ilove-yanli

[ilove-yanli]

It continually surprises me...

That people say Mydei is better at "hiding" how down bad he is or that he's better at pretending to be an idgafker in comparison to Phainon or (even more ridiculous) that he isn't as invested in Phainon as Phainon is in him...

Like are we playing the same game?

Are we talking about the same Mydei who:

1. Despite the city being swarmed by titankin, chose to wait at the gate of Okhema just for Phainon to return from his mission, burst into one of the most excited grins we ever see from him the second he saw Phainon, and then promptly ignored that they had a whole audience just so that he could show off specifically for Phainon?

2. The same Mydei who tells almost total strangers--in front of the biggest rumormonger in Okhema(!!!)--that he thinks it's his personal job to protect Phainon's "fragile heart"? "They're spreading rumors that we're together!" "Yeah I know, I started it."

3. The same Mydei who gives Phainon access to his private living space, lets Phainon bodily drag him out of his own bed while he is sleeping, and bathes with Phainon apparently daily, in the baths that are directly exposed to entire crowds of Okhemans?

4. The Mydei who, despite recovering from injuries, comes running to the scene of Phainon's Strife trial and then announces without pause in front of all the other heirs that he was "right to worry" for Phainon's safety? (Who Aglaea, demigod of Romance, knew she could manipulate into taking the Strife coreflame specifically using Phainon's safety as the bargaining chip?)

5. Who never turns down a single one of Phainon's stupid challenges--even in public--and, in fact, jumps on board without hesitation 99% of the time? Who invents his own challenges just as an excuse to keep competing with Phainon?

The face of a man who just thought up ten different ways to get Phainon to spend more time with him.

6. The same Mydei who, when Phainon says "Where are we going to hang out later?" (not "Can we hang out later?" but just WHERE), doesn't go "I'm not hanging out with you later" but instead says "Let's just finish this first" [and figure out our date when we're done].

The third-wheeling Trailblazer scarecrow gets me every time.

7. Who pours his heart out about the companions he lost, even though Phainon hadn't actually returned the favor and told Mydei the truth of Aedes Elysiae?

8. The same Mydei who, without a single hint of hesitance, asks Chartonus to "Look after Phainon for me"?

9. Who unironically goes around calling Phainon his "Deliverer" in public? Remember that this is an Okheman public who, up until 3.2, literally only knew Phainon as "the penniless lad who follows Aglaea around."

Apparently, for the people of Okhema, Phainon spent years being "that dirt poor antique freak whom the Crown Prince of Kremnos calls 'Savior' on main."

10. Whatever the hell this was...

Bonus: The same Mydei who yearns in a life where they never even met???

Like where is the "hiding"? Where is the idgafery? Can someone point me to it please, because I just don't see it. 😂

I would argue that Mydei's down-bad-ness is actually even more apparent to the people of Okhema than Phainon's because it makes perfect sense that a random Chrysos Heir who fancies himself a warrior would admire a whole crown prince from a warrior kingdom, but what's the crown prince's excuse for being glued to the side of this basically no-name guy who's not even Kremnoan???

Y'all gotta stop pretending Mydei is this kind of cat toward Phainon:

When he is actually this kind of cat for Phainon:

[ilove-yanli]

It continually surprises me...

That people say Mydei is better at "hiding" how down bad he is or that he's better at pretending to be an idgafker in comparison to Phainon or (even more ridiculous) that he isn't as invested in Phainon as Phainon is in him...

Like are we playing the same game?

Are we talking about the same Mydei who:

1. Despite the city being swarmed by titankin, chose to wait at the gate of Okhema just for Phainon to return from his mission, burst into one of the most excited grins we ever see from him the second he saw Phainon, and then promptly ignored that they had a whole audience just so that he could show off specifically for Phainon?

2. The same Mydei who tells almost total strangers--in front of the biggest rumormonger in Okhema(!!!)--that he thinks it's his personal job to protect Phainon's "fragile heart"? "They're spreading rumors that we're together!" "Yeah I know, I started it."

3. The same Mydei who gives Phainon access to his private living space, lets Phainon bodily drag him out of his own bed while he is sleeping, and bathes with Phainon apparently daily, in the baths that are directly exposed to entire crowds of Okhemans?

