#THE VOCALS THE VISUALS THE MV DIRECTION

[solarwynd]

https://www.tumblr.com/solarwynd/755438648278794240/what-if-jimin-just-isnt-meant-to-serve-cunt-or?source=share

No shade but what qualifies as a song that serves cunt? I guess filter qualifies but only because of it's dance performance right? Which is also visual. So basically we mean the mv (which we only have one more) and any dance performance (if we somehow get one) has to be cunty?

Sorry if I'm getting too technical with this but I thought we were mostly joking around when we said Jimin was coming to serve cunt in muse. I didn't realise it was a measure some people were actually using. Or was this ask a joke and I'm acting like a robot who's never interacted with a human before?

People probably have a different definition of “cunt” but to me, I see it as sultry. Even if we didn’t have the performance for Filter, I’d say it definitely still falls under the category sonically and Jimin’s vocals on it are a huge reason for it. They were super sexy and alluring throughout the song and he effortlessly got the point and vibe of the song across.

Even Like Crazy to a degree at certain points (mainly that second verse after the instrumental break) and again it’s due to Jimin’s vocals. I love when he sings like that cause that tonal aspect of his voice where he either draws out sounds or hits a word sharply? Obsessed with it.

I do believe that when people were saying he was coming to serve cunt with MUSE it was mostly a joke cause obviously we didn’t know much about the album back then. And Jimin has 0 requirement to be cunty, it’s just what people think of when it comes to him and it’s what they’re hoping for. I think WHO sounds like it could go in that direction. I’m personally not going in with any high expectations for it because there’s always a chance it could go completely opposite and I’m not hung up on him doing it regardless, but still really looking forward to it.

[shiisan0]

Warning: This song and its MV contains sensitive topics and visuals, such as the direct display and thoughts of suicide, depression, blood, and the like. Please proceed with caution. ◆ Vocal: 「カラスコウ」 ◆ Music, Lyrics, Mix, Vocal Manipulation, Animation, UST, Illust: Θ ◆ Corrections: ☾ ◆ Additional Help: ε, M.E.

[putschki1969]

「Butterfly Dream」Digital Release

In advance of Wakana’s 3rd album release, the lead track “Butterfly Dream” has been made available in digital format to stream and download.

Download link: https://jvcmusic.lnk.to/Wakana_ButterflyDream Wakana Butterfly Dream ℗ Victor Entertainment Released on: 2023-05-10 Composer: Yuki Kishida |  Lyricist: Wakana

Thoughts: Ughhh, I really wanted to adore this but I am having a very hard time getting into the song, especially without the gorgeous visuals of the MV. I really hope and pray that they didn’t choose “Butterfly Dream” as the leading promo track because they thought it was the best track. That wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the album...This might be a personal preference but this isn’t exactly my favourite singing style for Wakana, it’s not particularly flattering imo and it doesn’t help that they are adding additional layers of her vocals on top of her singing. When we first got a few snippets of the MV I actually thought it was an issue with the audio but they obviously did that on purpose :P Melody-wise, neither the verse nor chorus do anything for me but I might have to give the track a few more listens to warm up to it. Not sure what they were trying to attempt by adding that directionless ending part though, that really doesn’t add anything to the song. On a side note, they could have at least tried to put a little bit more effort into that cover XD Then again, the spotty lights kinda match the weird sound effects that are used during the song [Edit: I am surprised to find out that they used actual lights instead of a random filter :P]

On May 10 at 21:00 JST the music video of "Butterfly Dream" will premiere on Wakana's Official YouTube Channel. Ayumi Sakamoto, an up-and-coming female creator was in charge of directing the “Butterfly Dream" music video. It was shot on location at the Oya stone quarry in Utsunomiya City.  The video is an impressive work featuring a dark fantasy worldview with a light waltz rhythm within a mystical atmosphere. Among all of this, Wakana draws attention to herself by being dressed in a bright red outfit. One of the highlights of the MV is the scene where Wakana sits on a steep cliff and sings, please pay attention to that! (Source)

Wakana「Butterfly Dream」Music Video Premiere

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow!

Wakana  New Album『Sono Saki e』 Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event

Right before the premiere of the MV, Wakana will be live-streaming a “Rapid-Fire Full Album Listening Event” on her Official YouTube Channel. It was Wakana’s wish to listen to all the songs together with the fans. The event will be moderated by Takumi Fujita. While listening to the 11 songs recorded for the album, Wakana will share her thoughts and a few anecdotes from the recording process. Please be sure to tune in when all tracks get unveiled for the first time!

