#Kpop earworm

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - No Thoughts Only Bed Friends

March 2023 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Bed Friend (Sat YT, GaGa & iQIYI uncut) ep 5 of 8 - Consent King is great. The nail clipping injury thing was absurd. I love King’s admission that he’s attracted to Uea’s cool aloof meanness. Also I like that office politics and nepotism have come in to play, this is an office romance after all. King’s “back the fuck off” expression is one of the best. And then there are bits of the friendship/work dynamics that are laugh out loud funny. This is a great show. 

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - I honestly can’t decide about the babe character. Do I like him or is he too much an idiot? There is a way to play innocence where it’s cheeky not frustrating, but this is edging on frustrating. Mr Boss is a hard core flirt. What is this I feel? Just… old fashioned trope exhaustion. I HATE the younger brother character but love the home family. All in all, this show still makes me smile, not sure why, but it keeps me watching.  

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga & iQIYI) ep 3 of 12 - Continues to be slice of life sweet and somewhat silly. Second lead syndrome strikes... and then vanishes. 

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) 2 of 12 eps - I just don’t like any of the characters. They’re boring. Also we are back to that old pulp mistake of not matching foundation properly and not blending at the jaw line. Which I find endlessly distracting. I do like that the sunshine idiot time traveller is trying to take care of his dead bestie’s kid and said kid is hella gay for it. 

The Promise (Thai Weds YT) ep 3 of 10 - I’m bored. 

Chains of Heart (Sat iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - A confession is not an excuse. Do we trust Leu or not? Now a random doctor character has shown up? It feels like we are watching the whole thing out of sequence, not just the flashbacks but as if the story hasn’t been edited together properly. what is going on? 

Our Winter (Thai & Korea YT & TikTok under ThaiMiniSeries) ep 12-13 of 14 - whatever. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dating Sim (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 3-4 of 8 - I can’t. It’s so good. They’re so good... and so bad at flirting. And SO into each other. The saddest part of my week is reading the phrase “the next episode will not be available for 7 days.”

All the Liquors (Korea Thurs Gaga & Viki) eps 5-6 of 8 - That’s it, that’s the reason? The chef is allergic to alcohol? I don’t understand, why such a big deal? What happened to that plot point? Why did he change his mind? OK, I guess that is the end of that conflict? Now we’re in it just for a cute romcom? Fine. Who needs story structure? Especially when they have a date that is all about tasting local food and baby boy has a cute striped sweater with extra long flappity-flappy sleeves. The credit extras sequence was GREAT! I found the two gay boys expressions over the hets flirting = one if the most relatable moments in BL cinematic history.  

Unintentional Love Story (Korea Fri iQIYI) 1-2 of 10- Ji Won Young is intent on winning over the heart of Yoon Tae Joon as he's the boss's favorite artist. Plot: evil corporation is evil, artist is DEEP and not evil. Opens with a wrongful termination, debt issues, bird poop, & broken plate = our poor sunshine cutie can’t catch a break. Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is GREAT in this role. Like really good. The tsundere ceramicist better be in hiding for a DAMN good reason. I don’t wan’t to be in another Liquors sitch. Meanwhile: “just a little kabedon to see if you’re gay“ really? That’s your excuse? Love the cafe owner & combative foodie romance boys, side dish syndrome coming on strong already. (The guy playing the muscled waiter is the lead from You Make Me Dance). [FYI I had to search on Google to find it on iqiyi, for some reason they weren’t listing the first 2 eps internally: Ep 1, Ep 2]

A Shoulder to Cry On (Korea Tues Viki & Gaga) eps 1-2 of 7 - Adaptation of Dongmul's manwha, high school set, features a teasing confident gay, and a rich/poor pairing. Star idols Jaehan & Yechan BOTH from OMEGA X, a first for the industry. AND..... I don’t like it. Very bully romance, without the mature teasing of Semantic Error or the kinky hotness of My Beautiful Man. I HATE outing with false accusations (implication = to be gay is evil), aided and abetted by adults. (It’s as close to a trigger as I get.) It makes for an unforgivable bad-boy character. Lots of the “crash into me“ trope. (Who do they think they are? Taiwan?) I’ll keep watching but I’m not happy about it, and I don’t see how they can possibly redeem the bad boy - tragic past or no. Now that he switched to flirting the dynamic is better, but I will never trust him. 

Jack o’Frost (Japan Fri GaGa) ep 5 of 6 - Honestly? Perhaps their relationship should end. Why do I care? They seem ill suited. 

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi and I can watch him in Tin Tem Jai) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Blue Sky Complex (Japan ???) 5 eps for VR - Kei Ichikawa's manga is getting a JBL adaptation. Weird distribution though, it started Feb 27 sequentially on 360 Channel (SHOCHIKUch) a VR video distribution service. Will inter-fans ever get to see this, and if it’s filmed for VR will it adapt without being overly dark and fuzzy? I have questions. But as usual, you do you Japan and we will wait (im)patiently to see if you remember the rest of the world exists. This is my preferred kind of live action yaoi, so fingers crossed.

Boyband (Thai) ep 2 of 10 - Stopped airing on YouTube, and only available in Thailand & Japan. Not sure if they’re working a distribution deal or just fucking with us.

Cafe In Love (Thai ???) 10 eps on Ch3+ - Thai pulp, about trying to save a coffee shop. FairyGodBLer came through for me, but I’m collecting to binge just in case. It’s my new policy with the grey stuff.

Destiny Seeker (Tues WeTV Thailand) 10 eps - it’s not on any WeTV I can get ahold of. Bad Buddy the pulp rebirth meets Japanese handsome host club action. Same as above.

Heesu In Class 2 (Korea Thurs unknown, I check Viki Gaga iQIYI & WeTV nada) - A gay(er) version of Sex Education. I’m still not sure this one is actually happening.

In case you missed it

I’m putting this here because I missed it: Ready?

Laos produced their version of Boys Over Flowers called Oh My 4. It is... not very good BUT 2 of the F4 have a BL arc with each other!!! (The bad boy and the musician.) You know I’ve been wanting the all gay BoF for YEARS but this is as close as we’ve gotten. Don’t ask, I have no idea how to get it all. But some of it is on YT. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Liquors & Jack both end. 

Tomorrow: Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga) ep 1 of 5 - Based on a y-novel by Faddest (En of Love) about an engineering student and a dentist. We can expect this one to be soft, it’s from the 21 Day Theory people.

3/22: Make a Wish (Thai Weds YouTube) from WaGa Creative staring Fluke Natouch (OhmFluke UWMA etc...) & Judo (The Miracle Of Teddy Bear) in a medical-fantasy. It seems to be a light-hearted romance with a comedic flair. About a doctor who sees ghosts and a deity who resides in a Bodhi tree that earns merits whenever he fulfills a wish based on a y-novel by Sammon (Manner of Death, Triage). 

Full list of upcoming in March 2023 is here.

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Definitely Top 10 MINE glares (Bed Friend). 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Team B cover of Dang Dang Dang. Look the tiny corner of my heart not occupied by BL is entire taken over by Peak Time. 

[yooniesim]

I think I'm becoming a newjeans stan... oops

[ladyelainehilfur]

I hate when people are like "you just need to give (insert ridiculously popular artist) another try!! the song will grow on you!!"

Like 🧍‍♂️ I'm not even a fan, why would I be bothered to listen to a song I don't like more than once. I'm not obligated to give an artist multiple tries just because everyone else wants to force themselves to like the song.