4. The Mydei who, despite recovering from injuries, comes running to the scene of Phainon's Strife trial and then announces without pause in front of all the other heirs that he was "right to worry" for Phainon's safety? (Who Aglaea, demigod of Romance, knew she could manipulate into taking the Strife coreflame specifically using Phainon's safety as the bargaining chip?)

5. Who never turns down a single one of Phainon's stupid challenges--even in public--and, in fact, jumps on board without hesitation 99% of the time? Who invents his own challenges just as an excuse to keep competing with Phainon?

The face of a man who just thought up ten different ways to get Phainon to spend more time with him.

6. The same Mydei who, when Phainon says "Where are we going to hang out later?" (not "Can we hang out later?" but just WHERE), doesn't go "I'm not hanging out with you later" but instead says "Let's just finish this first" [and figure out our date when we're done].

The third-wheeling Trailblazer scarecrow gets me every time.

7. Who pours his heart out about the companions he lost, even though Phainon hadn't actually returned the favor and told Mydei the truth of Aedes Elysiae?

8. The same Mydei who, without a single hint of hesitance, asks Chartonus to "Look after Phainon for me"?

9. Who unironically goes around calling Phainon his "Deliverer" in public? Remember that this is an Okheman public who, up until 3.2, literally only knew Phainon as "the penniless lad who follows Aglaea around."

Apparently, for the people of Okhema, Phainon spent years being "that dirt poor antique freak whom the Crown Prince of Kremnos calls 'Savior' on main."

10. Whatever the hell this was...

Bonus: The same Mydei who yearns in a life where they never even met???

Like where is the "hiding"? Where is the idgafery? Can someone point me to it please, because I just don't see it. 😂

I would argue that Mydei's down-bad-ness is actually even more apparent to the people of Okhema than Phainon's because it makes perfect sense that a random Chrysos Heir who fancies himself a warrior would admire a whole crown prince from a warrior kingdom, but what's the crown prince's excuse for being glued to the side of this basically no-name guy who's not even Kremnoan???

Y'all gotta stop pretending Mydei is this kind of cat toward Phainon:

When he is actually this kind of cat for Phainon:

[ilove-yanli]

[ilove-yanli]

thoughts on karma after a few listens

i must have been in a fucked up mood when i first listened because i did not process ANYTHING, but this album is a real grower. it feels like a love letter to 2000s-2010s music which really speaks to my elder gen z self. it’s a bit different for skz, i think, in a way that’s hard to explain. there’s such a variety of sounds here, but somehow they feel like they belong on the same album. idk. just vibes. let’s get into it.

bleep - this HAS to be one of their best songs, i’m so serious. it’s quintessential stray kids. i feel like i’m listening to a movie. the futuristic instrumental during the chorus is so cool. that one lee know part??? you know what i’m talking about. my eyes shot open about 10 different times while listening the first time because of all the musical change-ups and sounds in the background. I’LL FIND YOU AND KILL YOU THE MOVIE TAKEEEEN… tell ‘em.

ceremony - i was too busy being overwhelmed by the music video (probably their best to date, btw) to really digest the song at first, and i was kind of taken aback by the empty chorus. but it gets more and more fun the more you listen. i love “jump up, jump up like a pop-up toaster, lift” so much lmao sue me. and han’s verse is well… kiss, muah.

creed - the melody of the chorus is soooo good my head is BOBBING. and go read the korean lyrics??? i mean wow. ik some people don’t like the autotune/mumble rapping but those are features of the genre. like i said before, you just have to see the vision. sqwa.

mess - this reminds me of older skz, which makes sense considering when it was written. will probably be my least played just because it’s not totally my style but it’s verrrry pretty. maybe a smidge too much autotune, but i think it’s being used as more of a stylistic choice here.

in my head - when chan started singing i said “COUNTRY?” to myself out loud lmao he put a little twang in that first line. this was the most shocking song on the album for me, but as a lover of 1d and early 2000s avril lavigne, i’m a big fan. it’s CATCHY. i fear i will be randomly singing “hey. you. lying in your bed. staring at the ceiling, yeah i thought that you were dead” every day for the forseeable future.

half time - love when a stray kids song has a quirky little instrumental. and i love when it slows down during the prechorus, it’s so fun. AND HYUNJIN’S BRIDGE!!! he sounds so good. a couple of parts sound a little too fast? but i might get used to it.

phoenix - felix at the beginning??? hello??? let’s take it back to 2010s EDM everybody! the production is CRISP; i feel like i’m inside the song. the instrumental outro has me movingggg. the chorus is dangerously catchy.

ghost - everyone let themselves get too attached the mashup version for whatever reason but i love the actual version. i’m a notorious mid-tempo banger lover so this one is obviously for me. and i’m really into the “scary” sounding organ instrumental placed throughout. it reminds me of “i like it” in the way that it’s a normal pop song with a random weird sound occasionally in the background to give it that skz flair.