[wishheroes]

Weekly K-pop Round-Up (20240523-20240531) pt.2

make sure to check out part one of the post here! 🪼

Virtual Angel - ARTMS

now that artms released their debut album dall and yves released loop, all 12 of the loona members have officially redebuted. right off the bat, i must say this is probably my favourite post-loona release. no matter what my opinion on jaden jeong is, i do have to praise him for creating masterpieces every time. the visuals and references to the loonaverse as well as the queer themes in this song/mv are incredible, and as blinding as the music video is, i definitely do understand the concept of it. does it need a warning? absolutely. but i also don't think it's a bad mv, i think it's very artistic. but releasing a safe (?) version of the music video wouldn't hurt either, it would be nice if ALL fans were able to enjoy this music video. i think odd eye circle and artms definitely have the most loona like feel to them in terms of music which shouldn't be surprising since well, they are under jj's roof. but i just think that whatever the loona-genre is, it just works so well and i will never get tired of it. virtual angel isn't really similar to any of loona's past works, but at the same time it still screams loona right at your face. the instrumental is extremely dreamy, the vocals are really nice to the ear and the lyrics are also very pretty. everything about this release made me emotional, i think it's beautiful all around. from the melody, to the instrumental, to the music video, to the lyrics. i'm so excited to see what artms will have in store for us next comeback, because it's going to be very hard to beat their phenomenal debut.

Satellite - TAEHA

speaking of dreamy, i think this MIGHT just be the resurrection of yukika. jokes aside, i have never listened to taeha's stuff. so if she has been making songs like this in the past, i had absolutely no clue. anyway, i think this release is worth checking out. it might not be the best song you'll ever listen to, but it's certainly not the worst either. i enjoyed this song a lot! the retro sound works with her voice so well, and i think this song is perfect to listen to while stargazing or just relaxing in general. the more i listen the more i fall in love. i think it's a song that would be to many people's liking, so make sure to check it out!

WORK - ATEEZ

i'm really liking the sound ateez have been doing for the past 2 comebacks. something about it just works (pun not intended). their voices really match this kind of sound and i think it's just really addicting. is it better than their noisy music? debatable. but both of these sounds match ateez very well. not that anyone asked, but crazy form is my favourite title track from ateez. so work having a similar vibe is nice, although funnily enough this is definitely nowhere near my fave tts from them. still, it's a solid comeback and i thought it was fun. i especially liked the mv. i think it's nice that ateez are willing to do something different for their titles these days.

1 to 3 - SUHO

i'm just so obsessed with the artistic direction for this whole comeback and mini. this man seriously needs to continue this sound for his future releases! if not something like this, then something similar. this fun sound is just absolutely perfect for him. this song feels like a cheese 2.0, but i'm not complaining at all. i actually don't know what to say because this song is just insane. i love everything about it. song so good it makes me want to rethink all my life decisions and delay my not confirmed trip to korea just to go to his concert in warsaw instead. i'm actually considering it.. but we'll see what the future brings.

that would wrap up this week's weekly roundup! as always thank you for reading, and make sure to check out part one!

[suuho]

Hey! Can you share your thoughts on Suga as an artist and a performer? This ask is inspired by all those gifs btw.

hi!! i have NOT forgotten about this ask, i promise. i was meant to answer this, like, a week ago, and then i got off track because my sister sent me a tweet and what can i say, i have the attention span and object permanence of a very small dog. sometimes. it HAPPENS. but i have not forgotten and that is why i am going to finally answer this.

under the cut because this is extremely long.

so, the thing is, it's been forever really since i've watched any bts live performances, they have just become so grating to me that i could simply NOT bear it, like. i have to love myself a little too, and i cannot deal with the rapid decline of their already subpar vocal standard, and the blatant disregard of the rap line's actual function. which is, you know. to rap. but all of this aside, i did sit down to relive the glory days of monster performances and, especially, rap line and yoongi solo performances.

which is why we will start this thing with my thoughts on yoongi as a performer. i even got out my hard drive with the bts concerts for this, which i haven't looked at in ages EITHER. *blows off the dust*

my favorite live performances he's done are: trivia: seesaw, outro: tear, cypher pt. 4, intro: never mind, boy with luv, and mic drop. i think? in that order. it's really been forever. honorable mention to interlude: shadow and black swan. black swan yoongi is something else and he shines in that song for reasons i will be getting into further down. it's kind of like the thesis of yoongi as a performer. but more to that later.

yoongi as a performer is very. hm. how do we get into this? this could (a/n: and will be!) be an endlessly long post. so, the main takeaway that i get whenever i watch yoongi is that he isn't a natural on stage. i think, whatever he does up there is hardly-fought-for and hardly-earned. yoongi is the kind of idol type that should not be an idol. that could not be suited less to be on an idol stage but he bodies it, because the yoongi who decided to become an idol is a product of his time and circumstance. the yoongi who became an idol is the kind of guy we saw in the late aughts and early 10s. the yoongi who is an idol can be traced back to a certain idol type that was super popular in the first and second generation of kpop, that only made it possible for a guy like yoongi to debut in the first place. you can draw a direct line from g-dragon, beast's junhyung, b.a.p's yongguk, block b's zico, and 2pm's taecyeon, to yoongi.

i have mentioned it before but pretty much everything bighit did with yoongi up until, like, 2016 (and especially during you never walk alone and the most beautiful moment in life) is quintessentially modeled after beast's junhyung. for good reason and unsurprisingly; beast was pretty much the biggest kpop group that existed at one point. yoongi and junhyung are the same type, visually and artistically, down to their similar vocal types. it's so obvious when you know what you're looking for. i had that epiphany when i was watching beast's 12:30 and good luck mv's.

