#such an AMAZING song (one of my favorite title tracks from them and in kpop these last few years) that suits them & showcases their colors

[lilidawnonthemoon]

💫 𝓒𝓸𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓬 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓼 🌌

[mysterygrl20]

My Top 9 albums of 2023

I got tagged by @blmpff. thank you 💕

I listen to mainly kpop. So i guess this is my favorite kpop albums of 2023. And my spotify is heavily tied to stationhead for listening parties so it's very biased and unreliable.

First off: Ateez and their 3 EPs they released this year stole my heart and overtook SKZ.

Halazia from Ateez's Spin off: From the Witness was a mini EP. This started my year as they literally released it Dec. 30, 2022 so I didn't add the album cover up there in the top 9. I was also still lowkey freaking out as I had got to see them in concert Nov. 2022 and they had Xikers (pre-debut) perform with them. And I watched this music video way too many times.

1. Outlaw - Ateez. This is a no skip album. I love every single one of these. Don't make me choose a favorite.

2. The World EP.FIN: Will - Ateez. I picked one of my favorite group songs off this but their unit songs are amazing: Everything- Jongho and IT's You (Yeosang, San, Wooyoung)

3. Dual - The Rose. I got to see them TWICE this year: Sept & Oct. 2023 and had a BLAST. This album is amazing. Also I really liked the album cover.

4. Rockstar - Stray Kids. Another no skip album. I got to see SKZ in March 2023 for their Maniac tour. And Mr. Bang keeps me delulu on Bubble.

5. 5-STAR - Stray Kids. [hehe fitting] Another no skip album. My number one song was obviously S-Class. Superbowl shook me to my core. And then they made me cry with Youtiful.

6. Deadlock - Xdinary Heroes. They spelled out FUCK YOU in their title song Freakin' Bad.

7. The Name Chapter: Temptation - Tomorrow x Together. I saw TXT in May 2023... It's an EP of 5 great songs.

8. Dark Blood - Enhypen. My vampires. I literally made a BL gifset to the lyrics of their song Bite Me. Another favorite: Chaconne.

9. House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing - Xikers (and also their other EP: How to Play) I got to shanty (Tricky House) with them pre-debut. I love their concept too. Also Tricky House some how made it in my top 15 songs for 2023.

Honorable Mention:

FML- Seventeen. There's just something about this album I like.

The Name Chapter: Freefall - TXT. Solely for Blue Spring being on it.

SKZ Replay: I also hold this close to my heart as it was a christmas gift from Stray Kids in 2022. So it feels more like a 2023 album. It also has the most whiplash between songs.

Single: Dum Dum - Jeff Satur (and also Steal the Show) but also Macarena - Blitzers and Baggy Jeans - NCT U [which they also added to an album] and the eurovision winner Cha Cha Cha - Käärijä.

or title tracks like: Shalala by Taeyong or Guilty by Taemin that I want to include for reasons.

Favorite OST from 2023: Let's Try from OFTS. I listened to this every Friday waiting for the new episode to be released. And it should have made it into my spotify 2023 playlist. I almost picked MSP's cover of Tilly Bird's Just Being Friendly.

Tagging but no pressure @trashlie, @thatdamngoodlookingbutterfly, @quadruple-agent, @theteatimechronicles @tinytalkingtina @theelast-straw @aceoflights and anyone else who wants to join in.

[byemambo]

We Are Lead Actors as K-Pop Boy Group Concept Photos: A Deep Dive [1/2]

Because I can't be normal about anything, I took it upon myself for self indulgence (rip We Are Wednesdays) to share my takes on which boy group concepts the We Are lead actors are based on their editorials/professional photographs (with my own ideas for future photoshoots). I had a lot of fun with this and if anyone has other comments to add, please feel free to do so!

Pond Naravit as NCT 127 - 2 Baddies

Pond is such an amazing performer (yeah I see them kpop covers!) and I feel like his vibe definitely suits the more modern take on the hip hop concept. His pictorials from ELLE Thailand suited this perfectly, especially with the accessories (the earrings are my personal favorite). I'd love to see Pond's future editorials showcase more accessories and experiment with pattern and cuts of clothing, but keeping it on the darker side. His hair is also his selling point so styling his hair to show his facial features more is a huge plus.

What I'd Love to See: NCT 127 - Favorite (Vampire)

Pond's features can be emphasized by playing around with lighting since his clothing is rather simple, or even utilizing motion blur like Taeil's image second on the left. It's also the era of vampire content in QL recently (still mourning over no Boss as a vampire but we have Zomvivor so I guess I'll let it go this one time) so playing around with set design and props would be interesting, even something as simple as the location of the photoshoot itself to take advantage of the architecture.

Phuwin Tangsakyuen as ATEEZ - BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)

I feel like from the images that I've seen Phuwin in, from his editorials to the fashion brands that named his ambassador like LOEWE, they seem to keep him in a more dapper and polished style such as the Frank Muller photoshoot for the Vanguard Beach watch collection. The green background instantly reminded me of one of the various concepts for ATEEZ's THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW EP featuring BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILI PEPPERS) as its title track, but the clothing for ATEEZ is more cyberpunk influenced to fit their alternate universe in their music video and lore. I'd love to see Phuwin take on more experimental fashion for his future editorials but I'm sure that's a big ask given he's very set on what he wants for himself as a person working in the entertainment world, which I heavily respect.

What I'd Love to See: ATEEZ - 멋(The Real) (흥 : 興 Ver.)

Jongho's hat always sends me but to not take away from Phuwin's dapper style, there can be experimentation with color and pattern with minimal fashion statement accessories. From something as simple as including a turtleneck like San in the second image or adding mismatched pattern like Yeosang's dress shirt in the third image, I think his stylists could include more fun textures into his wardrobe without overwhelming or taking away from his established image.

Winny Thanawin as ONEUS - Baila Conmigo

I was torn knowing that Winny is overdue for a new editorial since L'Officiel and I need someone to get on the ball with that asap. Although I included both images, ONEUS's La Dolce Vita EP had gorgeous photos for their mermaid concept (which I'm still mad at RBW for not even including it anywhere except the story teaser images like bruh not even in the damn MV or physical album), so I can totally see Winny embracing a more oceanic and beach vibe (just from scrolling his Instagram feed with all sorts of photos of the beach or poolside). Blue being his favorite color is also just a no brainer for this type of concept.

What I'd Like to See: ONEUS - 쉽게 쓰여진 노래 (A Song Written Easily)

I need the photographer to take this man outdoors, preferably somewhere along the coast to really utilize the sun and ocean breeze. He also deserves to expand more with his blue tones, given that he seems to wear a lot of it just in every day life. If not a denim set, definitely in some cargo shorts with a Hawaiian inspired shirt.

Satang Kittiphop as P1Harmony - 겁나니 (Scared)

We need to give P1Harmony their flowers because when I saw these Satang photos for KAZZ Magazine, my mind really went to their DISHARMONY: BREAK OUT EP with Scared as the title track. He's also around the members' ages (born between '01 to '05) so if he really wanted to, he could be their secret seventh member (he blends in so well with Keeho in the second image my god). I also think GMMTV should continue marketing Satang's visual image as more tough and badass simply because I find it enjoyable to watch him in series like We Are as the silly goofy little brother archetype while also serving face.

What I'd Love to See: P1Harmony - 때깔 (Killin' It)

Y'all cannot tell me Satang wouldn't suit the best of both worlds with having his edge while also tying in his more silly image from the characters he's played that we know and love. Whether they achieve this look from fun statement pieces like fur coats or bold colors, I'd think seeing Satang push beyond his edgy image and becoming more experimental with his wardrobe would be insane.

If you made it this far, I really appreciate it! Y'all, I don't know anything about fashion like that so please: don't expect too much out of me. I recognize patterns because I'm neurodivergent and have a hyperfixations LOL so I have to split this post up into two due to the image limit (found here) but otherwise, I hope y'all get to check out new music or groups, or even the genre of K-Pop if you're unfamiliar and want to venture into it. All these groups are extremely talented and deserve all the love and support they can get <3

[randomobsessionsofa30something]

My top 15 kpop albums of 2023

It's been a year since I posted something. At this point, I feel I'm only writting to keep a record for myself of my favorites of the year. Still, if anyone cares to read this, know I've posted my favorite korean music and dramas of the year every year since 2016. First up, my favorite albums of 2023.