0801 - this song has that certain musical quality that just makes you happy. and it has a bit of an 80s feel? i wasn’t sure i would vibe with it but i actually really like the dreaminess of it. i feel like a flower bobbing serenely in the breeze. and everyone’s voices are so pretty.

ceremony (festival ver.) - ceremony festival version in the club when???? bangerrrrr. legitimately got a little sweaty dancing to this.

[ilove-yanli]

Nobody Can Stop Stray Kids, Especially With Their New Album ‘Karma’

The K-pop supergroup — who also just wrapped their record-breaking world tour — digs into their new album, why it’s important to produce their own music and how their relationship with one another has evolved.

For K-pop supergroup Stray Kids, it’s all about authenticity.

The eight-member boy group, consisting of members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N, hail from Korean agency JYP Entertainment. The group has spent the last seven years creating the music they want to make with members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han, known collectively as 3Racha, as their main production team.

“[Producing our own music] allows us to highlight both our authenticity as a group and our strengths,” Changbin tells The Hollywood Reporter on a Zoom from Seoul. At the time of this conversation, the group is in between the North American and European legs of their record-breaking Dominate World Tour. The North American leg grossed about $76.2M, according to Billboard, making it the best-selling and highest-grossing North American leg for any K-pop tour. The group went on to have an equally successful European run.

Stray Kids is back with a new album, Karma, which the group says aims to convey the literal meaning of the world — do good things and you’ll receive good things in return. The album’s title track, “Ceremony,” is all about celebrating a triumph after overcoming adversity to get to that moment. The song is endlessly catchy and a celebration of Stray Kids making it to the top.

A line from Changbin’s opening rap verse for the song — “No one, nobody can stop me” — is perhaps the best view of where the eight-member group is at the moment. Stray Kids continue to break charting records around the world, including becoming the first act to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with its first six chart entries; Karma is contending to continue further that record.

Below, Stray Kids speaks with THR about the meaning of their new album Karma, how their relationship with one another has changed and the pressures that come along with hitting the top of the charts.

Can you tell me a bit about your new title track, “Ceremony?”

BANG CHAN “Ceremony” is a song that was elected by all the members for the next album. This might be a personal opinion, but I feel like it’s pretty catchy. It’s simplified, but it has the energy [needed] for a title track. I think that’s how we decided on “Ceremony” and hopefully people will enjoy the whole message and everything that we put into the song.

Why was the message of this album so perfect for you right now? Was it intentional or did it work out that way?

BANG CHAN Obviously, there was a lot of stuff that behind the scenes of how we’re making the album and everything, but because it’s been a while since we released a full album, we wanted to include different genres of music. I think we really wanted to emphasize in “Ceremony,” the title track, a lot of times it says “karma.” In the end, if you do good, you get good stuff in return. I think that’s what we’ve been trying to emphasize. That’s what we aim to do. We try to do good things in order for good things to [come to us in] return.

Does anyone have a favorite song on the album?

HYUNJIN I really like the track “Bleep.” It was actually considered as a focus track because it’s that it has that Stray Kids vibe and it’s very grand in scale, so I really like that track.

CHANGBIN I like the track “In My Head.” It was also considered [for the] title track, and it’s a song that you can listen when you want to blow off some steam. It has a chill vibe. The hook is super catchy and addictive, so I think a lot of fans would be able to sing along to it.

You just wrapped up the U.S. leg of your tour and you’re preparing to head out to Europe soon. This tour has been very big in scale. What was your experience like playing in stadiums across the U.S.?

FELIX It’s been a long time since we’ve toured and being able to go through this tour through stadiums and to see a lot of stays in the venue, it was not only exciting but also a very good experience. We did learn a lot from the tour, and there are some things that we thought we can improve on and some things that we did that we really liked. Obviously, we thought we really did succeed at this tour. We just hope that when the chance comes, we can do much better, but also just… I guess we want to prepare more surprises. We thought this tour was very successful.