anyways. yoongi is an introvert, above all, and you can tell when he performs. he will never know the sort of ease that hoseok possesses on stage, for example. when yoongi performs, he does not project his energy outwards. he is not a charisma bomb like hoseok or jimin, but he has a certain draw that makes you want to know more, look closer, keep your eyes on him at all times. he has a very commanding stage presence and especially up until 2018, there was a lot of anger and fury beating beneath yoongi's live performances. he mellowed out significantly for songs like boy with luv or dna, but if you watch him perform tear or seesaw or idol, you notice there is a certain sort of desperation that clings to him. that certain desperation wrote interlude: shadow, by the way. and i think he never let go of that feeling until he released that song (and black swan). everything had to be so immediate for yoongi when he performed. the energy he did project had no goal and was not aimed at anyone or anything; it just burst out of him. it's the kind of thing that drove him from the underground rap scene to the stage of wembley stadium.

that makes yoongi not the most likable performer in the world because he does not perform for anyone. when he is on stage, it is not for the crowd, it is for himself. i feel like yoongi spent the majority of his life as an idol proving something to the world at large, and to himself. to that kid that never thought he would make it there, but had all the swagger and arrogance to do whatever it took. (which is how we got idol yoongi)

something, something, this is why it all went down the drain after dynamite.

he shines in rap songs, unsurprisingly. yoongi is a passable, capable dancer, an okay singer if in his own range, but a very, very talented rapper. and his affinity for double time raps is driven by the desperation and fury i mentioned, i think, all the words he had to say had to get out somehow, no matter at what cost, and sometimes that meant squeezing them between the beats, the metronome. he is not just a 'fast talker'. in my opinion, that does a great disservice to his skillset. he is pretty good at what he does, actually. he is the most skilled rapper in bts, and bts has the second best rapline in the industry.

he is prone to arrogance, i know i already said that, and that makes him come across as plain unlikable very easily and has made him fuck up more than once. as a performer and as a human. it is not his best trait, but it works in his favor on songs like cypher pt. 4, idol, and blood, sweat and tears. it offers his rap an edge that neither hoseok nor namjoon can sell as well as he does. this is the classic idol rapper blueprint that has gone lost among the sauce of most 3rd and almost all 4th gen. we do not have performers like this anymore, because an idol has to be likable, needs to sell you a product, needs to be your potential love interest, etcetera.

yoongi as a performer: introverted, skillful, arrogant, commanding, sharp, desperate, furious, melancholic, occasionally gentle and sweet.

now, yoongi as an artist. well, that's a different beast, but not entirely. yoongi as an artist is in a way just another side of yoongi as a performer, but someone who allows us to delve deeper into who he is and what he wants to be. what he wants the public to perceive him as. which is paradox because yoongi as a songwriter and producer affords him to dig deep and say things that yoongi the idol, the performer, would never allow to be seen or heard. it's like a song allows him to confess things. and whatever is the result, well, it will be judged but not in real time. not directly out of his mouth. this is how we got the last, seesaw, his tear verse, and black swan. like, it is crazy to me that song he hasn't even written is so accurately a reflection of who he is as an artist. (the connection is dionysus -> black swan -> suga's interlude and sprinkled among that are first love, interlude: shadow and intro: never mind)

"born as an idol, reborn as an artist" led to "oh, that would be my first death i been always so afraid of," and ended at "honestly, it’s different from the future I hoped for, but that doesn’t matter, now it’s the matter of survival — however it is."

yoongi is cocky as a performer and he had no qualms of threading those parts of himself into his work, but i think what would truly kill him, and is partly why this recent development of bts is so hysterical to me, is if he would have to let go of the part of him that creates art. if yoongi would never be allowed to touch a pen or a piano, i think that would kill him. he lives and dies for this shit, and it makes up a lot of who he is as a person, too. it is no surprise that suga's interlude and black swan were released at pretty much the same time.

yoongi constantly lives with the success he has achieved and the dreams he has realized, and the dread that comes from how all of this has happened and none of it has turned out the way he had hoped for. a lot of his work is trying to come to terms with this super stardom and who exists beneath. and what happens when those dreams turn to nightmares. and how in the end, it doesn't matter, because he does it for the art. how much it pains him that he loves the success. what loving that success has done to him. the rot it infests you with, that you cannot help but crave. that kind of paralyzing fear it breathes into you.

on another note, the only reason why the most beautiful moment in life worked so well is because it was built around yoongi in so many ways. that entire narrative rises and fallswith him. he just, kind of, internalized and owned that. like, he is that manic pixie dream boy. if you are dead at the end of the story, you are dead at the beginning of it. it's so crazy! if i think about it for longer, i really do go crazy. yoongi's desperation, fury, tenderness. it all lives in that narrative. man.

i feel like i am just rambling at this point but yoongi as an artist is a safe space, a place for him to unburden himself, to do what he loves the most with no restraints, to practically stage an exorcism of a cripplingly introverted performer. yoongi as an artist allows him to speak his innermost thoughts. he is meticulous, sensitive, attentive. he has a great ear, a vision for what he wants to make, and a very definite style depending on the genre he produces for. his style reminds me a lot of the songs junhyung produced for beast (not a coincidence). so, here we are once again! full circle.

anyways. i guess that's it! i hope that answer was even just a little satisfying and i feel like i didn't even say half of what i wanted to, but this is so long already. thank you and have a good day!