[super-oddity]

i will never forgive txt for making one of their catchiest lyrics “i’m a loser” bc my roommates routinely respond with “yeah you are”

[kairiscorner]

PLSS DO ONE WHERE READER INTRODUCES MIGUEL TO KPOP LIKEEE this man definitely has loona on his workout playlist 💯💯💯🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

HELLO !! ok disclaimer: i'm not really that well-versed in kpop, so i had to ask help from my friends and kinda combined theirs and my opinions together, so sorry if it's jumbled and ooc, i tried :')))

introducing him to kpop – miguel o'hara x reader headcanons and blurbs

"what am i listening to?" he asked you as he looked at you with a perplexed expression as he listened to the beginning of the song russian roulette by red velvet. he didn't take the headphones off, but he didn't fully comprehend what exactly he was listening to. "it's k-pop." "ok, and why does it sound like a cotton candy fever dream?" he asked you as you chuckled aloud, knowing what the lyrics really meant. "it... it's part of the appeal." you said as miguel sighed and sat back as he listened to the song. you swore he swayed his head a little as he listened to the song; and you might've, sort've caught him on camera doing it.

miguel only agreed to listen to kpop because you wouldn't stop bugging him about it, like you and lyla keep streaming newjeans songs (FUCK YEAHHHH) and they just become an earworm for him 😭😭😭

he probably unironically likes supershy and it's his deepest, darkest secret.

why do i see him playing 'attention' while working out what, he blasts that while he's at the gym, ignoring everyone else and........ maybe hoping to get your attention (haha kairi's a shitty comedian)

the song's lyrics and melody are the only things filling his ears right now, the calls and greetings of the spider people in the gym are being tuned out by the song as miguel lifts a couple of weights. peter b walks over with mayday on his chest, the redhead babbling and trying to call for her 'tio miguel' as her father keeps rambling to him about his dad bod and proposing an idea to make a playpen for the spider babies when the spider parents aren't around; but miguel can't even hear either of them--he's too engrossed in the song and hoping that he'd not only go away, but that somebody's attention would be captured from his exercising. hopefully.

when 'paint the town' comes on his playlist while working out HE GETS IN THE ZONE; NOBODY CAN RIP HIM AWAY FROM HIS WEIGHTS

the only reason he likes boy with luv is because of how cute you are when you sing along to it :>

imagine him listening to life goes on while looking back at memories of him and gabriella (•‿•)

he can't stop the tears from falling; he knows it's a kpop song sung by really flashy guys who many people all over the world adore, that it usually wouldn't be something to bring him to tears, but... the message is conflicting with his emotions.

as he watches his daughter come back to life through the videos and photos they had together, though the stinging feeling that she's gone–that he can never hold her nor speak to her again, and can only see her in his dreams–won't leave him alone. the song's lyrics, after he understood the translation of it, made him feel a little achy, but it also helped him feel a little relieved, in a way?

"life goes on..." he read the title aloud as he tasted the salty tears rolling down to his lips as he blinked them back, seeing the distorted image of his daughter as he watched the video of the two of them at a soccer field after her big win. even without her, miguel still lived; life... went on.

though he couldn't understand why he lived when his daughter should've been given a full life ahead of her, he lived. and because he lived, his life will go on, with or without her–but he refuses to live another day without thinking of her his beloved daughter, and... apologizing for being the reason her life didn't continue, her life couldn't go on because his did.

tags !! @miguelswifey04 @binibinileonara @fiannee @fictarian @yuridopted0 @arachnoia @meeom @ophanimgold @melovetitties @popeheywardssecretgf

[telomeke]

Current Tag Game

Tagged by @colourme-feral in this post – thanks dearie! 💖

Current time: 9:59am (when I started this! it's now much later but I'm not gonna re-write...).

Current activity: Had a work deadline last night so tidying up the aftermath (deleting unwanted files, etc.).

Currently thinking about: How the project submission for work went. Annoyed that I skipped gym this morning just in case there were last minute changes to the project submission and we'd have to re-submit today; but now that's not needed I'm missing legs day. Also thinking about munching on something extra because breakfast was too light (hardboiled eggs, grapes and blueberries – all originally meant as a post-swim snack, re-purposed to become breakfast since gym was canceled). Maybe fry up an omelet and sausages, or grill some salmon? 😋 Or shall I just munch on some creamy Whittaker's milk chocolate since lunch will be soon and anything heavier might spoil it? 🤔  

Current favorite song: I don't know if they qualify as favorites, but songs will enter my brainspace and then swirl around in there for a while, refusing to leave. So I'm constantly listening to them (on YouTube, not Spotify; don't have a smartphone) and/or singing along in an effort to exorcise the earworm. At the moment the playlist in my head is:

I Don't Think That I Like Her Anymore (Charlie Puth)  Charlie constantly amazes me with his superhuman ability to churn out catchy melodic turns and unusual aural takes on percussion sounds for his backing rhythms (e.g., the light switch in Light Switch). This song continues with his quirky stylings, and I'm loving the pounding bass coming in to frame the heavyweight sock-it-ta-ya message of the song's chorus after the light plaintive vocals of the introductory and intervening verses. The second (melodic) line of the chorus ("Cause they're all the same") is so simple and yet so perfectly fitting after the bold hook of the first line – I find myself asking each time I hear it how could anything else ever fit better? And then it builds and builds to a big finish, at the end of each chorus and also at the end of the song – that key change from B Major to C# Major is quite a genius step, retro yet so fresh. (But still... C sharp? 👀 OK if your electronic thingamajig can auto-transpose but hell on a trad keyboard.) I know this song is from a year ago but I'm not simply wallowing in nostalgia (oh all right, so yes I am a bit) – there is nonetheless a BL connection that first got me hooked on this. The cast of my current fave I Feel You Linger in the Air did their own take on the TikTok Kpop dance challenge of this song (linked here, with other TikToks here) and they're just so cute dancing along. Nonkul attempts a little elbow jab in homage to the original choreo, while Bright gives up after a couple of bars and just goes on doing alternating wrist twirls like those you sometimes see in Southeast Asian dance… 🤣 Alee and Tian seem like they're having fun, as does Attila, but who knew Khun Robert could actually look this good, all goofy and charming when he smiles doing a silly little jig?

‌

All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey)  Ever since Ms. Mariah broke her icy containment after Halloween (see this video here 😂) I've been singing along, getting in the mood for carols, fruitcake and Christmas decorations because it reminds me of time spent with (departed) family. Happy because those are happy times worth recalling, but also bittersweet because those loved ones are no longer around.

‌

One of Your Girls (Troye Sivan)  While I tend to feel a pinch of resentment whenever Aussies of European origin seem to get opportunities in the West more easily than non-white people do, I have to remind myself it's the system and not the talent that is at fault. So credit where credit is due and I'm a fan of what Troye has done with this and his earlier releases (like his video with PP Krit 😃😍). One of Your Girls is just so beautiful and languid as it teases with its message, and consistently Troye is breathtakingly beautiful and languid in the video, teasing us with an offering of the forbidden. I'm feeling things I never thought I would. 😮 The choreography is pretty daring too. (Especially that crotch flare – where did they tuck the dangly bits? I'm wincing as I watch.) Also shout-out to all the different representation with the models. 😍

‌

Then I'm Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley)  This is Rick Astley spoofing Rick Astley (more explanation linked here) and just so funny. Especially since the original song is already iconic on Tumblr.

‌

Fast Car (Luke Combs)  Another nostalgia trip, this is an absolutely stellar rendition of the already phenomenal original by Tracy Chapman. Almost like Marc Cohn's Walking in Memphis with its sense of urgency and of bottled emotions about to explode, maybe just a shade less of Marc's full-throated growl in Luke's voice, but earthshaking nonetheless. In these 21st century times (and in my corner of the world where BL and queer rep cross my dash all the time) I love that Luke (a married man with a wife and two kids, looking for all we know like the straightest of the hets) didn't change Tracy's line "So I work in the market as a checkout girl", paying homage to the original and smashing at the gender-obsessives everywhere in a quietly powerful way.