15. Heize-Last winter. I've honestly been in a Heize break for almost two years because I felt her songs started to sound too much alike but this album got me excited for her music once again. It has bearly been a week since it came out so I did hesitate including it but I think it portrays my favorite style of hers so at the end I was like "yeah, it deserves a spot". Forget me not feauturing BIG NAUGHTY's beautiful vocals is my favorite song of the album. However her title, a collab with 10 cm, is a close second. Picnic of the Night gives us a more uptempo beat and Chan's sweet vocals are so relaxing. I think I will be listening this album a lot in the next few months.

14. PENOMECO-Rorschach (Part 1). Ever since Penomeco entered my radar I have loved pretty much everything he has released. I do prefer his more chill music but this year he brought us more of his hip hop side and released two mini albums called Rorschach, both could have easily made my list but I think at the end of the day I like the album he released in april a bit more, and he does have two songs with Zico in this one, which did tip the balance for me. As I said, I do like his more layback music so my favorite song is Margiela feauturing Paul Blanco. The album starts with strong beats with Boy Pablo (2019) and stays on track with his title song Rindaman feauturing Zico. His other collab with Zico: Pew! is also a fiery song. As is Bubble. He slows down for his other three songs and they all are such a great listen.

13. TREASURE-Reboot. I think TREASURE has had really bad luck, from their delayed debut to the ups and downs lately. The thing is I've always prefered those groups I actually feel excited to listen to their whole albums and TREASURE has really delivered in all of them as far as I'm concerned. People keep saying YG is holding them back by making them have the typical YG songs like BONA BONA or STUPID on this album but since I'm a fan of those kind of songs so I really look forward to it. However it was the songs by their subunits I actually liked the most MOVE is just such an exciting song and THE WAY TO by the vocal unit is just my kind of ballad. To be fair listening to Jungwoo and Jihoon sing is such highlight for me on all of their songs. I just love their tones.

12. Taeyeon-To. X. 2023 was a year where I really got into Taeyeon's discography. So I was really excited for this comeback. The title To. X is a fun midtempo break up song. I would have liked Melt Away more as the title but I did love both songs. This is also a recent release so I moved it up and down in my list a lot. I'm also having a hard time picking a favorite song. I also enjoy listening to Fabolous with the quorky beat and witty lyrics but I think I actually liked all the tracks equally.

11. VIXX-CONTINUUM. VIXX has changed a lot over the last few years but somehow this album with only Leo, Ken and Hyuk sounds very much like VIXX used to sound in 2015. They really stand on their own and all of their voices are amazing. However I've always had a soft spot for Leo and his vocals in Lilac are just heavenly. Probably why I love that ballad so much. I was actually surprised with Hyuk's low vocals that give a needed twist to Leo and Ken's power vocals. All five songs in this mini album are so good. The title is Amnesia and the MV aesthetic is obviously inspired by the movie Dune.

10. NCT DOJAEJUNG-Perfume. This release kind of blind sighted me. I never thought Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo would come together in a subunit so in that sense they reminded me of the time I heard EXO CBX was debuting. I really love the title Perfume. It's one of those rare times the title is actually my favorite song of the album. I thought they would do a ballad for their title but the fact it was an upbeat sexy song was unexpectedly right. Doyoung is my favorite NCT vocalist so listening to him this whole album was such a joy. Jaehyun's vocals can be a bit overlooked in NCT127 just because Douyoung and Taeil are so amazing. Listening to him have more time in this album to shine was exactly what I wanted. I love Jungwoo's personality and honestly I was afraid he would get a bit lost in this album but my worries were unnecessary. Often I found his low notes were that little bit of spice the songs needed in this album. I loved all the bsides but Dive and Strawberry Sunday were specially a fun listen. And of course they had to do a traditional SM ballad (Ordinary) which is just beautiful.

9. D.O.- Expectation. I'll never stop wishing for EXO's Kyungsoo to do an r&b album but his heart is in easy listening heartfelt songs so I can't complain. I'm just happy to get anything from him as a solo artist. This mini album has so many pretty songs. I do is my favorite hands down and one of my most played songs of the year but Lost (both the acoustic and the regular version) is such a fun song to listen to and could have easily become the title. The vocals and the melody are so powerful. Ordinary days and The view also have a fun melody. The title Somebody is really catchy and the MV is so sweet.

8. TXT- The name chapter: Freefall. I have to confess I haven't gotten into TXT's content. I just came to like them gradually in the last couple of years and there was so much to catch up on that I haven't really get to know the members at all but the albums are a different story. Deep down is my favorite of the album but Happily Ever After is also a highlight. The title Chasing the Feeling gave us a fun retro beat and the chorus was really addicting. I also found Skipping Stones to be an interesting song. Love the guitar and bass on that one and the vocals by Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huaningkai are just heavenly. And of course the collab with The Jonas Brothers was a bit unexpected yet exactly what I didn't know I wanted.

7. Zion.T-Zip. This was almost out of my list because I just listened to it a week ago, but I had to add it. Zion. T is just so unique and entertaining to listen to. His collab with AKMU called V is my favorite. But as expected, this is a no skip songs with great use of instruments, beats, vocals and occasional rapping. He even released three MVs for this comeback (Stranger, V and Unlove). The album is 10 tracks long yet only sums up 26 minutes. Thank u featuring Yun Seokcheol is also a highlight.

6. V-Layover. To be honest, I was not excited for V's solo stuff. I was expecting a lot from Jungkook and Jimin but not from him. I don't know why. So it was so surprising when I actually wasn't excited with the songs they released but I really loved V's album. It's my fault really because I do tend to overlook Taehyun's vocals when listening to BTS. The sound he went for it's exactly my kind of music. Layover just feels sophisticated. Blue is definitely my go to song with its fancy r&b sound and Love me again has my favorite beat of the album. Slow Dancing is so sweet and For us takes you in a journey. The album is only 5 songs but from the first listen I knew it would make my top 10 of the year.

5. NCT 127-Fact Check. For me, this is the first NCT127 no skip album. I liked LIMITLESS a lot but even that one has a couple of songs that are just not for me. NCT 127's titles are either a huge hit with me or they rub me off, this time around I found Fact Check so addicting. I love Space's melody but Misty is my favorite overall. Everyone's vocals are on point but Taeil is such a wonder to listen to on that one. Love is a beauty is also a great ballad. Parade might be a hiphop heavy song but Doyoung's beautiful vocals really stand out to me. And Angel Eyes gave me a bit of NCT U's With you vibes. I love Mark's parts in Je ne sais quoi then again everyone sounds so good in that song.

4. Taeyang-Down to Earth. Taeyang came back with a bang. Every song on the album feels so big. I wasn't a fan of the title VIBE featuring BTS's Jimin on the first listen, but it really grew on me. The chorus just pops in my head from time to time out of nowhere. Shoong featuring Blackpink's Lisa is amazing, and the performance video is crazy good. Seed is the power ballad of the album. Nightfall featuring Bryan Chase is also a highlight with its retro pop beat and beautiful vocals.

3. Taemin-Guilty. The void Taemin left while he was in the military could not really be fulled by anyone else. He's just different. And yes, a lot of it is the performance but the music always comes first. This album is only six songs but they all are so good. Not gonna lie, the first time I heard The Rizzness I was confused because the strong beat and rapping surprised me. I didn't know if I liked it but it really grew on me after hearing it a couple of times. I'm obsessed with She loves me she loves me not and its playful melody plus it's definitely my most played track of the album. Not over you and Blue takes us in a dreamlike journey.

2. Red Velvet-Chill Kill. I was surprised to realize this is the only album from a girlgroup I liked this year. I even forced myself to listen to some albums of the most popular girlgroups right now but it's just not my kind of music. However this album is straight up my alley. A Velvet R&B album. I hadn't enjoyed a Red Velvet album so much since The Perfect Red Velvet. My favorite Red Velvet comebacks are always the one with a creepy twist so Chill Kill was on point with that strong beat paired with a sweet chorus. Knock knock (who's there) is a seemless follow up to Chill Kill. Underwater is one of my favorites for sure but these days I keep going back to Nightmare. Iced coffee and One Kiss have catchy chorus while Wings is uplifting with beautiful vocals.

