#I’m sure I’ve said all these point before but I will constantly spread my falsettos dndads agenda

[rooolt]

Me solemnly listening to the falsettos songs i put on my dndads character playlists because i cant relate the jewish aspects to any of the characters

[vskpop]

October 2017 ⋅ Who the hell are you?

W, Here – NU’EST W

If there’s something that I have to thank Produce 101 for, is that it finally opened my eyes to Nu’est. I regret not paying any attention to them earlier, and even looking back I realise that I liked all their songs, but never really had any interest in the group itself.

Since their debut, Nu’est have been doing stuff that was basically avantgarde in terms of k-pop; now that electronic/EDM inspired pop has reached Korea, they can keep doing what they’ve always done and still sound better than everyone else.

Their title track Where You At is completely faithful to what their style has been so far; it’s EDM, but it somehow feels more refined than a lot of stuff that’s been put out recently. There’s a very trendy drop, but it’s announced by Dongho’s explosive vocals. There is a rap break, but it isn’t completely disjointed from the song.

While I wasn’t expecting that most of the album tracks would be solo songs, I do think that this is the best time for them to experiment: they were on the brink of disbanding, so anything that happens between now and contract renewal (and Minhyun’s return, hopefully) is a chance to test themselves and prepare for what they will do when they are back as 5. It’s also true that each of them can absolutely hold his own as a solo singer, which is not true of every group.

7 for 7 – GOT7

I’m going to quote my March 2017 self:

I never felt like GOT7 had a clear identity, but listening to their singles up to Fly, there is a faint thread that was completely cut with Hard Carry (the wooooorst) and hasn’t been picked up with Never Ever.

As of October 2017, I think GOT7 are back on track: with 7 for 7 and lead single You Are, I feel like they’ve finally gone back to their “romantic universe” concept, which is what has suited them best right from the beginning.

I was hoping this would happen ever since JYP’s new boy group, temporarily called Stray Kids, was announced. They seem to have been assigned the iKON/BTS image, leaving GOT7 free to shed their Never Ever grimy concept and go back to what they do best.

While previous songs relied heavily on GOT7’s not-so-amazing rappers, You Are features their super talented singers – not a complete surprise, after JJ Project had done so well this summer. The EDM elements of their previous releases are still there, but the vocalists really make the song special; I never stop being surprised by how lovely Youngjae’s part in the chorus is.

Of course I’m happy that the singers get to shine because that’s my personal taste, but it’s worth noting that this completes the shift of Jackson and Bambam from the most prominent members of the group to background figures. The difference between their presence in the Fly and the You Are performances is stark.

This bizarre dynamic – the members who caused trouble shoved in the back and the popular members thrown at the front – in the context of an album that is literally called 7 for 7, and the rhetoric of them being a 7-member group being very much reinforced.

I’m quite wary of this language being used at a time where the group is quite fragmented – there was a point a few months ago in which the members were spread over four countries when they were supposedly preparing two comebacks. Instead of feeling reassuring, it suggests that the situation is not quite as stable as it should be.

As far as I’m concerned, GOT7 have found their sound (again) and I would be more than happy for them to continue on this path. I’m curious to see if they will manage to stick to it for two comebacks in a row, and if it’s really true that #OT7 is forever.

Move – Taemin

If I had more time and more of a willingness to be disappointed by SM Entertainment, I would look into what was cut from the subpar video for Move, the title track of an otherwise perfect comeback. There isn’t a single bad song in this album. The aesthetics and styling are wonderful. The choreography for Move is the sexiest thing to have been performed by a man on a k-pop show this year.

K-pop either does big bangers or big ballads, but Taemin needs neither. The 80’s synth works perfectly with his breathy, sexy vocals. Move doesn’t exist in a completely different universe to last year’s Press Your Number, which had different 80’s elements, but it’s still something new and unique in the k-pop panorama.

While every single song on this album would be worth mentioning, I’m always struck by how much emotion he manages to put in his ballads. He could be talking about socks, and Rise would still make me cry for three hours.