‌

Currently reading: My language study textbooks; not much time for anything else though I do miss having a good work of fiction to keep me company whenever the slate of Thai drama dips in quality.

Currently watching: I Feel You Linger in the Air – a really impressive work, solidly-grounded in its universe with overhanging familial, social and political intrigue that threatens to overshadow (but never really does) the chemistry between Khun Yai and Jom.

I've fallen in hard love with this and just hope that Tee Bundit will display the wisdom associated with his name (for those as linguistically-obsessed as I am, Bundit is the homologue for pundit in English, pandit in Hindi and pendita in Malay) and wrap up the finale with more finesse than he has done on his other shows. (Something tells me though that the sense of foreboding you get while watching IFYLITA is partly due to the dread that Tee is going to rush and stumble through the last bits, leaving viewers less than satisfied with the ending like he did with Lovely Writer, Hidden Agenda and Step by Step.) However this goes, I'm a new fan of Nonkul and Bright's acting, and can't wait to see more of them.

As to what else I'm watching – I'm still trying to finish Only Friends, if only to be able to say that I've finally watched a Jojo show all the way to the end. It's not for me, though it has some moments that shine (like Neo's performance, and all the shirtless scenes) but I struggle to find anything that satisfies on a more cerebral level. I'm not opposed to sensuality and messy drama being foregrounded over more intellectual underpinnings (all hail KinnPorsche) but for me it doesn't go earthy and raw enough to make up for whatever else it doesn't do.

Current favorite character: Pat and Pran from Bad Buddy will always be on this list, but because I'm currently enjoying IFYLITA I'm sure I've been visited by Por Jom, Khun Yai, Khun Ueangphueng, Ba Prik, Ming and Khun James in my dreams lately (and also a certain racing piglet 🤣).

Current WIP: All in my head, but I have a final wrap-up post on Bad Buddy locations percolating, as well as one on the graphics in the show (that give us hints of Pat and Pran's interior worlds).

Tagging names I've seen more than once cross my dash and/or notes:

@neuroticbookworm @airenyah @alexis-mika @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas @wen-kexing-apologist @twig-tea @pandasmagorica @respectthepetty @dribs-and-drabbles @waitmyturtles @dimplesandfierceeyes @writerwithoutsound @bengiyo @grapejuicegay @lamonnaie @lurkingshan @callipigio @italianpersonwithashippersheart @recentadultburnout @kattahj @theheightofdishonor @fiddlepickdouglas @dc-alves @brazilian-whalien52 @slayerkitty @silvercrystal1 @dudeyuri @ranchthoughts @suni-san @chawarin-panich @lurkingteapot @solitaryandwandering

and anyone else who'd like to play. 😍 Apologies if you've already been tagged; point me to your post if so! And apologies if I've forgotten to mention anyone; if I follow or if you follow me please know you are loved and do play along if you wish! 💖

Also a special tag carved out for the lovely @visualtaehyun as a part-apology; you've tagged me before on a couple of other games and I wrote out about half of my replies – but then work deadlines became urgent and got in the way. Ruefully I had to abandon those posts (especially since they're now weeks out of date). So this is my way of saying thanks for tagging me on those tag games, sorry for not replying, and I hope you'll play along with this one because I love getting to know like-minded people on Tumblr! 💖

[nayeonline]

Ari's K-Pop Roundup: March 2024 (ILLIT, ARTMS, CHUNGHA, VCHA + MORE)

Check out last months installment here :) sidenote: sorry about this episode being a bit heavy on the smaller reviews - have been experiencing a cruel and unusual combination of illness and exam season lol - next month will hopefully be slightly better

Magnetic - ILLIT (SUPER REAL ME)

Whether you watched HYBE's 2023 idol survival show 'R U Next?' or you had the self preservation to skip it, if you were into k-pop at that time, you definitely heard about it. The show gained attention from the community originally because it was from HYBE, the newest, and arguably currently the most influential k-pop company goliath, and because HYBE's girl groups (notably Le Sserafim and NewJeans) are famous for influencing the kpop scene instantly upon debut, and maintaining their spots in the top 10s of the charts for many months. This was HYBE giving us a look behind the curtain at the making of the next big girl group, and letting us call a lot of the shots along the way. Or at least that's what it was supposed to be. Rigging in these type of idol shows is practically expected, but HYBE was a new offender, and their crimes weren't only frequent, but pretty obvious. The fans protested, but nothing changed. ILLIT, the group that emerged on the other side, was a group that was hardly a showcase of the talent on display on the show, nor a reflection of the fans and their biases. It was a reflection of who the producers felt fit their pre-established concept for the group, an influencing factor that wasn't made clear to the fans watching, nor potentially, to the idols participating. Ironically, since the whole point of a survival show is to drum up support and build a fanbase for a group's upcoming debut, ILLIT has arguably started off on a worse foot than if they had just dropped 'Magnetic' on YouTube out of nowhere, NewJeans 'Attention' style.

However, regardless of their rocky start, ILLIT is here, with their debut mini album 'SUPER REAL ME', featuring the title track 'Magnetic' - let's talk about it. 'Magnetic' capitalizes on that glitchy, 8-bit, distorted, bedroom pop sound that's been blowing up recently, both in the k-pop industry by NewJeans, LOONA, and tripleS, and in the western space by Pinkpantheress. It's easily catchy, and highly danceable, and the members sound amazing on it - I felt especially drawn to Minju's delivery, her vocal tone is beautifully unique, and Wonhee did a stellar job as the centric member of the choruses. Magnetic's allusions to NewJeans are undeniable, if only lacking that certain NewJeans je ne sais quoi. I don't really have a problem with this, if I get more fun songs out of groups allegedly 'copying' NewJeans then it's a win for me, my only fear is that if ILLIT doesn't find their own niche they will be called knock-off NewJeans for the rest of their careers, which isn't fair to the girls. TripleS got accused of something similar back with AAA's 'Generation', but since then they have carved out a space for themselves in the industry, making music and exploring aesthetics others aren't.

As for the b-sides, I was kind of obsessed with 'My World', even though it is functionally an intro; it's such an unexpected earworm. 'Midnight Fiction' is cute, even if I think it needed another hook or layer of production to elevate it more. 'Lucky Girl Syndrome' is slightly better than 'Midnight Fiction', but a bit worse than 'Magnetic'. It's very obvious that the title came before the track, and it bizarrely sounds kind of like 'Sensitive' by Loossemble? The chorus is slightly weak, but I am obsessed with the instrumentation and the production choices - this song sounds nothing like NewJeans, I really hope they draw from this vibe in their future releases.

Overall, a pretty decent debut. You will definitely catch me streaming 'Magnetic' over the next few weeks, whether it will have the longevity to stick around in my playlist for longer remains to be seen. Good luck ILLIT, you've had a rough start in the industry, but it's clear that they have a big career ahead of them, and I for one, am seated.

Pre1: Birth - ARTMS [LOONA] (Dall)

After an iconic run of Haseul and Heejin's solo projects, as well as ODD EYE CIRCLE's first release out of BBC, 5/12 of the LOONA girls are here as ARTMS. 'Birth' is a song that operates outside of the conventions of kpop formulae; its experimental, confrontational, melancholy and bears an undercurrent of rage. Tonally and structurally it is unique from anything being released right now, and lyrically its compelling and mysterious. If this is a taste of what the upcoming album is going to sound like, I am extremely excited.

The music video is one of the best kpop has to offer - its so unlike anything else I have seen. I heavily encourage you all to go check out the theories the orbits/ouriis have been cooking up because LOONA LORE IS BACK!! I am very curious if the loossemble lore will link to this in any way, but that remains to be seen.