1. EXO-EXIST. My Spotify Wrapped top 5 songs belong all to this album. It's actually the first time it happens. Despite me being an EXO-L, some pop or indie songs are usually in the mix, but I guess I missed EXO. They just did all the things I love in an EXO album: r&b, beautiful harmonies, and fun beats. I keep changing my favorite song of the album. At first, it was Regret it just because the production is so great. Then I was like, actually, all the falsetto and runs in Cinderella makes it my favorite. Yet I kept feeling No makeup was the perfect r&b EXO song, so I thought: that one for sure! But of course, the title Cream Soda is so catchy, and the chorus is expectacular, so obviously, that's the one. Nevertheless, Love fool is so much fun to listen to, and I do love Sehun and Chanyeol's verses in Another Day. Then why is my most played song of the year Let me In? And what about Hear me out that makes me happy every time I listen to it? Don't even get me started on Private Party's lyrics! Anyway, you get the idea, so just do yourself a favor and check out this album.

[hanarchy]

ooooh i promised @wantbytaemin a post about hanji covers (not that you asked, i just want to talk about it more) and i just came back from listening to your suggestions several times and i have sooooooo much to say ok, so little numbered list again for ease bc i cant shut up to save my LIFE.

Here’s some wishes I would have for jisung if he listened to me

1. Straightforward/Live/Acoustic Instrumental music with some VOCALS!!

This is why i have my country girl agenda, like why i picked kacey musgraves. I love the tinyy snippets we have gotten of him just singing over guitar. The softness, and yes as you mentioned!! The emotionality he can put in his voice!! I would love to hear more of that. Just quiet, no electronic beats, not the usual slightly overproduced instrumentals he gravitates to, I want to HEAR his voice even when its quiet. acoustic, stripped. like fast car, absolutely.

I would just love more rock, more guitars, more real drums (FREE ME FROM THE KPOP DRUM MACHINE). This is why like. arctic monkeys are appealing to me. they have three instruments and alex turner pretending to be cool and the tension in a song like ‘do me favour’ is so thick. Would do Jisung amazing BUT. you’re SO right that he could also build that emotional tension that carrie underwood does on this with his voice (btw hearing this again after years made me listen to shania again, which, fun fact: first album i ever bought with my own money was shania twain ‘up!’) if he just WANTED. I hope he practices more, i hope he collabs with day6 or xdinary heroes. he has the bands IN HOUSE!!

2. More production experiments but specifically more stripped back beats and funkier basslines (and real drums but whatever).

Now this one he is on the way to himself I think.

His production sensibilities are just very pop-focused and i respect it and understand why and I also don’t have the terminology or knowledge to explain what makes both the brent faiyaz song you suggested and the internet different but like. He demonstrated on 1,2,3,4,5 and on Run what that could sound like for him. Those are maybe my favorite hanpop songs so far and i desperately want him to explore this direction more. The vocals on run are so good, relaxed, laid back, the change between lower register and high parts. Now the next thing he should do is make a song with a rap part that offers a nice contrast. Rhythmic, strong, kinda takes you out of it and then plunges ur head back under water. Or if it’s something more melodic, make it airier, more ethereal, more surreal. Like fka twigs yess exactly. nebula by cifika is different vibe but also so atmospheric and a bit otherworldly.

I also think this niche of rnb has become the sound of situationships and messy breakups and i loooove that for him because he occupies that in-between of love and hate so well. resentment, anxiety, uncertainty and yes. pettiness. Which brings me to my next and biggest point.

3. Explore more uncomfortable and ugly feelings.

Listen. This may be the parasocial relationship speaking but I know that kid has some powerful perfectionism and jealousy going on. There’s a self-hatred and a desperation there that, if he were to explore it, would make him unstoppable imo. Now I absolutely understand why his position and his genre make this impossible and I am absolutely open to having a discussion about whether artists are really obliged to share everything or not.

Like this is gonna sound negative to the average kpop stan but i KNOW he is a judgmental little dick. I know he has an ego that is barelyyyy being kept in check (by his own limitations and working in a group) but is also just kind of explosive and i KNOW he knows exactly how good he is but being anything other than humble and only boasting in the context of largely meaningless skz title tracks (im sorry but they havent made a title with an emotion other than ‘look at us being so great at doing our own thing’ since like… idk. levanter. many of them are bangers regardless but explorations of real emotions they are not.) is just not acceptable. This is why i bring up that pettiness so much (lol) bc its the hint of like. an unpleasant emotion that (record execs think) doesn’t sell to teenage girls.

Don’t get me wrong, the anxiety and the romanticism and the fear and the love are all real emotions too - many of them uncomfortable - and he has built and recorded great songs around them. I’m not calling him emotionally dishonest. But they’re emotions that are acceptable for a boygroup member to have publicly. Stuff like Paramore (i dont actually know their discography very well so your input was MUCH appreciated and i agree wholeheartedly) or the way alex turner or julian casablancas write unfavorably about women while it’s extremely clear that the only reason it’s unfavorable is because of their own shortcomings and smallmindedness and self-obsession is something that would simply not be allowed of a man that is being marketed by a kpop company. And yes i do believe it’s uncomfortable for him to explore publicly and there may very well be many other reaons and cultural barriers that i do not understand but this is my wishlist so it has to work with my limitations.

And well anyway I know I’ll never get it but i would just enjoy him leaning into that. Doing some introspection and some scary shit. I think it would be transcendent.

little tangent: (I love bands like hole and sleater kinney and bikini kill because theyre unapolgetic angry women but ironically i used to love kanye west for the same (not exactly but very similar because he was extremely unapologetic in his own confidence and ability and his personality in an industry that didnt want it at first) reason kfkfkdk. hes not ok to listen to anymore and frankly i dont like talking about him and the women in these bands would crucify me for putting him in the same sentence probably. But what they have in common is that they publicly explored and explore emotions that society thinks unacceptable. (If you ever want to hear an EXTREMELY intelligent analysis of kanye and his career, FD Signifier has two incredible videos on youtube that go so deep into like… pop culture, hip hop culture, black masculinity, mental health… just music history. cant recommend them enough))

4. storytelling

listen. what i look for in a songwriter i become obsessed with is so simple: emotionally honest to the point of personal detriment, tells a good story, self-obsessed in a self-hating way, driven by love and the belief in beauty and magic underneath it all and a good hook every now and again. jisung checks most of these boxes and i think tbh he could just learn a lot from country musicians or people like tracy chapman or bruce springsteen or leonard cohen etc etc etc

like do NOT get me wrong i dont think hes bad at it and i also think its likely there are many korean songwriters better suited but due to my personal mental illness this is just sth i think about a lot. what jisungs version of like… Johnny 99 would sound like…

[jenkinstheartis]

NCT 127 ☆ Fact Check

album review. released: October 6, 2023

9 songs ; 39 minutes

overall: 7.6

nct 127 the conquers of my little kpop heart, they made it to the end. round of applause for them! and then a separate round of applause for this album! doyoung breathes life into this album i swear, he's singing like they deprived him of it for years.

disclaimer: this is all opinion, im no critic this is for fun <3

☆ = favorites

1 Fact Check | 7/10

great opening. solid. nothing to write home about. i really like yuta's part: "check that, check that, I'm fine..." like mmhm i'm listening. not they best title track but like not they worse idk

2 Space | 8.5/10

giving firetruck album (still can't believe they named it the first mini album) the chorus just makes me stop and listen, omg they was showing out. this also when doyoung starts steppin. jaehyun does his lil thing too, his falsetto’s sound pretty here.

3 Parade | 8/10

taeyong needs a raise, make him a billionaire so i have a reason to hate him. johnny’s little negativity part surprised me and I was like oh god but it’s grown on me. also rapper jaehyun is always a treat. “what’s next? im so excited!” this girl is fun and entertaining!

4 Angel Eyes | 5/10

fun. i love lil boy band bops, taking me back to 2012 one direction, but like there’s better boy band bops out there,,, so oop. they put mark’s part at the end bc they knew i would’ve skipped it sooner.

☆ 5 Yacht | 8/10

wish it was still summer so I could enjoy this and be warm. mark and haechan’s “lovin it” and doyoung and taeyong’s “lovin it” should be studied for the affects it can have on the brain. what me and this song got is personal.