[kaoharu]

OKKK elies super awesome and fun guide to hanadoll 👍🎉✨️

for my silly friends @p5strikerss & @aiidol hehe :3

hanadoll currently consists of 3 seasons and focuses on 2 different idol groups ( anthos and louloudi, tho for this post i will mainly be talking abt anthos bc i do not follow louloudi much . . . oops ) and the main story is comprised of voice dramas and songs / mvs . the wiki is very organized luckily so it is easy to follow the correct order and all the tls are linked ( but like if uu need help uu can totally ask me 👍 ) also if ur curious there is both an anthos and louloudi official twt. theyre silly 🫶

now then. its a little bit hard to explain the story w/o basically spoiling everything but s1 actually follows anthos' predebut days and their struggles as they try to make their flowers bloom so that they can become idols !!! the members include mahiro yuki ( img color red; hes the center of the group !! ), kaoru kisaragi ( img color blue; in charge of soothing the group - i realize thar probably doesnt make sense but. i csnt rlly explain it well lol ), haruta kiyose ( img color orange; the moodmaker ), lihito toudo ( img color purple; in charge of vocals ), chise ( img color yellow; the visuals ), and ryoga kagekawa ( img color green; the muscle of the group - also another hard one to explain jejdjjd )

s2 introduces louloudi and also a new member for anthos ( this is after they debut !!! ) and i dont rlly want to say much so as to not spoil it but. ermermm it kinda follows how anthos deals w there suddebly being another member . . . ? yeah anyways

my suggestions for getting into it is pretty much following the album order and watching the mvs then listening to the voice dramas !!! theyre not terribly long ( abt 10mins each ? theres 5 per album tho ) so yeah !!!!! uhmuhmm any more questions can be directed to my ask box 👍

[sanstropfremir]

thoughts on twice's current direction? i feel like alcohol free, more&more, and feel special were good steps in a more mature direction that twice could pull off - still your cute girlfriends, but less one dimensional. the alcohol references and styling specifically stood out to me in alcohol free, and their vocal tone in more&more was much more adult. they seem to have regressed in a way with talk that talk taking more from their younger very in your face bright clean twice aesthetic.

this question implies that i know what any of their directions have been, which i resoundly do not lmao. i don't follow twice and although i'll watch an mv when they have a cb, i have no real overall view of their career nor do i really know anything about them. i liked the styling for alcohol free because it was unusual and had a clear inspiration and particular visual reference that they were trying to achieve that matched with the concept. talk that talk is......confusing. it feels like they were trying to grab at a few popular trends (the digital/meta effects, retro, pseudo lingerie) without actually thinking about how those fit together cohesively. the styling had a totally different message from the rest of the production design. i don't think the styling is all bad in isolation; they're all around 25ish and it's appropriate for them to have a sexy styling if the concept calls for it, but the concept......doesn't really call for it? i'm scratching my head at what connections you can make between a relatively plain lingerie based styling and like, retro digital/game graphics. if you want to make that connection you actually have to tie the two together in some way. not just put them together in an mv and hope for the best.

[gwaaaaar]

Appreciation post for all the death note op/eds :3

Wowie this is gonna be long af bc I have sm to say... i will NOT be going frame by frame I will just be sharing what personally stood out to me, both musically and visually and that means it's the op/eds as they are presented in the anime, so nothing about the full length vers of the songs or their bands MVS.

OK SO. starting with the world. A classic. Very fond of light being shown laid down on a stained glass window but it's almost like you're looking up at him as if he was painted on a chapel's ceiling. ALSO very fond of the constant Christian redraws light gets as "God" like the one where hes on a cross and the one where hes reaching his finger out to Ryuk. Bc hes a nerd . LOVE love the scene where he's walking above the city and the scene where the birds are projected onto him to represent his projected image of himself... and the part where hes standing in front of the moon? Iconic. Really hammers home how isolated he wanted to keep himself as Kira... And misa on the floor? Love the colors they chose for that, the illustration is beautiful I kind of want to redraw it. The blue is a very unorthodox choice for her hair but its gorgeous. ALSO how the lead singer of nightmare holds his note on "kagerou" before light bites the apple gives me chills everytime. The contrast between the kira defense force looking in diff directions all confused compared to the shinigami lookin in a straight line ughhhhh that is the bomb. Naomi Misora pulling pieta plagarism with Raye Penber is also one of the most iconic visuals in the opening imo. Especially the singing that goes with it in that part. I feel like vocals in J-rock always got a certain flair to them (lead singer of SID, margarita-p etc etc) and that flair is what death note needs... THE SCENE where he's a little glass effigy that shatters and then the song goes crazy ohhhh my god oh my god. All the visuals of something breaking or shattering, like the rose bursting into petals in the beginning is delightful to me. Roses and glass are considered delicate items, almost as if Light's psyche was delicate in the beginning and just needed the death note to shatter his sense of self. The parts where they animate Light and L on their platforms or in the tunnel, they always make sure to rotate the camera aroud them which is an incredible animation feat like an utter flex. And those two rightfully deserve such good animation! Musically, the world is a very grand song. There is an instrument I can't quite put my finger on but it very much does remind me of an organ one may hear in church. The lyrics very much capture light's god complex and it is in such a way where you can't associate the song with any other character it is so distinctly Light.