EENIE MEENIE - CHUNG HA, feat. HONGJOONG

Chungha is back, with a new company and an old concept. I'm not sure how to feel about this track, its clear she feels very confident in this style and it does suit her more than 'Sparkling', but I think 'Sparkling' was overall a better song. The production of 'Eenie Meenie' is very high quality and I especially loved that guitar layer in the chorus, and bringing Hongjoong in for a verse was a great call, he fits the song and matches Chungha's vibe perfectly. Unfortunately however, I don't find the chorus to be very catchy, which is clearly what the song is banking on in order to chart. The whole 'eenie meenie minie mo' thing is odd, but honestly could have been worse if this song had been given to anyone other than Chungha, the real death sentence for this song was the lack of interesting melody. I'm happy that Chungha is now making the kind of music she wants to, I just hope that the quality of releases go up in the future.

Only One - VCHA

Who knew that when Fifty Fifty crumbled due to their (allegedly) god awful company, it would be VCHA of all groups to successfully pick up the retro girlpop gauntlet?? 'Only One' is genuinely so fun, that post chorus is a killer, and even the mildly awkward writing clears up after the first verse. The girls have such great chemistry, and they are all genuinely improving their skills every comeback, and although I may have questioned JYP's decision to debut girls who had barely been in training, seeing the girls improve in real time is lowkey actually a selling point - like now I want to pay attention to them to see how good they are going to get?? JYP making an intelligent marketing decision?? In this economy?? Congratulations VCHA, you have officially established yourself as a force to be reckoned with, KATSEYE had better bring the heat when they debut to compete with this.

MINI REVIEWS:

Get Goin' - aespa: did you know this song existed? no! Is it surprisingly really fun? well yes! not sure what aespa has to do with fraggle rock, but if it takes Apple TV spamming SM Entertianment's dms to get aespa to release more music, then that's what must be done.

The knight who can't die and the silk cradle - LUCY: (req. by @a-moth-to-the-light) I've always been mildly aware of LUCY, but until my moot requested I review their latest release, I had never heard any of their songs. Needless to say, I was severely impressed. This song is so cinematic and heartfelt - to my knowledge it isn't part of an OST to a particularly cinematic kdrama, but it might as well be. I heavily encourage you all to go watch the mv with subtitles on, or read the translation, because lyrically this is a masterpiece. LUCY, you have officially caught my attention, I will be checking out future releases.

Paths to home - 문채원, HOWUS: The music video for this song, at time of writing, currently has 147 views, I have no clue how I stumbled across it, but I am so glad I did. 'Paths to home' is a beautifully constructed and performed citypop inspired track that to me evokes LOONA's early discography, especially those from Hyunjin's solo project. It is so perfectly constructed to my tastes, I love it to death. I have no idea how 'HOWUS' as a project works, I don't know if it's a group, a company, a subunit, or apparently even when it was released because according to some websites it came out in 2022 (the struggles of extremely nugu kpop cannot be understated), but what I do know is that this song deserves more attention, and I adore it. This is one for the NewJeans, LOONA yyxy, tripleS +(KR)ystal Eyes girlies.

Wish You Hell - WENDY (Red Velvet): SM finally gave Wendy a song that isn't a ballad!!! This song is pretty fun, but I wish it bit more oomph. The lyrics leave much to be desired, but Wendy's vocal performance is naturally very high quality, although I wish she went a bit harder in some sections - she's singing about wishing someone hell, but tonally it sounds like she's serenading them lol. A fun song, could have been better with another few drafts. Seulgi's 'best Red Velvet solo project' crown is yet to slip.

BBB - Purple Kiss: I will never shut the fuck up about how good 'Zombie' is, so seeing them explore similar sounds is so exciting for me!! 'BBB' is a very easy going listen, never awkward, never unpleasant, and although I think it needed a little something more to elevate it, it's a fun song I could easily see myself loving this summer. Swan absolutely ate up this comeback btw.

XXL - YOUNG POSSE: Bizarre sfx aside, I am very glad young posse is attempting to bring back 2000s hip hop into kpop, even if the execution is mildly clunky.

[r5lette]

— ROULETTE'S TITLE TRACKS

listen to the playlist!

、∘⠀ ་ ⸼ ⸒ ✴ 2021!

roulette debuted on may 14, 2021 with their single UNFORGIVEN. the song was well-regarded by critics and fans alike as a breakout debut. the music video garnered 20 million views in one week and was the most-streamed debut song out of the artists signed to BE:Ond. the song granted them two music show wins. GLITCH, released in july of 2021, was roulette's first taste to the public of how drastically their musical style could change between comebacks. while the song was praised for its production, done mostly by member jihye, some felt that the change was too abrupt for such a new group. they received no music show wins from this comeback, but the song gradually became one of their most underrated classics. the tide started to change for the group when WARNING was released that november. the song's unique and odd sounds made it a target for a lot of initial hate. people believed that warning was a sign that roulette was strictly "noise music". it became such a trend to make fun of the song for being noisy, that the song became extremely popular. the main adjective to describe the public's opinion on the song is that it's an earworm. you hear those introduction sirens in the shower, at work, during an exam, and especially at a red light. again the song didn't grant them a music show win, though they came extremely close to nearly beating out senior group nct. the group performed a mashup of UNFORGIVEN and WARNING at the MAMA awards which went viral for the girls' stage presence and live vocals.

、∘⠀ ་ ⸼ ⸒ ✴ 2022!

BAD GIRL was when the trajectory of roulette's career would change forever. before, they were known as a group with amazing production and talented members, but with songs that had a lack of replay-ability to the general public. bad girl changed all of that. the song was released in february of 2022 and was a near instant success, attracting multitude of new fans. fancams of the stages went viral, specifically ones of yasmin and mei. the song won them three music show wins and was the top streamed kpop song on spotify for two weeks. soon after in april, the girls released RISING. the song was extremely well-received internationally and gained them a lot of fans throughout the world. they only promoted the song for two weeks before announcing that they would soon release a full length album. the pre-release to their album, INSECURE was a major win for aces who enjoyed roulette's more r&b inspired tracks. it gave fans hope that the album and comeback would also be full of the same sound.

fans were livid when OH! was initially released in june. people felt trolled by the group as all of their promotional photos showed that it would be a sexy and mature concept next. in response to the backlash, mali commented on live: "our concept is to divert expectations so i'm not sure why people are so surprised at the title track, especially when we have b-sides that fit the mature mold that people wanted from us. it's a fun song. if you get it, you get it. and if you don't then you must not know us." after mali's comments and a repeated listening of the song, the public couldn't deny the musicality, skill, and endurance that it took to preform the song. the song won them two music show awards. that august, on the group's one year anniversary, they released their first english track SHOOTING STARS. the song was a massive hit on both american and korean airwaves. the girls went on a press junket in america, preforming the song on shows like good morning america and the late show with stephen colbert. the group went on to win a daesang that year for best song for BAD GIRL and another bosang for best dance performance for OH!.

、∘⠀ ་ ⸼ ⸒ ✴ 2023!

in january, BE:Ond announced that jihye would be taking a hiatus from group activities for "health reasons". aces were extremely upset at this announcement, as the label is known to put members on hiatus only for them to never return. fans were hard at work figuring out the real reason why jihye was gone, hyper-analyzing videos of her looking tired, uncomfortable, or upset. the idea that maybe BE:Ond was lying about jihye's whereabouts was silenced by the release of I'M SPICY in february which was promoted by only the four remaining members. the song was another massive hit for them, their biggest since bad girl. the music video amassed nearly 40 million views in the span of a week and a half. a lot the new fans that the song attracted were only there for ROT4 and thought that the sound of the group was better without jihye in it. ROT4 stans made it their mission to make I'M SPICY their most popular song, carrying out listening parties and tiktok challenges to gain the group the maximum amount of exposure.