☆ 6 Je Ne Sais Quoi | 8/10

“we move to the new world, new world” like okay real! bags packed let’s go and on our way to the new world we get lost at the second verse then the bridge but the destination so good i barely even notice!

☆ 7 Love Is A Beauty | 10/10

breathtaking honestly. haechan just comes in so smooth and easy almost teared up sers. johnny's voice makes me blush fr just yeah lol. everyone sounded so good together, whoever mixed this needs a pat on the back and a certificate <3. another one where doyoung whispered his sad little love secrets into our ears. then mark just rocks us out like little love babies, what more can a gal request from life.

8 Misty | 7.5/10

Moon Taeil I miss you dearly, please answer my letters. another amazing group effort. johnny where you been all my life, sing to me more! This would’ve been a good album ender.

9 Real Life | 6/10

because of the strings and the fact they let doyoung bring it in like that, it gets her score. johnny pronounced tf out that "real life" love him for it king.

SERIOUS THOUGHTS

i dont mind turning back members to amplify other members. some people were leant more to harmonies and layering, and with so many people in a group that’s how it should be. I miss when being a visual was like an actual position in groups aka if you couldn’t sing you barely did! Nct doesn’t have that problem (now 👀) everyone has a nice voice.

127’s musical progression from the trash album that was Regular Irregular to this is truly astonishing. Fact Check is a very cohesive piece of work and fits into their discography perfectly.

Shoutout to NCT 127 and they music! Our last true visionaries.

[girlsgenerati0n]

ASDFGHJKL OMGG YOU LIKE DESTINY TOO???? 💖💖💖💖💖 most fans pay this song dust, i'm glad i have found someone who enjoys it as well!! ☺️😚

now i want to know what are your fav soshi songs 😏😏🥰🥰

OMG YES!! 💖

destiny is so underrated, i almost never seen people talk about it either. i wish they had performed it as well 😭 i think they did once but i've never seen it.... 👀

omg this is such a hard question AKBKEJ soshi is my ultimate group for a reason....

BUT! i recently made a playlist with my top 100 kpop songs of all time & top 100 bsides & i think the soshi options i picked for those are a good example of my favorites SO:

for title tracks, itnw, girl's generation, gee, genie, oh!, run devil run, hoot, the boys, i got a boy, lion heart & you think 💗🎀🌸 i have such a hard time choosing for them but i think these are the songs i probably listen to the MOST. (no offense to mr.mr./holiday/all night/etc. those are still saur good 😭)

as for bsides.... beginning which is SO UNDERRATED as well omg. i see even less people talk about beginning. destiny ofc, show show show, BOYS & GIRLS!! i also love the trio from the boys album, trick, oscar & top secret. 🫶 & i LOVE talk talk, express 999, look at me & xyz from the i got a boy album. europa & CHECK & BUMP IT!! lion heart was such an amazing album 😭

there are so many songs here LMAO but soshi runs in my blood what can i say....

edit: HELP i forgot to mention their japanese songs OFC PAPARAZZI LIKE THAT'S ONE OF THEIR BEST SONGS EVEEEER i also love you-aholic, i'm in love with the hero, t.o.p & i'm a diamond 😋

[bewby]

this is not intending to be mean whatsoever - but you/your anons are confusing me a bit honestly? it's normal to not like every single song from an artist - but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't have made it. it's just personal preferance and you can just dislike it and move on! to say that they're "running out of good songs" and should do their early songs again is really weird. especially about a song proudly declaring "this is our sound." idk you wouldn't say to a painter/fanartist/etc, 'hey i hate this one, do it like this other one in the way i like' would you?

hm. i don't know how to answer this because i've also talked multiple times on here about how it's okay to dislike most of your artists discography and to be dissapointed but i think we were just discussing what we didn't like about it and we just found ourselves really enjoying what they were doing in specific eras and it came up alot in the process of talking about our dissappointment. it doesn't make me love them less or makes me see them as amazing artists any less but of course i have my preferences too and i really wish they would give us more of a sound that got me into them in the first place. i have liked some of their recent songs alot but when i think about my ultimate favorite title tracks, my mind goes back to miroh/side effects/double knot/gods menu/back door. there's a pattern here! i love their concept albums! exploring unusual genres (for kpop)! i don't know. i don't think i expressed that they shouldn't have made it i just said i'm like not really enjoying it at all which is fine. skz makes all kinds of music and i know you can't pin them down or put thwm into one box but they still had a specific skz sound unique to them that i'm missing ESPECIALLY in the sound. multiple friends of mine have now mentioned their dissapointment in the mixing, how it feels kind of empty. obviously that doesn't represent everyones opinion but it's an opinion alot of us share and it's nice to talk about. i am used to not always liking their songs because i have my own tastes and no artists can always really cater to that it's impossible lol and that's okay, i like skz for reasons more than that but i'll still talk about it. they should do whatever they wanna do and whatever feels right for them but that also means i can share my own thoughts/opinions that aren't always positive..

[seokwoosmole]

Thoughts on Xdinary Heroes' "Overload"

It's been a bit since Xdinary Heroes dropped "Overload" so thought I'd drop my opinion on it.

Zzz... - Not gonna lie, I did not get the hype with this one at first. It took a few listens for me to understand its charm. I listened to it with the English lyric video and learning the song's meaning definitely helped in my appreciation of the song. Is it my favorite song on the album? No. But I like it a lot more now than I did on the first listen.

Hair Cut - So good. Like amazing. Literally, the only cringey/objectively bad part is the "Get a haircut!" part in THAT voice. I love Gun-il and I wanted him to have more lines but this is not what I meant haha. If that line was said in a Strawberry Cake-esque screamo-type tone instead with more edge then I think it would have been waaaaay better and cringe eliminated. I want to love the song 100% cause the lyrics and the meaning of the song are super good. I love listening to the whole song then the chorus comes around and I'm like "oof". I know it will grow on me, but I was expecting show-stopping award winning from this album and show stoppers don't have to grow on you. However, the delivery, performance from the boys, and music video, and again, the lyrics (beautifully self-written by them) are more than enough to win me over. It's still a great quality song from them. A bit campy? Yes, but still good.

LUNATIC - This song was so reminiscent of western rock songs I loved listening to before I got into kpop and I adore it so much!! I'm not totally obsessed with it, but I can't find fault in it either. Solid song overall.

Crack in the mirror - One of my favorites. Not only is the song good just listening to it, I absolutely love the lyrics as well. Similar to LUNATIC, I love the 2000s rock vibes. Might be one of my favorites on the album.

GHOST - THIS is my #1 favorite on the album for sure. I keep saying it and I WILL keep saying it. I love a group that writes their own lyrics and I'm so glad that XH does their due diligence by contributing to song writing. Also, I just love the way this song sounds. Alternating between this edgy singing style and the falsettos is just soooo pleasing to the ear and instrumentally, this song is amazing too. I can see why it's not the title track cause it's not as explosive, but it is an A+ B-side to me.

X-MAS - I am such a sucker for 21st century Christmas songs. Especially Christmas songs by rock groups. I will absolutely be banging this during December. It has enough holiday vibes to make it on my Christmas playlist, but also it sets a far enough boundary from your average Christmas song for it to be played anytime of the year. The vocals are just AHHHHHHHH. So amazing. Also the beginning feels like it was sprinkled with MCR vibes. I can't put my finger on it, but it just has the vibe and I love it.

Overview - Despite any criticisms I might have said about some occasional cringe and campiness, I can't be mad at it. One of the great things about rock, is that it is unapologetically honest, loud, and rebellious by nature. And I love that Xdinary Heroes so far, at least in terms of their discography and the themes in their concepts, has stayed true to that sentiment. They're shamelessly bold and embrace the weird. Concept and genre changes are not uncommon with music artists, but I hope they always stay true to that inner weirdo rockstar because if this album did anything, it was show that Xdinary Heroes is a talented and unique group of musicians and very much so needed. It felt like the music jumped right out of a Tim Burton film and the freaky carnival/Edward Scissorhands aesthetic was something I'd have never expected but I adored it and it worked in their favor so well. The over-arching message of Hair Cut – breaking free from the darkness in your mind that holds you back (and putting that metaphor in the form of hair) is not only really genius, but so important for the youth (their primary audience) to hear. They're making their mark in the industry and I love being apart of that journey.