Using a live band was an interesting and fun choice for the tour. It really adds to the listener experience, having gone to the tour myself. Was that a group consensus or just something that happened naturally?

FELIX It was definitely what the group decided on. We wanted Stays [the name for the group’s loyal fanbase] to hear our sound very natural, very loud and very strongly.

How do you kind of practice self-care when you’re touring or when you are busy working on a new project and that might become your whole life?

I.N I usually work out to build up my stamina. All the members are doing this too, and they also eat a variety of foods to get all the energy.

HYUNJIN I like to draw. Since the scale of the tour has gotten very big, I find joy in visiting art museums in each city. I also get inspiration from those visits too. That’s how I like to spend my free time.

Can you tell me a bit about why you feel it’s important to produce your own music?

CHANGBIN We produce our own music and perform it on stage, which allows us to highlight both our authenticity as a group and our strengths. Since our fans have always loved the color of our music from our trainee days, to after our debut, up until this moment; that’s why we’ve stuck to that style. We think our challenge now is to develop it further and deliver something new to the fans.

Do you find that your relationship with your fans has changed as you’ve grown as a group?

SEUNGMIN I do believe that our bond with the fans has changed over time. We can’t ask every one of them exactly when they became Stay — some of them have been with us since debut and keep showing up, while others we were able to meet for the first time in the new cities during the tour. Just by looking at their expressions, we could really feel how long they’ve waited and how much they love Stray Kids. Touring around the world really reminds us of how grateful we constantly are.

As we just talked about, the scale of the tour is bigger, and you consistently break records on music charts. Does that ever add pressure to you when it comes to a new release or a new tour?

HAN As our concert scale grows, there’s obviously more pressure that builds. But since so many people are looking forward to the tour and what we do, we work hard to meet those expectations. Because there are eight of us, we’re able to share the weight, and we’re able to achieve things that we couldn’t handle alone. We can now lean on each other and get through it together.

How has your relationship with each other changed since your debut?

LEE KNOW Since we all originally came from different backgrounds; we didn’t really click perfectly from the beginning. But after spending eight years together, we’ve come to understand what each other wants just by looking at each other and we know what each other dislikes. Even without putting thoughts into words, we’re often on the same page.

As an artist, you don’t have much say in how you’re perceived, unfortunately. But you’re obviously working hard and creating music you love, so it’s easy to assume there’s an ideal way you’d want to be viewed. How do you want to be perceived as a group?

SEUNGMIN I want to be perceived as an artist with a sound that people can instantly recognize as Stray Kids. When you hear a song, we want the audience to be able to tell it’s ours [because of] how unique and how different our musical color is. We want to be remembered as that kind of artist.

As you prepare to release this album, what’re you hoping for as a group as you look ahead?

HYUNJIN I definitely want to keep performing constantly. We want to stick to our style of music no matter what other trends come along. We want to keep that fun, energetic vibe in our music always. We want to be a long-lasting group and not a short-term project. [We also want to] come back to the fans whenever they want us to.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

[ilove-yanli]

HELLO?

MY WORLDS ARE COLLIDING?

[ilove-yanli]

Chat I am NOT NORMAL ABOUT THIS.

The Aussie line cosplaying as the doomed yaoi Chrysos Heirs???

I'm gonna ride on this hill.

Also:

Your daily reminder, everyone! HIP HIP... HOORAY!

Stream for good KARMA!

[ilove-yanli]

(250822) HAN – CEREMONY ENDING FAIRY

[ilove-yanli]

HAN @ karma fanmeet (250823) ©HANster_crush

[ilove-yanli]

[ilove-yanli]

💭 250824 [3:04 PM KST]

[ilove-yanli]

_doolsetnet: Yo #STAY#loveyou @.spotifykr

[ilove-yanli]

HIP HIP... HOORAY!

We gon' celebrate cause we got good karma!

A day late but I'm putting this out on BLAST!

[ilove-yanli]

I'm a day late because of school

BUT GUYSSS PLEASE STREAM THIS BANGER!!!!

HIP HIP... HOORAY!!!!!!!

[ilove-yanli]

MYDEI'S TWIN!?

GUYS JUST LOOK AT THIS

LIKE JUST LOOK AT ITTTT

MYDEI HAS A TWIN !!!!!!

[ilove-yanli]

phaidei amphoreus bl, anaxaglaea amphoreus het, now cerysilens amphoreus gl 🤤🤤🤤

[ilove-yanli]

my hand slipped