnB artist experimental collaboration than a K-Pop boy band song. Also, it is always fun to see K-Pop artists take inspiration from art and culture of different countries (the titular Dora Maar is a French photographer and the lover of Pablo Picasso). If you are mostly a Korean RnB fan, OnlyOneOf’s “dORa maar” might be your gateway drug into the idol scene!

Weki Meki “COOL”

Fantagio seems to be a bit unsure about which sound to give Weki Meki, as the group swings between aggressive and catchy girl crush songs to more generic cute summer songs like a pendulum. They should really consider keeping Weki Meki with the sound they found in “COOL” because the girls really carried this supermodel runway power walk song with poise and confidence. While we have seen boy bands dabble in the runway model sound such as IN2IT in “Snapshot”, SF9 in “Now or Never” and KNK in “Sunset”, we have actually rarely seen girl groups going for this expensive sound. Additionally, the music video for this song is powerful, with the scene of the girls facing each other and vogueing in a long dark room being highly memorable. If you love power girl crushes or any of these boy band songs we have mentioned above, you would really like this song!

Special Mentions of Underrated Debuts:

There were many strong debuts this year and I would like to mention 2 underrated rookie groups to look out for in 2021!

Male - E’LAST “Tears of Chaos”

While more and more male groups are debuting with either badass or cute images, E’LAST decided to enter the K-Pop world with a highly orchestral sound. And the boys have the talent and visuals to carry such a dramatic and theatrical concept. Their label E Entertainment, also seems to have every intent to do the most for these boys, as seen in the production quality of their MVs. With these boys already dropping new material right now, you all should keep an eye on them! 

FEMALE - woo!ah! “Bad Girl”

With many strong female group debuts this year, you may have missed woo!ah!, from the small label of NV Entertainment. This small company in fact is led by SM China’s former CEO and this person certainly has an eye for talent because woo!ah! is a very balanced 5 member girl group that has a lot of potential to make it big. In fact, the group is beginning to develop an international following, with “Bad Girl” reaching #1 in the Vietnam's biggest music platform, edging out both aespa’s “Black Mamba” and BLACKPINK’s “Lovesick Girls”. They have already followed up with B-Side track promotions so check out these underrated rookies!

[correct-neo]

Your random idol is Chan of TOO!!!

OKAY!

So Chan or Cho Chanhyuk is a rapper, dancer, and producer in the newly debuted group TOO or Ten Oriented Orchestra. It was created off of the survivial show World Klass on Mnet and Chan ranked second on the show. Chan and the rest of his members debuted with TOO on April 1st of this year with the mini album REASON FOR BEING: 仁. The group has nine other members aside from Chan.

Chan was born on December 8th in 1999, dropped out of highschool, was a former SM trainee, is lefthanded and has two tattoos. He's amazing at dancing, amazing at rapping, and has a soundcloud. He posts some of his rap prod. on there, some with his fellow member Chihoon. He and Chihoon are also in a producing group called CUROHAKO.

All of the idols in TOO are exeptionally pretty but Chan really sets a bar. He has a face you wouldn't really expect to see on any random idol, but he definetly stands out in his group. He's still a rookie yet he seems to do things like a well reknown idol and I'm excited to see what he'll bring to us in the coming years. I didn't know about him until today but he seems really cool an I definately have to stan.

Here's his debut song

[heonyz]

who are too?

TOO is the group formed with the trainees from To Be World Klass, a survival show that was on mnet last october!

[kpopmultifan]

Upcoming new k-pop survival show “To Be WORLD KLASS” has released a set of performance videos for the dance position of trainees Kyung Ho & Chan who will be competing for the resulting project global boy group TOO. “To Be WORLD KLASS” is set to begin on October 4th on  MNet.

[fytoo]

World Klass: 🌏 WK Behind Photo 🌏 @ 10.04 Countdown VLIVE "WORLD KLASS" for a Debut Group TOO ✔️FRIDAY 23:00(KST) @ Mnet & VLIVE ✔️SATURDAY 00:20(KST) @ tvN

[gowone]

thinking about how if too was a globally/locally popular group like their fellow mnet groups woonggi could be doing so much promo to these smaller ggs but too are nugus AS WELL

[biasorter]

hello, would you be willing to do a sorter for the 20 trainees in mnet's World Klass survival show?

hmm i don’t know about this show and i usually don’t do survival shows until the final line-up is confimed!

[romeongs]

Wanna One's channel went live today:

But it was an accidental broadcast by participants of World Klass, an MNET survival program

• • •

Wanna One Vlive trended #1 in Korea

...and #14 worldwide

[antijacob]

Okay since we are on topic do you have any recomendation for me, i'm trying to know them better before road to kingdom starts (about TOO)

rn is an awesome time to try and get into them, none of their older stuff from world klass is subbed (the episodes are but,, watching them is a pain in the ass SO dhdh) but their new videos have all been getting subbed within abt a day of posting. anyways:

first and foremost i recommend if you have not already watch all the video teasers for their upcoming album! here and here they are debuting on april 1st with a 5 song mini album and title track “magnolia,” the official mv teaser doesn’t drop until the 25th, but we get the highlight medley before that on the 23rd :~)

now for stuff abt them you can watch their TOO YOU videos on youtube. there’s only a couple, here’s them picking a leader: first video, second

and this video of jisu and chan and chan’s teaching jisu about producing. it’s really cute and chan plays a snippet of a song him and chihoon worked on (it’s called siri)

n this one of minsu and woonggi being adorable

theres also a playlist with their couple of dance covers, they all have TOO+ in the title.

all their other content pretty much is from world klass so it might be confusing to watch because you’ll have an additional 10 people mixed into the videos. but this is a good starting point, it’ll only get easier once they debut. i think they’re doing a show w mnet called TOO DAY so hopefully that’ll be fun !!

[changbeens]

renta and daigo (?) are both from pd japan! and i remember first hearing about world klass shortly after the show started and as much as i liked some of the trainees, i never really followed the show or found it interesting. mnet just kept pumping out survival shows and it just felt like they needed to take a break from that (permanently) since it was just overdone. pd101 groups always had tons of support because of the scale of the show and the success of ioi/trainees from numerous different companies. when it came to trainees no one knew about and just mnet being mnet, too/to1 were behind to begin with. then they were put on rtk which wasn’t doing much for them since no one knew who they were. the members have been through so much and as sad as it is, to1 disbandment doesn’t seem too far away even with new members. — discourse anon (i missed you too!!)

makes perfect sense that both new japanese boys are pd jpn, any idea where yeojeong came from?

mnet were certain that world klass was going to be as successful as produce and they assumed too/to1 would blow up as fast as wannaone and x1. they thought they had THE next big boy group because they're mnet and when it didnt go quite to plan, they didnt really know what to do. putting them on rtk was an act of sabotage (even though we all know the voting on rtk, kingdom, queendom are all rigged). they put an inexperienced group up against years old groups and just let them look fully inexperienced

the whole beginning of too/to1's career was stressful and i'm not surprised that two years in we've lost almost half the original group. to be completely thrown in at the deep end at such young ages (wasnt woonggi like 16 at the time of debut?) has to have been so traumatic. they didnt have long enough as a group to prepare themselves for what was about to happen to them. at the end of it all its led to where we are now

[kpoptimeout]

Winners of Mnet’s survival program WORLD KLASS debut as TOO (Ten Oriented Orchestra) in “Magnolia” MV!

Do you like this dramatic song and MV?