[yukiakaren]

Kpop title track ranking: GFRIEND

In this series I’ll be ranking kpop groups/soloists title tracks based on my taste.

I was a huge Buddy and GFRIEND is still definitely one of my favorite girl groups. The sudden disbandment was definitely a hit that I wasn’t expecting and that was quite hard to take.

Apple - There is something very enchanting about Apple for me. And oh this mature GFRIEND sound was sooo good, I can’t even. I love it.

Fingertip - This is such a bop! I fell in love with it immediately. It has more attitude compared to the earlier songs and I absolutely were all for it. And  it still really holds up!

Crossroads - Title track of my overall favorite GFRIEND album, and I’m happy to report that I actually purchased it quite recently! (this is a note worth to mention, as my album collection is quite moderate and definitely male group heavy) As a song this has a potential to get me teary-eyed if I’m on the right mood for it for sure.

Sunrise - I absolutely loved this from the first listen! It’s so so pretty. And I have to say I love that Eunha’s high note! Another one that has gotten me teary-eyed at some point listening to it.

Sunny Summer - Oh Sunny Summer is so fun! I love the member names being part of the lyrics, it’s so witty and cute! This is truly the summer song that I come back to year after year. This just puts me in a such a good mood!

Time for the Moon Night - Oh this is so so pretty! I just enjoyed the song instead of being able to come up with anything else to add to that.

MAGO - This is such a perfect way to do retro! It just really is a shame that this ended up being the last one... The mature sounding GFRIEND had so much more to give.

Rough - Rough era was when GFRIEND clicked with me for the first time. It’s such a lovely song, how could I not like it? And very quickly I ended up really liking the girls, and especially my bias Yerin, after watching their older variety show appearances and such.

Fever - I have to again admit that I ignored this song when it came out. But luckily again at some point I realized my mistake and started liking it quite a bit!

Navillera - My first comeback as a fan. It’s just very catchy and fun.

Me Gustas Tu - This was the era that I paid attention to GFRIEND for the first time but actually that was because I disliked the song xD I just found it really annoying. After becoming Buddy my opinion on it first mellowed down and now I can say it’s cute and enjoyable. 

Glass Bead - Very cute. This pre-dates me being a Buddy and hence it doesn’t quite have a fighting chance against those songs that I really really like/liked that came after it, but there still are couple below it as I don’t really dislike it either.

Love Whisper - Oh no this was such a disappointment style-wise for me coming after Fingertip that was awesome to me. And it clearly hasn’t ever really gotten many plays from me as I only remembered the chorus as I listened to it for this list. Not a bad song but not one for me.

Summer Rain - Basically the same comments apply to this that did to Love Whisper. In addition I’m so baffled by the fact that despite me disliking this title track, the same album has two of my absolute favorite B-sides from them! And I’ll get to those next.

And here are the foreshadowed B-sides:  Ave Maria, Rainbow - These two I absolutely love from the Rainbow repackaged album that has both Summer Rain, as the title track, and Love Whisper. I really just find this so baffling. Labyrinth, Here We Are, Eclipse, Dreamcatcher, From Me - All of the songs from Labyrinth album are so good and that’s why I had to get the album. Mermaid - This one is actually the reason for me to do this list, as I was watching an episode of Amazing Saturday that featured this song and it inspired me to do the list for GFRIEND. Mermaid as a song tells way more dramatic story than I expected/had realized.  Neverland - It’s an young love type of song that usually isn’t necessary my thing but this just is so catchy I can’t deny it xD  Gone With The Wind - Most recently added to my list actually. I originally had not realized how great this is when I checked all of their songs years ago.

[milkwaydreams]

My favorite Kpop songs/albums of 2022!!

Stay around and read if you want, maybe we can be friends🥰

(Reading time: +/-10 minutes).

I looove talking about it, showing it, so I'm going to put it out here.

*There are no specific order for this, this are my favorites, if I didn't mention yours, feel free to comment or send me a message 🥰

If You Leave Me - Seventeen

I'm OBSESSED with this song. Their vocals, the structure of the song, how they sang it, I don't know. There is something there that got me addicted to it. For 3 months straight, this song wouldn't step out of my top 3 most listened songs on Spotify 🤣

- Other Seventeen 2022 songs I listen too much to: Don Quixote, March, Hot, Cheers and World; also, the boys solos, Ruby (Woozi), Limbo (Jun) and Black Eye (Vernon).

Childhood - The Rose

I know The Rose is not Kpop but, you know that songs that finds you at the time you need the most? That's Childhood for me.

It took me a while to listen to Heal album, though I was really excited for their comeback, I only really listened to it a month after the release, but it was the day I needed the most. The Rose is a really good group, their songs, their personalities, the way they interact with their Black Roses, it's so nice and cute.

When I listened to Childhood, it was like they were telling me not to give up, to not lose myself, and it was exactly the day I started loosing hope again. Woosung's Come Down also did the same thing to me months before and again with Childhood. Though I'm not a active Black Rose, they are for sure REALLY important to me cause without them, my year would've be way worst.

Thank you The Rose, for being my anchor, for keeping me going one more time.

- Definitely check their whole album and Woosung's solo album Moth. They are both really good, every song are so real, if that makes sense 🙈. Besides Childhood, my favorite is See Saw and the title Sour from HEAL. From Moth, Side Effects and the title Phase Me I never skip any of them.

Child, Ghost (Station), Candy (Album) - NCT

As a NCTzen myself, I was a little disappointed with the albums songs from both, NCT Dream and NCT 127. Don't get me wrong, I did liked some of the songs, but compared to last year, I would choose Hot Sauce/Sticker over Glitch Mode/2 Baddies.

BUT, I must say that the NCT Station is PERFECT. I loved every single song from it released this year, especially Mark's Child. This song touched me so much in ways I didn't even expected to, cause I can see myself on that same place, people expecting too much from me...

And speaking of NCT solos, I always loved Taeyong's songs from SoundCloud. Then he released Ghost on TY Track and, WOW. Ghost is perfect, the song, the dance, the performance video. I wish it had more views cause it's really good😍😍

And then, there's the winter special NCT Dream album, Candy, and I fell in love with the whole album. I'm completely OBSESSED with the concepts, they all look so cute. All the songs are really good, their vocals are perfection too. But I must say, Graduation... Wow. I'm graduating from college this year and one of my ULT groups releasing a song about it at the same time was just perfection for me🥰🥰🥰

- Other NCT (Station) 2022 songs I'm addicted to: Forever Only (Jaehyun), Birthday (Ten), Love Theory (Taeyong X Wonstein).

- Other 2022 NCT/WayV songs I like: Glitch Mode, Saturday Drip, To My First, Designer, Crash Landing, Phantom, Good Life, Broken Love.

OK Not (Album) - CIX

CIX is one of my favorite Kpop groups, and they are still so underrated. If you don't know them or don't listen too much from them, I would recommend you to. They are so talented and cute, everything I need to make them one of my ULT groups 🤣

They didn't released too much songs this year, but this album is AMAZING. I was sad cause there is only 4 songs after so long, but they are so good😍😍

I got addicted to all 4 songs of the album, but Drown In Luv have my whole heart. If you ask me how many times I listened to it, the answer will be "Yes" 🤣🤣🙈 Please, check them out, I promise you won't regret it🥰

Also, the physical album?! Are you kidding?! IT'S SO PRETTY!! Both version are really gorgeous and so high quality. I new it was pretty but, when I had it on my hands, I was shocked and completely in love. It's by far the prettiest album I have until now.

- Title song: 458

INVU (Album) - Taeyeon

Taeyeon will always be one of my favorite Kpop singer. Her vocals and presence are just perfection.

Her discography is really amazing and I already new that in INVU wouldn't be different. And I was right cause I LOVED the whole album, so many good songs, wow😍

My favorite would be Ending Credits, but to be honest, it was hard to pick one🤣🙈

- Other SNSD/Taeyeon 2022 songs I loved: Lucky Like That, Seventeen, Can't Control Myself, INVU, Some Nights, Timeless.

Taste - Stray Kids

Both Oddinary and Maxident was really good albums. I got addicted to both of them🥰 But Taste... This song attacked my h*e side SOOO hard🤣🤣🙈🙈 It's such a good song, wow.