Alumina is so visually stunning with the monochrome and slight dashes of color. You get the snapshots of Light just. Being a teenage boy contrasted with how mature he looks in that first shot... he looks evil almost in that. The first line of "Dare ni mo mirenai yume wo mite" is so incredibly chilling especially with the tone the singer sings it in. Then you get the black and white flashes of Light picking up the notebook and Ryuk. The way its framed is almost cursed like I cant describe it but the exposure is so high up and the speed at which it flashes it feels like I shouldnt have seen it at all. There's nothing that can be done for light he had sealed his fate. ALSO ""Itsuwari" "osore" "kyoshoku" "urei"" is an incredible beat drop and the animation that goes along with it? The way they rotate the camera around light before panning up to ryuk? While Light looks a bit strange from below, that still doesn't negate how masterful that animation is! I'd argue moreso than the scenes where they rotate the camera around L and light in "the world" considering how much more there is, like the trees and buildings compared to just a tunnel or platforms. The final scene where that picture of light flashes and you see his different expressions... very nice way of showing the different facets of his personality. The entire song is so somber compared to "the world." Alumina still has light's inflated sense of self but instead of it being godhood adjacent like "I have to do this for mankind" as if it was a duty thrust upon him, in my opinion alumina is more along the lines of "this world is shit and holding me back from making it better, so i refuse to submit." Both are Light essentially martyring himself for his ideals but Alumina I feel paints him in a more human light. Like the things he feels is something we can feel as well.

Everyone shits on Whats up people but I AM ITS NO 1 STAN... the fact that death notes first op/ed reflects how light sees himself, and then the second ones go off the rails because thats what light is, rouge. When he laughs like crazy and that's all you see... its a bit scary but yeah hes a crazy serial killer for a reason. The scene where L spins on his chair is fucking awesome i can watch that forever. I am so so so very fond of the bright colors in that and the neo noir esque scene where the police force pull out their guns. It's so dynamic and really gives ya somethin to look at. And i know the misa pinups is a bit of a trashy fanservice moment but. Misa is very cute . So. And the art style is cute! Like the dots and the heavy lines, I would steal that art style. Also again with the roses imagery... But god. I think the absolute showstopper is when the singee builds up with "hey hey ningen suan ka, are wo ningen fuan ka?" And it's Light walking through the city while the people that have followed him in his kira endeavours are around him as well and he slowly passes them, discards them. He gets to Mello whos under him in the drain because Mellos actions were to unreadable/unpredictable to him.... never know when hes gonna pop out yk? But inevitably light gets the upper hand on him.... yet when Light reaches Near, the light shines onto Near instead as Near exposes light for who he is and light FINALLY snaps and the singer goes uttetly crazy and screams and smashes their guitar against the floor... does that not scream Light throwing his tantrum at the end. AND as a callback to the first opening, you see him on the stained glass again, but his body is discolored like hes rotting. Dying god imagery??? Can i get 1 million for dying god imagery??? FUCK I LOVE THAT VISUAL SO MUCH. Yeah i know the songs lyrics are repetitive but like. Idk its good it scratches my brain. It shows how much of a one track mind lights gotten. Hes playing around like a bored god after L dies, almost taunting humans as if he wasn't one by insulting them for having vices. Its hypocritical and its funny.

ZETSUBOU BILLY ! is so good. I love the imagery of Light going up an elevator, and in the first part of the song, while the vocals arent calm, they are calmer than the second half of the song. So for that first part its kinda just. Watching light go up. After L dies, it isn't difficult for Light to gain even more influence in the world as Kira and i think thats what the elevator reflects. Then as the vocals build up with "menzai no word" you see light turning, and the next line repeats the scene with light upside down... like how his goals have completely flipped from doing things for the good of others to himself. AND THEN. THE REVEAL THAT LIGHT WASN'T GOING UP. HE WAS GOING DOWN. TO THE SHINIGAMI WORLD. That's sooooo goood. And then his watch flies past and you see him writing like crazy.... The scene where he walks into traffic is such a good way of showing how his god complex has progroessed so far he believes himself immune to practically anything... and the final shot where hes dead on the floor and because hes in blue at first glance it looks like L but then it pans out and its Light... good . I really like how Zetsubou Billy isn't directly abt light but like. Come on. A boy thats despairing over the state of things? The lyrics are a bit strange at time but I cannot see it as representative of anything but Light.

Anyways thats my thoughts of the dn ed/ops :3 i would like to know anyone elses opinions on the soundtrack

[dearest-hwi]

GQ JAPAN 2023 TNX

full article:

note : TH ( TAEHUN) , KJ (KYUNGJUN) , HWI , SJ (SUNGJUN) , HS (HYUNSOO)

for hwi name , I put his full name cus his name is short .

I just put the translation of google translate but I will try to ask native japan to revise it with me in future in order to get the correct translation for this .

please don't use my translation for your evil intentions on tnx .

Q1 — What did you focus on with the 2nd mini-album "Love Never Dies", which contains 6 songs?

TH : The theme of this comeback is “school days”. For the new concept, everyone had black hair.