ROT4 didn't last for too long though, when it was announced jihye would return for their next comeback QUEEN CARD on the group's two year anniversary in may. queen card was another domestic blockbuster, becoming their biggest hit to date. the song swept the charts and earned the group another six music wins. the girls preformed at lollapalooza that june when they teased a new song that they said wouldn't be released for months. the song in question was BAD BOY, the bad boyfriend to BAD GIRL's baddie girlfriend. the song was released in october to massive critical acclaim. aces were ecstatic that they finally got the r&b comeback of their dreams. the song earned them an additional 5 music show wins and is known as a top 3 roulette song in every aces eyes. the final release of the year was their second english track, THE DOLLS in december. the song was a success both domestically and internationally, with the girls promoting the song on both korean and american shows. the song gained a lot of traction for its styling and people recreated the signature snow suit looks with their own clothes and personal flair. the song didn't earn them any wins, which was a shock to casual and die-hard aces alike who believed the song was more popular than other songs that were being promoted at the same time. when asked if she believed THE DOLLS was a flop, cherry responded "absolutely not! i don't see wins like that as an actual mark of success. it's my favorite song we've done and a lot of those shows are kind of rigged anyways." this comment caused a lot of controversy to the group, with some people saying that roulette didn't respect their fellow artists while others agreed with cherry's statement noting that the popularity of the song worldwide was too grand to be completely ignored by music shows.

[bisexualhobi]

all jokes and hating for fun aside i do think it's commendable how fucking artificial and transparent queencard is as a comeback. it's the bts butter of girl groups. it's mass produced plastic. it doesn't even sound like a real song it's exactly what you would expect an AI to spit out if you asked it to make a generic viral chasing tiktok song. everything from its blatant tomboy mimicry – trying so hard to emulate its success because it was the first time gidle genuinely broke through the mainstream – to its point dance – which is the most non effort easy to replicate for dance challenges choreo hoping it inflates its numbers because tiktok is the only metric that matters for music anymore – to its absolutely mind numbing lyrics which include a chorus that is literally three words repeated on a loop – taking the listener hostage to force an earworm that simply doesn't occur organically.

this song is a caricature not only of gidle (who in spite of everything i do genuinely believe have good music, they just haven't made it in a long time) but of the whole kpop industry as it stands today. it's the embodiment of what people who think they're too good for kpop and write off as manufactured soulless music performed by state sanctioned puppets think all of kpop is. it's honestly astounding how the song is clearly trying so hard to hit certain marks and yet it falls abysmally flat – even to the group's fans who have done nothing but defend it day and night often arguing it's tongue in cheek and done ironically and gidle are in on the joke which... does absolutely nothing to make it better. making bad music to criticize bad music isn't exactly revolutionary, specially when it's done to achieve commercial success and top the charts by putting in the bare minimum amount of effort while exploiting every gimmick in the repertoire.

[absolutebl]

This Week In BL - Everything is Awful or New or Both

Feb 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessmen t of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) ep 11 of 12 - It’s an ep 11 so we knew this was gonna be a downer. This was definitely a “date me date my friends” kind of situation. At this rate, GeminiFourth’s other characters in Chicken are going to kiss before TinnGun do. I love Tinn’s dad. Also, it looks like our a tiny little ship of crumbs is sailing. How cute is that!? Sunshine + sunshine! Bonza. 

Bed Friend (Sat YT & iQIYI uncut) 1 of 8 - Fuck buddies get messy, AKA Between Us the second cumming only this time in an office (and on a desk). I have been waiting for James to hold down (or be held down in) a BL for years! All hail the new kings of high heat. BUCKLE UP I GOT A LOT TO SAY. I like that there’s a dark underbelly (*snicker*) of trauma to this one, it has a slightly a Japanese feel which suits mature characters and an office setting. King’s yearning worried eyes are glorious. Poor thing, he totally adores this beautiful broken fragile boy and doesn’t know how to capture his attention. I admit Net was the one I worried about with this pair. James was always gonna be great. It turns out, I didn’t have to worry. This is an awesome show and I fucking love it. It nearly scooped the top spot. Frankly this is the Office BL I have been WAITING for Thailand to give us. 

NOTE: I watched both YT’s cut and iQIYI’s uncut version. (Anyone else feel odd using those terms under a high heat BL context?) I like YT’s better, mostly iQIYI’s interface is shit. Deets? There was a little extra from the “morning after regrets flashbacks” but not so much I think you’ll regret missing it. Unless you REALLY prefer high heat. The emotion of the sexual connection and Uea’s lonely submissive need was transmitted in both versions, but the iQIYI is slightly more MOAR. 

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) ep 10 of 12 - Flashbacks to the cutest boyfriends ever and then PAIN. All I can think is “thank fuck this was handed to Pond & Phuwin.” One of the world’s saddest executions of the sniff test trope. Meanwhile, Perth is SO GOOD but I wish Chopper would record his conversations with his dad. Look, we all know Chopper is gonna take his dad’s bullet for Nuengdiao, right? Oh well, if you didn’t know, I just told you. 

Moonlight Chicken (Weds YT) 3-4 of 8 - The plot... erm... thickens. I told you Jim had a tragic backstory with an ex. And now it’s all gotten VERY messy. Sigh. Fourth & Gemini are cute, tho. 

Hit Bite Love (Sat YouTube) ep 4-5 of 6 - I do like King & Burger. The idea of giving your perspective boyfriend your CV is ADORBS. Auditioning for the part, as it were. I would like it known that my sexual identity is chili (AKA spicy) henceforth. (My pronouns are MaxTul & sometimes Phi.) Look, this is an absurd show. Last ep it was BDSM 101, this ep we got a lesson on how to use a condom properly? AND why the closet is both necessary and damaging? I mean I applaud their educational endeavors but BL: The After School Special? Did I sign up for Degrassi Junior BL while I wasn’t looking? 

Boyband (Thurs YT) 1 of 10 - BL drama about putting an idol boyband together. AKA how to make ABL suffer by combing favorite (celebrity romances, Kpop) and least favorite (bad singing) tropes. AND? I REALLY like it. It’s fun! What singing there is, is looped not live. So we in Cutie Pie territory. It’s easy to skip. The pairing is rich/poor and I like an other side of the tracks romance.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Weds Viki) ep 8 of 10 (or 15&16 of 20) - Covid strikes. Boyfriends are worried. Omg they are so cute and hot and awkward. Tension in the office politics too. It’ll be okay, babies. 

Jack o’Frost (Japan) ep 1 of 6 - After getting dumped, Ritsu has an accident and gets amnesia. Ikuya, his ex, struggles to help him regain his memories while wondering about the state of their relationship. But Ritsu falls in love with Ikuya all over again. Engaging opening but I’m just not sure about the premise. 

It’s Airing But ... 

Chains of Heart (Sat Gaga) 1 of 10 - Not dropping for me until tomorrow so it’ll be in next week’s round up I hope. Suspense thriller about a forest ranger, smugglers, amnesia, and lost love. Stars Haii (Cirrus in TT2) and Marc (My Gear & Your Gown in YYY). Adapted from a Y-novel of the same name by TJ Tommy.

My Beautiful Man 2 (Viki & Gaga) - Because there are only 4 eps, I decided to wait and binge this one. 

Cafe In Love (Thai) 10 eps on Ch3+ - Thai pulp, stars the actor who played Noh’s best friend Ohm in Love Sick 2. When his coffee shop closes, a man tries everything to save it and falls in love along the way. I had a hunt but can’t find it. 