One thing that made me really happy about this song was Minho's vocals. Because he normally doesn't have that many lines in Stray Kids songs, I sometimes forget that his voice is so angelic and I love it. My favorite part of the song is his "즐겨 baby, baby don't test me, oh no. Baby, baby don't get me wrong" I don't know how many times I repeated this line, I swear 🤣🤣🙈🙈

Anyway, one of my favorite songs of the year for sure 😍😍😍

- Other Stray Kids 2022 songs that are constantly on my mind: 3Racha, Case 143, Venom, Maniac, Charmer.

- Also, really glad with SKZ-Replay cause we FINALLY have Drive on Spotify 🤣. And I love Jisung's Alien and I Can't Admit from Chan, I'm really glad I listen to it on Spotify now. For the new ones, I love Felix's Deep End😍

Opening Sequence - TXT

I first met TXT through Can't You See Me and it became one of my favorite Kpop songs instantly and, even though I love other TXT songs, none of them could even get close to Can't You See Me. Until Opening Sequence appears.

I wasn't expecting much from this album of them because the last albums before it, didn't actually get me, so I listened to Good Boy Gone Bad on the release day and liked it, but that's it. Later, I saw people talking about Opening Sequence and decided to check it out. It was love at "first sight" and easily took Can't You See Me place.

TXT is not one of my ULT groups (cause I already have too many) but, if I were to pick another it could be them. Because of Opening Sequence, they came back strong to my radar 🙈🙈

Survive The Night - The Boyz

I knew Be Aware era was going to be a little sad because Eric wasn't there. I was really excited for their comeback since Maverick but not having him there... Something was missing (I'm really glad he's back now. Hope he is feeling better 🥺).

But, they still gave me one of my favorite songs of the year. Survive The Night is such a good bside track. It's somehow comforting, though the lyrics are not that bright, their voices helps me to calm down. If you like ballad songs, love songs, I would recommend you to listen to it 🥰

- Other song from Be Aware I would recommend is Levitating. This song reminded me of Maverick era and that is my favorite The Boyz era so far, it was easy for me to like it 🙈

28 Reasons (Album) - Seulgi

Seulgi had one of the best solo debut of 2022 for sure. 28 Reasons is SO good, I loved everything about it, the theme, the clothes, her vocals, everything is perfect here. Dead Man Running is definitely my favorite bside of the album, and because I'm going through a situation similar to the song, I got too attached to it🙈 If you haven't listened to the full album yet, go check it out cause you won't regret it.

And still in Red Velvet, I'm still so addicted to In My Dreams. That song is SO good. I'd love to listen to it live😍😍

- Also loved: Birthday, Bye Bye, Beg For Me (Red Velvet).

Don't Regret - Wonho

I'm quite new to KPoP life to be honest and my first favorite Boy Group was Monsta X. My first bias was Kihyun and Wonho, but I arrived here too late🥺 When I joined this life was just a few months after Wonho leave the group and I was so sad when I found out. Then someone told me he was going to debut as a soloist and I've been following him since then and I Don't Regret it (no jokes intended 🤣🙈)

I love Wonho's songs so much, I love his voice. And when this song released I didn't realized it was a new song (that's how dumb I am🤡). I loved this song so much, it's really touching how his thoughts change through the song.

I'll be waiting for him to come back from military service 🥺

There are so many songs I loved this year but these was the ones that marked me the most 🥰

Now let me tell something that is really sad for me. There are so many Japanese releases and they are SO GOOD, but they are not used that much, no big promotions and the physical album are not that good/pretty and too expensive. I love this songs so much🥺:

Ateez: Paradigm (it's so catchy and I love Yeosang's whispering)

CIX: Pinky Swear (everything about this song is so cute. Please check it out)

Red Velvet: Wildside (my favorite RV song)

Seventeen: Dream (to be honest, all SVT Japanese songs are really good)

Stray Kids: Circus (one of my favorite SKZ song)

The Boyz: She's The Boss (Jacob's rapping is so cute on this song)

But because I still have many songs left, I'm going to leave some other groups here:

(G) I-DLE: Tomboy, Polaroid, Villain Dies, My Bag, NXDE, Dark (X-File), Love. I love IDLE, they are my favorite GG and I think they had really good albums this year.

aespa: Illusion🥰. I don't listen aespa too much but this song is really good.

Astro: Candy Sugar Pop, Story (MJ's Solo), Who and Ghost Town (Moonbin Sanha Unit).

Ateez: Guerrilla, Cyberpunk, Sector 1 and Halazia😍. Halazia is SO GOOD, I'm obsessed with them saying this word😍😍😍

BIBI: BIBI Vengeance (I got really addicted to this one), Animal Farm. Her Noir album is amazing, she's a really good artist😍 Also, I love the way she sings, is really unique, her voice is amazing.

Blackpink: the whole Born Pink album. This is my favorite BP era and my favorite song is Typa Girl.

Enhypen: Blessed-Cursed (NIKI looks so gorgeous on this MV😍), Future Perfect (Pass The Mic).

GOT7: the whole GOT7 album is so good. My favorite is Two. I'm so glad they released a new album😍. Cruel (Jackson) and Slow Mo (Bambam).

Itzy: Cheshire and Snowy.

Key (SHINee): Ain't Gonna Dance (perfect), Villain, Burn and Bound are my favorites.

Kihyun (Monsta X): Youth.

Le Sserafim: Sour Grapes, Fearless, Blue Flame, Antifragile, Impurities. Their debut was the best GG debut of 2022 for me, and Antifragile just keep up the great sound from them (I hope Sakura gets more spot in the future though).

Mamamoo: ILLELLA, Honey (Solar's solo).

MCND: #MOOD

Minho (SHINee): The Chase album is so good😍 I'm obsessed with the song and MV, he's so gorgeous 🥰

New Jeans: Attention.

Oneus: Gravitation. Seoho vocals on this song are just perfection 😍

Onew (SHINee): Dice is so cute and bright🥰.

OnlyOneOf: skinz and Gaslighting. Also their solos are really good. I love the little BL stories of the MVs😍😍.

P1Harmony: Do It Like This, Doom Du Doom.

Pentagon: The Game, One Shot, Feelin' Like, Pose (Kino's solo).

Treasure: Jikjin.

Twice: the whole Between 1&2 album. My favorite songs are Basics and Gone.

If you made this far, I LOVE YOU 😭😭❤️❤️

Thank you for reading it, hope your new year is blessed.😍😍

And remember, you're amazing and don't let people say otherwise ❤️🥰

[minkyutie]

Hi there!

Seventeen, Ateez, and Shinee for the ask game if you haven’t done them already?

Also, a photo of Seungkwan just for you!

omg hello that seungkwan pic is lowkey making me blush 😳😳😳

seventeen:

favorite member / bias line kwan > chan > cheol

which member I’d fight (& why) chan cuz he just has that "it's on sight" effect on me

favorite song(s) so so so many of them ;A; here's a playlist i made of my faves

favorite thing about the group they're literally sooooooo in love with eachother and work together so well as a cohesive unit despite the amount of members it's really amazing. like they each have such distinct personalities and i'm sure it must've taken a while for them to learn to appreciate eachother but it's one of their greatest strengths cuz they all contribute their own colours to create amazing works of art. they're another group who continue to raise the bar for kpop groups when it comes to performances with their steady vocals and insanely detailed choreographies. there also isn't a single weak link in the group, like regardless of units each member is a strong dancer and singer. i was late to the carat live but i don't think i'll ever leave cuz i love these boys so much <3

something i’d like to see from them more vacations for them please

ateez:

favorite member / bias line woo > joong > hwa

which member I’d fight (& why) woo and joong lol i feel like i could take them and also would enjoy it

favorite song(s) one again i have a playlist here of my faves

favorite thing about the group they're just so??? dumb and lovely and cute??? and their concepts fucking slap lbr similar to skz they've really got a handle on their sound and it's so uniquely theirs. like they're still pretty young so ofc there's going to be releases that might be more "commercial" in sound as they're trying to expand their audience (imo this was fireworks and deja vu, and maybe even thanxx and inception) but even then they still stick to their style and i love it so much! they're just really cool and fun

something i’d like to see from them moooooore spooky edgy space pirates pls omg

shinee:

favorite member / bias line jonghyun > key > taemin

which member I’d fight (& why) taemin cuz who wouldn't fight taemin

favorite song(s) yes you've guessed it: i've got another playlist here

favorite thing about the group they were the very first group i stanned when i got into kpop back in 2012 and omg they've never let me down we ignore 2013 title track everybody in this house trough the years they've consistently been releasing my fave albums. and don't even get me started on how much i love these boys outside of their musical talents! i'm just so incredibly proud of them and will cry if i think too much about all the things i've been through with them. they've also just been pushing the boundaries of kpop and raising the bar for the industry since debut (which btw was the best debut in kpop fight me). on top of that they each have incredible solo careers! (oh and never forget that their first solo albums were all connected to eachother in design and titles ;A;)

something i’d like to see from them literally nothing but good things for them please they deserve all the love and admiration and happiness in the world

[sanyaaaaaaaaaa]

Top 10 2022 title tracks:

 Personally, 2022 was an amazing year for kpop imo. A lot of loves on first listens and some growers here and there too.  (in no particular order)

• Cheshire by ITZY: An amazing recovery after whatever Sneakers was. This is classic itzy. Love on first listen.