HWI : We could have created a work in the same direction as our previous 1st mini-album "WAY UP", but we were strongly conscious of evolving without stagnation. I thought that the easy-to-understand theme of “school days” would spread our color to more people.

KJ : Based on the concept of this work, I revamped my playlist with only songs that sang "youth". When thinking about the concept, the song "YOUTH" by Troye Sivan was the most fitting, so I listened to it over and over.

Q2— I heard that Fi participated in writing and producing almost all the songs for this album, what were you conscious of?

HWI : Since this is an album about teenage love, I chose the words for the lyrics as simply as possible. I think that the chorus part of "Love or Die" has lyrics that remind us of the exchange of messages between listeners of our generation. Most of the lyrics I wrote are about caring for someone, but I was often inspired by the ``words that have become my nourishment'' from fans.

TH : The words ``unojo'' and ``bunojo'' appear in the lyrics of ``Love or Die'', and they have the meaning of ``collapsed and buried''. It's a love song, but it depicts the experience of falling apart and being buried in self-love, family love, and various kinds of love. increase. Among the 6 songs, "Love or Die" expresses the concept of this work particularly well, and I myself feel that I was able to give a very good vocal performance .

KJ : “Love or Die” is close to the hip-hop songs that I usually listen to . I especially like it.

SJ : I especially like the song "I Need U". I had a lot of fun recording it, and I felt that the melody suited me. I was also touched by the lyrics that express the pain of youth so well.

HS : I also especially like 'DDA DDA DDA (Short Ver.)'. It's a song written and composed by Fi-kun, and it's the first song I did as a guide vocal. This MV was filmed in LA, USA. Because of that, I think the color, visuals, performance, and every other aspect of it is different from the previous work.

HWI : The 6th song "DDA DDA DDA (Short Ver.)" is a song I made when I was young, so I have a special attachment to it.

HWI : In between filming, I went to Venice Beach and Hollywood shopping malls with the members, but when I ordered a $20 drink, I gave a $15 tip (laughs) .

SJ : I wanted to tip as much as possible for the service, but since it was my first time to experience the tipping culture, I didn't know how much the market would be (laughs).

TH : Shooting in the colorful scenery of LA gave me the motivation to shoot in other countries.

Q3—Exactly one year has passed since your debut in May. What has changed the most in the past year?

TH : There have been many changes in my mindset, but the biggest one is that I have a stronger sense of responsibility. My affection for the fans who watch over me has become very strong, and I think that the feeling of "I have to protect my fans" has created a sense of responsibility.

KJ : There were times when I thought I didn't have enough stamina to dance, so I went to the gym and trained . I feel stronger than before.

HWI : I think I've also grown a lot, but I think the growth in the musical part is the biggest. In making "Love Never Dies", if I had been trapped in a big cage until then, I feel like I was able to break it all down and broaden my horizons.

Q4— There are many dance and vocal groups in Korea and Japan, but what do you see as TNX's strengths?

HWI : : I think it's great that there are so many groups because we can inspire each other. It can exist as a rival in a good way. Among them, TNX wants to try more and more things that make people think, "I've never seen such an expression before." In the process, I think it will become more and more refined and grow. My goal is to pursue music and performances that make people think, "I want to do something like TNX."

SJ : Just like HWI said, I want to send out TNX music that other groups don't have.

TH : I think our goal is to successfully reflect the sensibility of TNX in our songs.

KJ : In addition to that, I think the strength is that each member has a strong color

HS : Also, I like how the members are all good friends and have a happy atmosphere.

TH : Cute (laughs).

HS : (laughs). Since we are close in age, there are many things we can sympathize with, and I think we have a strong bond.

family , home 🥺🤍

TH : If I may add it, I would like to work hard to become more competitive from now on. Also, I want to win first place on music program charts.

SJ : During the audition before my debut, I think it's great that I was able to gain stage experience many times in front of people like PSY and JYPark, who are representatives of the agency. Also, the bond between the members is very strong because we survived among many cadets and made our debut like this.

HS : I want to create opportunities to meet many dance and vocal groups by going to various countries, including Japan, not just Korea .

HWI : I love Japanese food. I also like Korean food , but when I enter a Japanese restaurant, the unique aroma is irresistible

SJ : I like J-POP, and I often listen to Aimyon and Yuri's songs.

KJ : I like listening to Aimyon-san's "I want to tell you about my love" when I'm in the shower.

HWI : Hyunsu loves Japanese anime, right?

HS : Yes! I like "SPY×FAMILY" and "SHAMAN KING". I also watch the special effects "Kamen Rider" series.

✩⡱ — may all of tnx dreams comes true !

members individual photos !!!

sungjun , hwi , hyunsoo , taehun , kyungjun

(junhyeok , next time we come here and do a interview okay sunshine 🥺🤍)

[go-go-devil]

🥰 and 🎬 !

World In My Eyes - Depeche Mode

What’s your favorite part of this song? (instrumental bit, lyric, etc)

I'm particularly fond of the two-part chorus bits. Love the way Dave Gahan enunciates "That's all THERE is" as well as that dun dun dun DUN. DUN dun DUN noises from the synth before the lyrics come back again. Whole song sounds excellent, though! This band is just really good with mixing in rich vocals with a wholly artificial sound

If you scripted/directed a music video for this song what would it look like?