Moments Of Love (Thai) Feb 14 Foremorfilm Production movie for cinema release. Was originally a series with Golf (609 Bedtime Story & The Eclipse) to direct, and SmartJames (LeonPhob from Don't Say No) to star. BUT is now something totally different. We’re all confused.

Destiny Seeker (Tues WeTV ) 10 eps - it’s not on any WeTV I can get ahold of. Engineering student Songkram is head of dorm 3, for "strong & athletic" students. Aye is head of dorm 2, for the "good looking" students. Aye used to be Songkram's tutor and friend, but they fell apart after becoming dorm heads. Aye is actually in love with Songkram but thinks Sonkram likes someone else. Songkram actually likes Aye. So, Bad Buddy the pulp rebirth meets that weird Japanese “girls-crossdressing-as-boys for love and infiltrating secret society of hotness” tradition.

Our Winter (Thai & Korea ?) - TutorYim vehicle supposedly airing now. Search me. 

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu (Japan Sun Gaga) - DNFing this one. It’s way too high heat for them to end it happily and full of dark stuff like cheating, suicide, depression, abuse. I actively HATE one of the main characters and mildly dislike the other. Easier to just stop watching.  

Next Week Looks Like This:

2023 forthcoming BL master post. (see comments some are inaccurate, NOT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

My favorite thing to happen in BL this week. Possibly EVER.

Honestly, such a weird little After School Special. (All Hit Bite Love.) 

SAIL MY LITTLE CRUMBS! SAIL!!!! 

You TELL her, Paw. (All My School President) 

We stan the out boy. Own it, babycakes. (Moonlight Chicken.) 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Beautiful by BEAST, look, sometimes we gotta go back to our roots. Check out the legends for what they were, criticize my taste later. Fuck I miss those times when everyone had to sing live and the one with the hot mic had to stop dancing to catch his breath because, ya know, he still had to sing. 

ALL that said, you slackers should check out HELLO GLOOM - Dancing In The Dark. I alway said IMFACT was the most woke Kpop group, now they broken up(?) nice to see ‘em solo in queer fuck-off style. 

undefined

[angelosearch]

I saw someone do this in another fandom and I had to try because... these are things I think about anyway. So...

What would Final Fantasy VIII characters' Spotify Wrappeds look like?

Squall - This year is the first year Squall has a Wrapped. He didn't listen much before, but somehow, after meeting Rinoa, music just started to make sense. Still, his taste is mostly emo-boy rock. Linkin Park, blink-182, and Paramore are a few of his favorites. There is this one acoustic song that makes him think about Rinoa that he's listened to more than anything else... He doesn't share his Wrapped with anyone, but, of course, Rinoa was able to steal his phone to take a look.

Top Song - Even Now (Acoustic) by Dashboard Confessional

Rinoa - Rinoa loves high-energy music that she can dance to. Kpop, Pop, and pop that yearns to be disco. Sparklely music. Her top artists include BLACKPINK, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Dua Lipa. But her top song ended up being "Steal the Show" by Lauv. She just couldn't stop listening to it after she heard the "I'll be waiting for you" line. 

Top Song - Steal the Show by Lauv

Zell - Zell mainly listens to music when he is working out, so he sticks to stuff that is loud, fast, and motivating. He is not opposed to pop but definitely leans more to the rock side of things, with some of his top artists being The Killers, Artic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, and even Olivia Rodrigo on occasion. His favorite band to box to by far is Dragon Force. Their tempo is perfect for it.

Top Song - My Heart will Go On by Dragon Force

Quistis - Quistis listens to more podcasts than music. However, when she does listen to music, her taste is genre-defying and very specifc. Wetleg, Bloom Twins, Rubblebucket, and girl in red are some of her top artists. She also loved the song "You'd Be Stars" by Sydney Rose. But, "Hot Shame" was such an earworm it took first place this year.

Top Song - Hot Shame by FIGHTMASTER

Selphie - Every year, Selphie's Wrapped surprises everyone. Last year it was filled with belting pop divas. The year before that, it was almost entirely metal. This year, Selphie enjoyed bopping around to Hip Hop and Rap. Juice WRLD, Lil Nas X, and Eminem dominated her Wrapped. When asked about the darkness of some of her top song's lyrics, she said, "It's fun! Like a picnic!"

Top Song - TALES OF DOMINICA by Lil Nas X

Irvine - Irvine is embarrassed to share his Wrapped. He was hoping his manly country music and classic rock would show up, but nostalgic moods led to a top five full quieter indie artists. He listened to a lot of "long-haired magic mushroom men" like Hoizer and Noah Khan. 

Top Song - Jackie and Wilson by Hoizer

Laguna - Always the cheeseball, Laguna spent a lot of time jamming out to his early-2000s soft "rock": Maroon 5, Coldplay, John Mayer, Rob Thomas and the like. But in the latter half of the year, he and Ellone started having movie nights, and the soundtracks infiltrated his Wrapped. The movies always seem to have particular themes... so "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and "Journey to the Past" both made it on his top five. 

Top Song - Journey to the Past by Christy Altomare (Anastasia)

BONUS: Cat's in the Cradle is on Laguna's top five songs as well. He keeps sending it to Squall and... well, it has 0 listens in Squall's Spotify.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fic: I know I love you

Tags: Gong Shangjue x Gong Yuanzhi, High School AU, Cousin Incest, Singer Gong Yuanzhi, Pining, Talent Show, Age Difference, Businessman Gong Shangjue, gonna add the underage tag just coz of the age difference

A/N: This is the song that got me back into Kpop. As a Gen 2 fan, I never thought I would ever get back into it once I left that group of friends who loved it as much as I did. But there I was, diving headfirst into Gen 4 Kpop and thus far, it's been great.

This is all to say that it's okay to be a fan of something. There's no age limit to be a fan and as long as you're not hurting anyone with your passion and enthusiasm, you're good :) If you needed to hear this today, there's always a place in fannish spaces for us older fans. No matter what other people might say x

If Gong Yuanzhi were to say that he didn't feel an ounce of nervousness, that would be a lie.

Sneaking a peek at the auditorium's crowd, he hears a loud cheer - definitely led by his cousin Ziyu, the absolute simp - when Yun Weishan's voice starts going into the chorus of that earworm of a song by Esther Yu. Next to him, he can feel Jin Fan pushing at his shoulder so that he can steal a glimpse of his other cousin Zishang who had partnered up with Yun Weishan.

He's surrounded by simps, he swears.

Turning back to where Jin Fu, Jin Fan's fraternal twin, is twirling his drums and this quiet dude they only know as Ah Yue is testing out the keyboards, Yuanzhi meets the latter's eyes and nods.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Yuanzhi huffs, fiddling with his guitar for the umpteenth time. Ah Yue takes pity on him and claps him on the shoulder. He doesn't even ask him the question he knows he wants to ask.

It's fine, Yuanzhi tries to reason. It's fine if he doesn't come tonight.

Logically, he knows that Shangjue gege is probably busy if not on another plane to another city to negotiate another deal to fatten up the family's coffers. More than that, he knows that Shangjue would have about a million things better to do on a Friday night than to attend some high school talent show just because half of the family's younger cousins are part of it.

Still, hope springs eternal. Even if reality is proving otherwise.

From where they stand at the curtained eaves of the stage, they can hear Yun Weishan and Zishang jie's voices bleeding into the final notes of their performance. It's show time.

"Deep breaths, yeah?" Ah Yue says, bumping fists with Yuanzhi as they step onto the stage to the applause of the audience.

They take their place as the emcees of the night announce their names and their class number. Breathing in deeply, Yuanzhi squints out at shadowed faces of the crowd, trying to quell the rapid-fire beating of his heart.