• MANIAC by SKZ: possibly my favorite title track by them now? Another banger by them. It aged like fine wine imo. 

• RUN2U by STAYC : Once again , their best tt for me. Maybe my personal soty too! It makes me wanna dance so bad.

• Copycat by APINK CHOBOM : One of the best chorus of the year and the choreo just made it 100 times better.

•HOT by Seventeen : The first SVT tt I ever liked lmao. From the choreo to the song, everything is top notch. An earworm for sure.

•Glitch by Kwon Eunbi : She may have made her place for me as the best post izone act. Would also like to mention Underwater, which is another banger, but I didn’t want to give two spots to one artist.

•Wildside by Red Velvet: Their best release this year was this Japanese title track for sure. 

•BTBT by B.I : Another soty contender. Suggesting everyone to check out all his music. Very earworm-y!

•ANTIFRAGILE by Le Sserafim : Nothing to say about this. It’s still on repeat. Addicting as hell. Another soty contender right here.

•Vengeance by BIBI : My favorite bibi track for now. Makes me feel like a bad bitch lol.

Honorable Mentions : After Like by IVE, Bugaboo POP, 28 reasons by Seulgi and Shut Down by BP

[brokenfoolishdreams]

Ley´s Release Corner Sep´22 - Boys Edition (1/2)

DISCLAIMER: This is all my personal opinion and most of the impressions are after first listening. So please keep in mind that my opinion can change and that I respect other opinions too. My rating is just based on how I like the song and has nothing to do with hate or anything else against an Artist. When I don't like a song it doesn't mean I don't appreciate the work and effort that are put into it.

Masterlist

Feel free to let me know what you think of the releases and now let's dive into Kpop:

Title: Same Scent

Album: MALUS (EP)

Artist: ONEUS

Release: 2022.09.05

It´s totally something I expected from them and still I´m kinda disappointed. Don´t get me wrong it´s a really good track but compared to their latest title tracks it´s definetly not my favorite. Nonetheless it´s catchy and the MV is very very nice.

"Intro : EDEN" Oneus is the king when it comes to intros for me. They always so good I wish there would be full versions. "STUPID LOVE" is a really nice track I like a lot and "Gravitation" is also so good I love it. "Mermaid" is solid but kinda boring for me. "FULL MOON" is also a really really nice track and I love it. Lastly the obligatory english version of the title "Same Scent (English ver.)" again is nice to have but not neccessiarly needed.

Rating: 7,5/10 for Same Scent (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 7/10; Lyrics: 6/10; Choreography: 7,5/10; MV: 7,5/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for MALUS because it´s a good EP but not as good as the last ones

Title: BACK THEN

Album: Empty Dream (EP)

Artist: KIM JAE HWAN (Wanna One)

Release: 2022.09.05

First of all I really like his voice and MV is also very beautiful. The song is also very good but it misses something that make it rememberable if you know what I mean. But I'm really amazed bz it and got hooked so maybe that will change on the second listen.

"ANSWER ME" is very vibey but I lke it. I´m totally in love with "OUT OF LINE". I just like the emotions that are delivered there. "OASIS" is also a very good track while "LOVE STRIKE" is upbeting and pretty solid. Lastly "GOODBYE MORNING" is very beautiful but kinda too slow for me.

Rating: 7,5/10 for BACK THEN (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 8/10; Choreography: 7/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for Empty Dream because I liked the most songs more than the title track.

Title: SURRENDER

Album: SURRENDER (Single)

Artist: LEE CHANGSUB (BTOB)

Release: 2022.09.06

The song is really vibey kinda fun. The Dancer in the MV is super talented. I love the vocals of Changsub but the instrumentation is a little bit bothering me.

Rating: 7/10 for SURRENDER (Instrumental: 6,5/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 6/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Title: Eyes On You

Album: Eyes On You - The 4th Album (Album)

Artist: KANGTA

Release: 2022.09.07

This song is very vibey and on thr seducing side of songs and for that it kinda pull of.

"Skip" is a solid track while "Love Song" is kinda catchy. "Bucket List" feels like a christmas song propably because of the instrumentation. "The One" has an accoustic vibe which is okay but kinda boring. I kinda like "Persona 2022" while "Freezing" would be perfect to chill to but otherwise it´s als too boring for me. "Christmas in July" is interesting but just a mid song. "Maybe" and "Slow Dance" are both pretty solid but nothing outstanding.

Rating: 7,5/10 for Eyes On You (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 7/10; Choreography: 7/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 6,5/10 for the Album because the songs couldn´fully catch me

Title: DUMB DUMB DUMB | KISS YOU

Album: LOVE & HOLIDAY (Album)

Artist: RAVI (VIXX)

Release: 2022.09.08 | 2022.09.12

"DUMB DUMB DUMB" is a fun mood lifting song. The MV is him performing at a Festival so it´s not that special.

The "KISS YOU" MV is like a highlight video from a concert. The song is kinda beautiful to be honest.

"DON´T WAKE ME UP (feat. Jayci yucca)" has a nice happy vibe I really like. "LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP" is also a good track. "DO NOT DISTURB MODE (feat. Ourealgoat, 365lit & Blase)" kinda stand out for me, not only because of the other ones but because he rapped differently and I think it´s my favorite on this album. "MIRROR (feat. Polodared)" and "JOE GOLDBERG" are pretty solid while "CAMERA" is okay but not my cup of tea. Lastly "HOLIDAY" is pretty good.

Rating: 7,5/10 for DUMB DUMB DUMB (Instrumental: 7,5/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 7,5/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7/10 for KISS YOU (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 7/10; MV: 6,5/10; Overall Vibes: /10)

Rating: 7/10 for LOVE&HOLIDAY because tbh it fells like every RAVI song feels like it´s the same

Title: Blue

Album: MAGIC MAN (Album)

Artist: Jackson Wang(GOT7)

Release: 2022.09.09

The Mv of this is very artistic and the song itself is very very calm. I appreciate it a lot but I guess it´s noting I would listen to on a regular basis.

"Blow" (Review here) and "Cruel" (Review here) were both pre-released. "Champagne Cool" is kinda nice and reminds me slightly of Cruel. "Go Ghost" could have been very good if it wouldn´t get too rpetive in the end and the same for "Drive It Like You Stole It" and "Come Alive" also follows the same vibe. "Just Like Magic" is kind solid and "All The Way" is pretty likeable. "Dopamine" is really good.

Rating: 6,5/10 for Blue (Instrumental: 6/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 7/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 6,5/10)

Rating: 6,5/10 for MAGIC MAN because almost all the songs had the same vibe and if I have to be honest they don´t fit my listening habit

Title: 2 Baddies

Album: 2 Baddies - The 4th Album (Album)

Artist: NCT 127

Release: 2022.09.16

This is definetly something you expect from NCT 127. I´m not really sure if I like it or not. It´s super catchy and the MV is kinda nice though. The istrumentation is super noisy and I miss the deeper meaning in it like at least somewhere you know?

"Faster" is extremly good I love it and "Time Lapse" is also kinda nice. "Crash Landing" is a solid track while "Designer" has nice vocals. "Gold Dust" is very calm an I like "Black Clouds" very much. "Playback" and "Tasty" are both in thier own way very interesting. "Vitamin" is a fun track I liked a lot while "LOL (Laugh-Out-Loud)" puts me in a really good mood. Lastly "1, 2, 7 (Time Stop)" is a solid track.