This song already has a music video, which I had never seen before until now. That one's mostly just concert footage of the band, but the very beginning and ending of it that has this odd, semi-surrealist visuals (especially the guy picking up the couple's car revealing it to have been a toy car in the end) are definitely what I would focus on if I were to make my own mv of the song. The only problem is that I can't really picture what exactly it would look like though....

[sungtaro]

sorry i'm late answering but i'm also surprised at the favt that they're doing units now (and only partially so) , but as you said i'm excited for rap unit!! i do agree that maybe a vocal chorus would be nice but i also quite like cyphers and full rap songs when they're done well, and i trust the boys w/that 😋

did you happen to see the visual trailer things they've been doing???? i'm a little surprised but kinda digging the vibes 🤩

omg yeah the trailers are so trippy (thus why i'm not giffing them JBDFSGHJB) and i was surprised but it's getting me really excited to see everything else! i feel like this isn't the direction they're going for the mv since that's how it went with the last release where the trailers weren't really matched up with the mv concept. but the rock sound on today's trailer definitely piqued my interest, i feel like we're in for something totally new from them this comeback and i'm excited to hear these songs !!

[enoilovebot]

so kyuhyun really just. does everything huh

[sugar-petals]

Analysis: Key Is on Fire in “Bad Love” Solo Album

As SHINee’s involvement in their masterful artistic process accumulates — see Taemin co-directing Criminal as of lately — it’s Key’s turn now: And oh boy has he delivered a title track with stylistic character and powerhouse vocals. Kibum is, as always, the notorious fiery institution to be reckoned with. The word choice being deliberate: We’ll look at how he uses fire as an overall symbolism in just a minute. There’s a lot to analyze, let’s get into it!

So yes, Key officially debuted! Technically, it’s not a comeback, but it feels like one. Key’s latest, prior occasional features date back to 2019/2018, now an album is here and it’s hard to believe it’s his very first. No wonder the chorus stage set appears like he does step on the scene now, but he knows what he’s doing, walking with purpose. It’s lights on for him. Disco balls, elevated stage, retro fonts, full fashion force: The party is here and he has an important statement to get off his chest.

An artist as seasoned as him, it’s been about time and Key gladly thinks so himself: Having put massive energy into this debut with immense worldbuilding. The production shows, this music video has a lot of sets and visual firework. Key certainly flourishes in cementing his status as a fashion icon once again, but also brings a lot more to the table because among all SHINee members, it’s common knowledge that the talent, handsomeness and quality performance simply overflows once the member starts digging the well.

Right off the bat, his entire concept is how people in the past imagined 2021 to be like, and seeing it now, it still feels futuristic, but also retro at the same time. So there’s a temporal type of idea at play. It definitely all follows a certain trend wave in music right now, but has its own tragedy-laden Space Opera twist. The teasers have been very illustrative and fantasy-based in that regard as did his Taeyeon collaboration in Hate That, on top of the Groks in the Keyland sci-fi references. Again: Key creates his own universe here, and SM is no stranger to having extraterrestrially good artists who came from way out there.

Interestingly, the title track itself shows things down to earth. It’s more about the surroundings and stage panoramas in the entertainment industry, hence the video is shot in such a wide frame. It’s a cinema, an all the world’s a stage type of feeling. And still, we do see the protagonist maneuvering his space ship through the universe but ultimately exploding in battle — by being shot at, the space gun is Key’s central aesthetic object in this concept after all. What does a space gun do: Blaze its way through, make way, remove obstacles. Exactly his objective. 

Going back to the down to earth point. There’s quite a contrast between the indoor and outdoor settings here. In both, Key heads towards his demise, the lyrics underlining the plot for the most part from a more abstract perspective. What’s even more interesting, he watches either scenario on a screen after his escape. In essence, Key oversees his own downfall in retrospect. This is not a debut, he’s already deep inside the subject matter, in the struggle/reflection phase (of course, the music is in minor as well to emphasize that).

So, of course the track is quite embedded in existing pop culture currents. For instance, the MV references other tracks on the album: Saturday Night is reflected in Key visiting a late show host ripping up the script — a jab at SNL and/or a reference to Key saying he spent too much time doing variety to really focus on music, which is what really brought about his album. 

At the same time, adding to the movie feel, the ever-popular film reference to Saturday Night Fever (1977) absolutely dominates the dancing parts. Key tapping into his somber disco mood mixed with Star Trek sci-fi and The Weeknd vibes (e.g. ”hey!” interjection at 0:17, red suit, etc) creates an 80s hommage and a new side to Kibum’s image. It’s very future and it’s very funky, but has its lyrical depth just like most songs on the album. He’s not working at the surface despite all the flashy stages. The glimpse into the shadows is very much there.

Other references can be drawn from the title itself. It’s no surprise that Key is aware how Lady Gaga’s Stupid Love has taken a similar sci-fi path in 2020, and BTS have made Fake Love a topic in 2018, however creating a more thriller-inspired aesthetic settled in electronic and rock genres. Looking at his dancers, Key also seems to hint at a parallel to Jongin’s title track Mmmh, cowboy hats are still all the rage. In essence: Key’s kept his eyes open and embeds his debut in the current pop stratosphere, while at the same time adding to the science fiction concept.