I will be endlessly impressed with Taemin, who could have had nothing at this point if it was for SM (not the greatest at growing talents, sorry not sorry), and instead has managed to find an image for himself and to grow as a true artist. I hope he keeps it up for a long time.

Twicetagram – TWICE

It turns out that I’d rather hate Twice’s songs: at least I can pretend they don’t exist. When I find them catchy, which is the case for Likey, I am destined to suffer because of the absolutely revolting lyrics.

“In that small screen / I want to look the prettiest”

“Getting all dolled up / Is so annoying / But I can’t just be careless”

“I’m holding in my breath so I can zip up / Pulling it over my waist once more” “There are so many / Pretty clothes in this world”

I know that pop songs aren't that deep, and that this is not their first song with terrible lyrics, but it's shameful that a group as loved by young girls as Twice would push the idea that it's women's duty to look attractive to others (men, that is). This is one of the cases in which I’m kind of happy that my Korean is not that good, because I can just pretend that they’re not being absolutely idiotic and enjoy the song on my commute.

This is one of their better comebacks as far as I’m concerned: they all get to properly dance after Momo’s break, they aren’t dressed like schoolchildren, there is some actual singing from members that never made a sound before.

On the upside, while they still have zero production credits, many of the members got to write lyrics for the album tracks, which is more than many other girl groups ever get to do. Even the Wonder Girls members only had a handful of lyrics credits until the group was on the verge of disbandment and had to write their own songs. I love 24/7, Rollin’ and Don’t Give Up.

RAPID FIRE ROUND

Max & Match – LOONA Odd Eye Circle

I don’t know why it’s been so exhausting to follow Odd Eye Circle. I found Girl Front a bit too cute for what I was expecting, but on the other hand the choreography for repackage single Sweet Crazy Love is a bit too sexy for Choerry (who is only 16). While I love the song this time around, and I do think they look incredible in the video, I’m just looking forward to moving onto the next batch of girls and not have to question the concept of OEC anymore.

Fantasy – JBJ

With JBJ, basically all my Produce 101 favourites who didn’t make it into Wanna One have debuted in one form or the other. The song and the costuming have a very old school k-pop flavour, which is an interesting choice in a context where the trendiest post-Produce group wins (hi and bye, Rainz). I’m especially glad to see model-turned-idol Hyunbin onstage, because now YG will be forced to put him in the next boy group (muhahahahhah). I also live for Taehyun’s dancing and Sanggyun’s face rapping, so following them has been an absolute delight.

Knights of the Sun – SF9

I low key wanted to hate SF9’s O Sole Mio because Italy has nothing to do with the Latin sounds and “te quiero”, but my brain has been mushed by Despacito and anything by CNCO, so I was totally endeared by SF9 using their shirts as muletas and those random guitar interludes. I’m also not sure if someone thought that “Latin sounds” referred to actual Latin, because the phrase “ego dormio” is repeated several times in the song and friends, that’s the dead language, not the Enrique Iglesias genre.

It has to be said that all their albums have been excellent so far (I was obsessed with Breaking Sensation earlier in the year) and Knights of the Sun, despite not really sticking to the Latin theme, has some really good songs in it, like falsetto extravaganza Just On My Way.  

Hallelujah – Jimin (AOA)

I don’t even know how to justify this. Jimin’s voice is as grating as ever, and I love it as much as I always do. There is nothing that should bring together her squeaking, the pseudo-reggaeton, the signature “HEY HEY HEY HEY”, and the Christian hook that has nothing to do with the rest of the lyrics. This song makes no sense, but I’ve been listening to it constantly. What the hell are you, babe, hallelujah.

MORE SONGS OF NOTE

The whole of Epik High’s We’ve Done Something Wonderful Red Lie – BTOB Callin’ – ACE Pinwheel – Seventeen (more on this next month) Good Night – DIA I Wander – HA:TFELT When You Love Someone – DAY6

STRAYS

Monsta X Shownu and Jooheon dancing to Ariana Grande’s Side to Side, because why not.

I love, love, love, Twice’s Japanese single One More Time.