Rating: 7/10 for 2 Baddies (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Rap: 7/10; Lyrics: 5,5/10; Choreography: 7,5/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for the album because I kinda start to like the dicography from NCT

Title: Childhood

Album: Childhood (Single)

Artist: The Rose

Release: 2022.09.16

This is a pre-release for their album next month and like every other The Rose songs it´s pretty emotional and relateable. The MV itself is super artistic and probalbly tells a story I don´t completly figured out yet.

Rating: 7,5/10 for Childhood (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 8,5/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Title: go UP

Album: Be Yourself (EP)

Artist: JAY B (GOT7)

Release: 2022.09.21

This MV radiats such a happy vibe together with the soundtrack I like it so much.

"Break It Down (feat. SIK-K)" is a really diversetrack I love it. "Livin´" feels kinda refreshing and "The Way We Are" is also pretty solid. "Fountain of Youth" radiates a good mood I apreciate that a lot "Holyday" is a really nice track to chill to.

Rating: 7,5/10 for go UP (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 8/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7/10 for Be Yourself because the songs were pretty solid to me

[sunjakes]

Ateez and skz for the ask game!

OHH MY SKZ </33 i used to be such a big stay its not even funny but i still love them so so much :>

fav member/bias line: jeongin !! i luv my innie <3 i preordered the foxi.ny the day skzoo originally dropped n he is so dear to me

which member i’d fight + why: han jisung. gen srs i love him to death but sometimes i really just wanna smack him

fav+ song(s): the entire in life album is so amazing but if i have to get specific, chronosaurus, awkward silence, get cool (I LOVE CUTE SONGS LIKE THIS CAN THEY PLS MAKE ANOTHER ONE), another day, easy, any, cheese, and domino

favorite thing about the group: i adore how involved they are with the creation of their music !! a lot of groups can join with writing lyrics which is great, but in my opinion 3racha definitely is close to taking the lead in self produced kpop music (just behind uji of seventeen he is a legend and i adore him)

something i'd like to see from them: i love the noise music but i rlly wanna see them make more kinda happy go lucky/cute-ish kinda songs like get cool and awkward silence bc they make my brain so happy

IVE BEEN MEANING TO GET INTO ATEEZ PLS HELP ME I WANNA KNOW MORE

fav member (if i have one): wooyoung !! his voice is so pretty n i love how absolutely chaotic he is lmao

fav song(s): i dont know a whole lot from atz but i love guerrilla, cyberpunk, inception, and the leaders

why i don't stan (yet) / if i want to: i defs want to !! i think their music is so insanely good and i love watching them perform, ig i just never really sat down and took the time to learn things about them :(

questions for veteran fans: what are your fav bsides ?? :o ive heard and enjoyed all of their title tracks but other than cyberpunk, hala hala, and the leaders i dont actually know much of their discography

[mangekyuou]

ONE PIECE CHARACTERS AS KPOP FANS+ / ☻

☻  /  commentary . . . full title would be one piece characters as kpop fans i’ve encountered. being kind of in and out of that community for the past 7 years now, i’ve encountered my fair share of fans. plus i just wanted to make some kind of shitpost between posts. kind of a call out post but all in good fun

NAMI

solely a girl group stan !!

doesn’t have anything against boy groups but she prefers girl groups

has a soft spot for 2nd and 3rd generation girl groups

her fave groups would be sistar, after school, t-ara, and exid

she knows their most popular choreographies

she would eat up touch my body by sistar

buys albums, lightsticks, and other merchandise in BULK, just to scam...i mean sell them to other fans online

ROBIN

a casual listener

she’s more of a ballad person as they soothe her and make nice background sounds

btob and iu are her go-to’s.

doesn’t have a preference over boy or girl groups. she’s honestly just there if the music is good

i like to think of her being a fan of groups with brighter/cuter concepts

enjoys late 3rd and 4th gen groups despite all of them being younger than her. she’s like a little proud mom watching them achieve their wildest dreams

“good for them”

SANJI

like nami, solely a girl group stan but for all the wrong reasons

is like those male fans you hear at the beginning of an idol’s performance who are screaming the fan chants. he knows all of the fan chants by heart

loves all girl groups

his fave group would be twice and no one can tell me otherwise

his phone wallpaper is a picture of either sana or nayeon during the feel special era. yes, feel special is his favorite song

camera roll is full of female idols, he could run his own update blog/fansite

album collector. buys all his merchandise from nami who overcharges him BIG time. but he’s too busy trying to buy every version of each album that comes out to add to his photocard collections

ZORO

could care less about actual fan culture, he’s just there for the music

was an AVID hater of kpop, thought it was dumb and he didn’t understand the appeal of it or why people dedicated so much of their time and money into these groups

until he discovered ateez through a fancam and he’s been a fan ever seen

his favorite song would definitely either be wonderland or answer

listens mostly to the title tracks, could hardly be bothered to listen to the b-sides

has a workout playlist full of energy-boosting songs that he listens to while he’s training

definitely shows luffy ateez music videos

USOPP

the gatekeeper.

you would think it’s his goal to go out of his way and stan groups who are underrated

and when they finally blow up, he’s always quick to remind people how much they slept on them

his pfp is definitely somebody from loona holding a gun

is a tiktok editor. all of his edits are amazing and always get a lot of love within the community

also posts videos of him doing girl group choreographies with chopper and nami

cannot name a single member of any boy group

CHOPPER

teen crush concept/bright concept enthusiast !!

his fave group is stayc

“stayc girls...it’s going down”

pretty much the opposite of usopp in this regard. he loves when his favorite groups get more attention and love because they really deserve it

definitely helps new fans with learning members’ names and personalities

is always getting into concerts, fan meets, and fan signs ( spending robin’s money on getting into these )

carries a photocard in the back of his phone case that he switches out every two weeks

LAW  (  me lmaooo  )

the secret stan who would rather die than admit they are a fan

looks around and makes sure everyone else is not around before he slips in his earphones and puts to love bomb by fromis_9

so help no one discovers he loves cute girl groups.

on the outside he’s just 😐😐😒😒 and then the music in his earphones is ✨🌸🎀🍬💖

supper yuppers is his most listened-to song right now, knows the choreography by heart, and every time he hears it he can’t help but do it. secretly he’s a really good dancer

has been caught by the other heart pirates who never let him live in down

KID

the toxic twitter fan who uses charting and views as a defense against other groups and their fans that he doesn’t like

“FLOP”

not only is he fighting other fandoms, but he is also fighting other fans within his OWN fandom

refuses to accept the fact that his faves have released a song he doesn’t like. therefore he will force himself to listen to it 20 times and like it just to be different

broke as hell. will probably never be able to get tickets to any of his faves concerts, is always watching them illegally on someone’s live stream

has a fake light stick because he’s too broke to buy the official one plus it looks real enough 

VIVI

the dance cover stan who learns the choreographies the day they are released and post them on tiktok and instagram

tends to dress in similar outfits as the members of the group

she posts a lot of those “kpop in public” videos to her youtube channel of half a million subscribers

was a big wiz*one. was absolutely devastated when they disbanded

loves female soloists, chungha and somi are her faves

JINBE

the well-seasoned fan who has been here in the community for YEARS

misses the good old days of when 1st gen was coming to an end and 2nd gen was starting up

a sechskies fan, nearly cried when they got back together for a reunion

is still around, isn’t really stanning any new groups though. kind of just there for the music. last group he stanned was probably girls’ generation

the one at the concert who doesn’t record or hold his phone out because he just wants to enjoy the moment

also, the protective one at the concert who doubles as security and makes sure everyone around him is safe and not in any need of medical attention

KIKU

the stan that other stan look up to and aspire to be despite her usually always being broke because she spends any money she has left on merchandise

she’s the one who has a fandom of her own somehow

has the aesthetic room you’d see on pinterest with posters, tapestries, and vinyl on the walls

is always dressed her best

she’s an f(x) and red velvet fan. f(x)’s pink tape was the first album she ever listened to and she hadn’t looked back since

does the fandom selca days with all of her biases from every group she stans

decorated her photocard toploaders with cute little stickers and they always look so pretty

© MANGEKYUOU. / ☻