Positions himself at the microphone, he takes a deep breath, fingers pressing down on the opening chord.

I know I love you

Yuanzhi pours his heart into that opening growl. Behind him, he hears the guys start up on their instruments just like they'd spent hours and hours practising. Part of him wants to turn around, grin with glee at how cool this all is, but he holds on to what he needs to do.

In this world of zero, I know you're my one and only 

Try as he may, he cannot help his mind from turning to his gege. The lyrics of the song speak to a truth that his soul knows -- has known for a while now.

My life before you was a mess

Yuanzhi blinks and he can pick out Ziyu cheering him on in the shadows with a borderline maniacal grin. A warm sort of glow settles in his chest. This silly cousin of his...

He can’t help the grin of his own as he sinks his voice into the words. Adrenaline pumps through his veins when he hears Ah Yue’s voice harmonise with his own.

Now I can't stop thinking 'bout you, When I'm sinking alone

The beat kicks up. The drums start to pound through his chest and Yuanzhi closes his eyes as the guys all start singing together.

I know it's real, I can feel it

Yuanzhi feels free in the words of the song. Fingers strumming along as he tastes the way the crowd begins to cheer.

When he opens his eyes again, there he is. Standing in the back of the auditorium, haloed by the exit sign, but he’s here. In the shadows.

Yuanzhi can hardly believe it.

No.

He can’t bring himself to believe it.

I'm a loser in this game

For the longest time, Yuanzhi had trusted in the emotions that tells him he loves Shangjue gege like a brother. Fond and protective in a familial way, respect and admiration all wrapped into how Shangjue gege is so capable and strong.

There was always a thread of gratefulness, too, when Yuanzhi thinks about his emotions. Grateful that Shangjue took him in and practically helped to raise him.

If there was anyone who deserved his love, it’d be Shangjue gege.

All or nothing, I want all of you 

But emotions change.

And recently, Yuanzhi’s heart hurts whenever he thinks about how Shangjue is being expected to marry and have kids.

Even more so when he thinks of gege having someone to love and hold in that way. In the deepest darkness of the night hours, Yuanzhi can admit into the shadows that he wants to be the person that Gege holds and loves. Especially if it’s in that way.

I'm full of problems, love sick 

Yuanzhi keeps his eyes fixed on the shadowed halo on the fringes of the room.

Everything else fades away and he bleeds his heart and soul into the words. Meaning every syllable, every beat, every lilt and crescendo.

In some distant part of his senses, he can hear his band mates carry their own parts as they harmonise together. Yuanzhi doesn’t linger on them.

He keeps his eyes on his prize.

Say you love me, to the end of the world 

Logically, Yuanzhi knows it’s wrong.

If he ever verbalised the exact emotions he feels about Shangjue, chances are he’d be excommunicated from the family. He can imagine the looks of disgust and contempt; can see it in his nightmares.

He knows Shangjue gege can tell something is wrong, but how does one even begin to tell the object of your affections that you love them in the romantic way that begs to burn down any bridge that could cultivate it back into familiar familial feelings?

Loss of his gege is unacceptable. The only thing left for Yuanzhi is to sing it.

All or nothing, I give all of you 

The auditorium shakes with the force of the audience’s cheers. Ah Yue, Jin Fan, and Jin Fu all clamour around him to wrap him up in a hug before they take a bow to the standing ovation they receive.

Yuanzhi turns back to the spot in the shadow and has to kill the bud of disappointment that starts to flower. He doesn’t have a right to feel that way, no.

So, he accepts the applause with a smile, bows politely and jogs backstage where Zishang jie is squealing and pulling him into a rib cracking hug before she jumps right into Jin Fan’s arms.

“Are you alright?” Ah Yue asks, a hand on his wrist. Outside, the next group takes their place in the spotlight. Yuanzhi nods, moving quickly to where they’d stash their bags and cases.

He feels sick.

What was he doing thinking that Shangjue ge was even here tonight? More than that, what the hell was he even dreaming about that Gege would even understand that this song is dedicated to him?

He stuffs his guitar back into its case, snapping it shut and gathering his bag.

“I’ll see you guys on Monday ok?”

“Hey, where are you going?” Jin Fu frowns. “They haven’t announced the winners!”

Yuanzhi can only shake his head and plaster on a weak grin. “I…”

“He’s coming home with me.”

Yuanzhi thinks his soul jumped right out of him and into the underworld. Literal chills start breaking out down his spine when Shangjue gege steps confidently forward and wordlessly takes his school bag. Sliding their palms together, he tangles their fingers, guiding him away and out of the backstage area.

“Gege, what are you—“

“My Didi gave me a ticket to his school’s talent show. Did you think I was going to miss it?”

Yuanzhi wisely keeps his mouth shut.

Shangjue scoffs, weaving them through a sea of performers and their assortment of props and costumes. In no time, Yuanzhi is breathing in a lungful of cool, crisp night air, but gege doesn’t stop and he stumbles a little to keep up.

“Gege—“

“Get in the car,” Shangjue says, letting go of him to move to the driver’s side. When Yuanzhi doesn’t immediately follow, he turns, sighing. Coming back to Yuanzhi, he cups him by the cheek.

Running his thumb over his cheekbone, Gege purses his lips. “We need to have a conversation and I’d rather we do it in the car.”

Yuanzhi numbly tips his head, looking down on the asphalt of the school parking lot while Shangjue manoeuvres the guitar case off him and into the back of his Jaguar, and then shuffles him into the front passenger seat, buckling him in with a smooth practiced motion.

Panic and trepidation sits thick on his tongue.

“Where do you want to start?” Shangjue says over the hum of the car’s engine as he takes them out of the parking lot and into the main road.

“I don’t even know where to do that,” Yuanzhi admits. He starts to fidget with his fingers, stilling with a start when Shangjue gege takes his hand into his own again. Deftly switching lanes, Yuanzhi watched the streetlights wash over the dark interior of the car in measured intervals.

“You’re my Didi,” Gege says. “I’m your Gege. It’s as simple as that.”

The words twist something sour in his chest. It’s the undeniable truth and one he can’t even run away from no matter how hard he tries to.

“Yeah.” Yuanzhi mumbles. Squeezing Gege’s hand he makes to pull away, only for Shangjue to hold on tightly.

Shangjue’s eyes are focused on the road. Cool and calm as he safely merges the car into the evening traffic.

“Yuanzhi, once again you’re hearing and not listening.”

Not a little offended, Yuanzhi tries to pry his hand out of Shangjue’s only to fail miserably when his gege huffs.

“I know you love me.”

Yuanzhi blinks owlishly, brain shorting out at the soft smile that Shangjue gege sports when he inches the car forward.

“Did you think I wasn’t listening?”

“I didn’t know what to think,” Yuanzhi manages. Shangjue’s hand squeezes his thrice.

A gentle quiet settles in the hush of the car. It’s not unpleasant, more so when Shangjue carefully lifts their hands to his lips. The gesture sends a thrill down Yuanzhi’s spine, especially when he lets go only to change gears, then sliding their hands back together again.

“I was going to wait until you’re a little older to broach the topic. I didn’t…” Shangjue trails off, throat bobbing. “I didn’t want it to seems like I was pressuring you into anything…”

Yuanzhi feels his cheeks warm.

“You wouldn’t have—“

“But I would have.” Shangjue cuts with certainty. “You wouldn’t have been anything but willing and that’s what makes it dangerous.”

Carefully, with an infinite tenderness Yuanzhi was sure he could never pour into another person, Yuanzhi whispers, “And yet I would have loved you.”

Shangjue turns to him. “I won’t apologise for making you wait.”

“How long?”

Shangjue blinks, confusion colouring his brow. “How long?”

“How long do I have to wait?” Yuanzhi elaborates. “How long until you will be comfortable with… this?”

The laughter that bubbles up in the car makes him smile. His heart settles in the sound of it, then picks up again at the way Shangjue looks at him syrup soft with an intensity that Yuanzhi now has a name for.

“Get into your top choice for university and then we will talk.”

Yuanzhi smiles. “Do you promise, Ge?”

“All or nothing, Didi.” Shangjue replies easily, running his thumb over the back of Yuanzhi’s hand.

[clowndra]

unserious kpop album review of one of my all-time favorites #1

here to kick things off is red velvet's rbb !

really bad boy (8/10) - okay so listen, do i like rbb more than bad boy? the answer is, unfortunately, yes. but WAIT - hear me out: the drums, the horns, the layered vocals, the whistle note, wendy's part in the bridge??? yes, liking this more than bad boy is probably the music taste equivalent of biting into a kit kat without breaking it in half, but i can't help it if i'm just smarter than you.

butterflies (11/10) - this is an s tier fucking song. the soft, husky vocals with the synths?? mwah! i literally could not recommend this song enough. it's one of the best kpop songs in existence. and i know this because i'm a god and everything i say is true and factual and objective. the bible? that was based on me and my kpop takes, bitches

so good (9/10) - it is, in fact, so good.

sassy me (6.5/10) - the horn part is such an earworm...also joy's vocal fry in this song goes fucking craaaaaazy holy shit

taste (5/10) - uhhh yeah so why does that fucking theremin-esque noise in the beginning sound like a stomach growling??? also not the fucking 2000s white girl speaking intro PLSSSS...it even had the giggle and EVERYTHING. the rest of the song is frankly, meh. so i'd like to take up this space to write an open letter to sm: not every song needs to have a low-grade shitty rap. please, i'm begging. sincerely, clowndra

[beautifulpersonpeach]

What do you think of new jean’s’ latest EP?

*

Ask 2 (quick ask):

Last year you said XG is a group you like. What do you think of their comeback? Grl Gvng is my fav from them rn. Then Tippy Toes. Do you still like New jeans btw? Ever since you said to watch how kpop stans treat NJ I've been checking the reactions and discourse and you've been right on the money. Again. You could make real dough from predicting how things play out in kpop fandoms.

***

Hi Anon(s),

Get Up by NewJeans is a solid 8/10.

Every song on the EP is an earworm and I've been streaming the album since it dropped. There's no other 4th gen girl group that gets me excited for new music lately, more than NewJeans. XG is a distant second (anon in ask 2, all they've put out so far is a couple of singles which I think are very good, but the actual comeback is in late September so we'll see).

The stand-out songs on the EP for me are Cool With You, New Jeans, and ASAP, but every song on the EP is doing very well (except ASAP that most people seem to hate right now. But I suspect that will change with time.)

My theory of NewJeans' overarching concept being Alice in Wonderland, was confirmed for me in their visual album as that's the throughline idea in all the MVs, despite their very different themes.

The Powerpuff Girls / New Jeans intro being the most obvious analog, starting the EP with taking bunnies inside the imaginary world of NewJeans' townsville, reiterating that they aim to "make you feel like you're in a game", that this sound and vibe is what to expect, etc.

Super Shy which follows the girls within their universe where they're already known and loved (the callback to Attention at the start of the MV which people are already dancing to)

ETA is the first obvious reference to the parasocial attachment that NewJeans continues to highlight in their music. Just as in Ditto, it's self-aware with a morbid and surreal undertone to it. The MV director Shin Woo-seok, has also said the MV plot lesson is centered on how rumours can be used and weaponized regardless of whether they're based in fact. Which... again, just brilliant considering everything about how k-pop stans operate in general.

Cool With You & Get Up are the climax of the EP in my opinion, and in them we see the most interesting and sophisticated expression of identity conflict and reconciliation in parasocial attachments, using the story of Eros/Cupid and Psyche. Get Up, according to Ador, is only an interlude in this EP but will serve as the sonic blueprint for their next album. And this also confirms another pattern I've noticed. Min Heejin has been using one song from each album to hint/tease the dominant sound for the next. So, what I mean is:

1 - In NewJeans (debut EP) Cookie was a slight departure sonically from the other songs on the album, but sounds very similar to OMG which followed.

2 - In OMG (singles album) Ditto sounded nothing really like OMG (the song) but its UK garage + Baltimore Club combo sounds more like the full fledged expression of D&B that we see in Super Shy, Cool with You, and other songs in Get Up.

3 - And now in Get Up (2nd mini album) we hear that their next album project will sound a lot like Get Up (the song).

ASAP is easily my favourite song on the album. It reminds me a lot of Close Your Eyes. As the outro, here NewJeans doesn't hint at it anymore, they show you that you're Alice, and that you're already well and deep within their beautifully fantastical wonderland. There's just enough horror elements in the MV to keep you alert even though everything about the song is meant to lull you into a dreamlike illusionary state. It feels childlike and nostalgic.

If it were up to me, I'd nominate Get Up for every Album of the Year award. And I have to give kudos to Ador for not just collaborating with PPG by borrowing their trademarked characters and visuals, (which is where most k-pop groups and companies would've stopped at), but by finding a way to incorporate even the PPG theme song into their music. Whoever realized that a nostalgic cartoon has one of the most recognizable beats in the Drum & Bass genre and thought to repurpose it in their music, that person should get a raise.

I'm aware k-pop stans have tabled their usual complaints, tried getting various controversies to stick, from claiming Min Heejin was pushing terrorism to claiming that Hoyeon (the respected South Korean actress most known from Squid Game) was involved in making porn in front of minors... thankfully, the facts won (in more sane corners of k-pop fandom) and none of that bullshit really stuck. Now the only complaint I'm still seeing around is that the songs are too short, but again, it just drives home the fact as I keep saying, k-pop stans really have no idea what they're talking about. It's one thing to wish the songs were longer for your own enjoyment, but one of the characteristics of the D&B and Garage genres is their length, because they are percussion-driven and repetitive, songs in those genres are typically shorter.

Also, aside from a handful of other girl groups, NewJeans is producing some of the most fun, interesting, and engaging choreographies I've seen in a hot minute.

*

My favourite still in the entire visual album:

Hoyeon is built like a goddess, my gosh.

*

Ador needs to be given their due. They know what they're doing and I hope they continue having the freedom and cash to fully flesh out each of the girls' talents in NewJeans, because all five girls are incredibly talented. I'd love for Jimin to work with them somehow, Yoongi too (both as a collaborator and in a production capacity). I'm looking forward to seeing more from them in every possible way.

[bookscandlesnbts]

One thing I’m loving about JK’s Western Promos is…

His natural, tan and *glowing* skin. I’m loving not seeing him whitewashed in photos, ads, performances, ect. His natural beauty is breathtaking. With so much criticism surrounding him wanting to break into the western market, I see him showcasing his natural tan skin as a Korean man refreshing and a positive aspect of his western promotions. He looks so happy. And for me, his interview solidified the speculation that he wants to be a global pop star not just a kpop star. And if that is his dream as a solo artist, then I am happy for him and wish him all the best.

I realized that I never talked about Seven. I do like the song. I still have not and will not watch the music video as a personal preference. I’ve seen enough gifs and clips on here and twitter to feel like I’ve seen it anyway. The explicit version of Seven is a little much for my ace self, but the clean version is catchy and fun. Yes, it’s definitely aimed at the general public and meant to be an earworm, but I do like it more than I thought I would. I mostly just like how happy JK looks lately. He’s adorable. I hope he stays that way and healthy too.