Also, as a precious moment we don’t miss: The ubiquitous T-posing (but Key style, he’s pushing the space apart to make room for himself, a strong overarching theme in his career and this album), SHINee has Taemin firmly in mind while he’s enlisted until it’s time to finally unite again. In many ways, Key wants to tell himself and us to hold out. It’s a track of persevering.

The pushing apart, in fact, is a central motive, tying into the “I’m stepping on the scene now” spirit all over. 

Talk about that curtain: It’s literally a look behind the scenes to see what he’s been working on behind the curtain: Most of the music video, we see Key in backstage settings like his dressing room. Alternating back and forth between stages and behind the threshold, we get a glimpse of how he bridges that discrepancy, the “joy and despair” at the same time. 

It feels like the music video wants us to see both sides as one, but also realize that his identity off stage has suffered some serious rupture and is plagued by resentment: Key stands at his Hollywood mirror with ripped clothes as if he got into a fight or wanted to tear it off himself but couldn’t succeed fully (likely the latter, we see a brief bit at the end where he tugs at his clothes). 

Where all this bad love is coming from are more people than just the lady behind the mirror, but she’s arguably important despite only being shown for seconds. Since she’s his reflection, she could also be his ‘anima’ that he consults in bad times, but even she can’t comfort him.

As we’re talking about clothes already: The outfit changes are perfectly matched with the specific parts of the songs starting and ending. Editing what’s going on is in sync with the rhythm, and, in typical K-Pop style, alternates between dance and plot bits, stage and behind the scenes, dim and limelight. That duality shows in the lyrics as well once Key describes the person or thing or circumstance he’s fallen for as the light and the dark, beautiful but cruel, thrilling but mysterious. 

Is the ‘bad monster’ Kibum sings about and struggles with the industry itself? Reading the lyrics from that perspective does make a lot of sense. The bad love is an awry deal of getting recognition on stage, hence Key is seen tearing scripts and cue cards all over the place. His spaceship malfunctions once he encounters this bad love elsewhere way out there, too, and he suffocates: Another reference to another track’s chorus, Yellow Tape. The overall message is: I need to get away from this. But, no matter where I am, the end is the same.

He is, like the corporate-tie mob of his dancers suggests, surrounded by faceless offenders — the masks are there with good reason and not just a nod to Taemin’s Advice comeback that had similar attire. Here, it’s more about the color: Everyone’s disguised in their own little fancy mask following Kibum’s every step from behind him, which is why we see him running out of the wardrobe after. 

And here comes the crux of the matter. One element rules and is symbolic for Key’s overall message and energy: Fire. It plays a major role in every part of the video. His exploding space ship, sparks, backstage lights, burning paper. Congruently, of course he wears red as the central outfit. Through fire he can cleanse and clarify, but he also burns out from it in the last bit where he collapses/faints in front of the TV. 

Fire is the turning point. The revelation and ridding of the hopelessness. He does say: “Even if I run away, there’s no paradise, now I know it never stops” but also takes the step to escape anyway to stand up for himself. Key chooses Key and not the trap and the TV camera time he’s offered. 

He takes that idea as far as instating himself as a dying sun: At the center of its rays, but the lighting dims and the dancers roll over, lifeless at the end. The stage is about to be shut down. He paints a once-flamboyant image that has now ran out of energy from burning so bright. A grim message, but still, one that centers him and leaves him elevated regardless. Maybe with his life force remaining as the red = blood color of his suit suggests. In any case: Key has become a supernova with the last bit of power he has flaring up and standing tall.

The point dance says the same: Strength! Still kicking, still breaking barriers, still full of presence. Key conveys that he can still make it despite being so utterly burdened by the bad and rotten love coming his way everywhere.

Vocally and in the same vein, Key really shows off his compelling upper range throughout the entire album. The title track is no different. From belts to powerful head voice bits, we have a baritone climbing the higher registers on our hands here. Key is naturally not a melismatic singer (e.g. someone doing agile runs as a style, like Kyungsoo), instead, he enunciates very clearly, bit by bit. 

Being a more syllabic vocal performer, Key brings his resonance onto the singular words to make the message more impactful. In other words, the song concept suits his grit and his voice. Melismatic singers do RnB or romantic genres well, syllabic singers have more precision. Key being a master of loud and resonant belting technique, the chorus is just right up his alley. Even if he’s not a tenor, he achieves similar strength and clarity. He sings so hard he almost strains, and again, it reflects the torment of the protagonist.

The choreography emphasizes struggle and strength as well, a dramatism and progressing as a person, a fight. Key dances passionately, it’s in your face, and the entire choreo is exactly what we expected and wanted it to be, delivered fierce and bold just like we know him. And it has to be glaring: The “Man I’m sick and tired” message of the song can’t be conveyed otherwise. 

All in all, Key really did bring the fire with this title track, and you can see why it was chosen as the thematic flagship bringing so much heat. The music video does Key the exact justice as we expected — only he can headline with a banger about being mad at everything and setting fire to it — with an innovative twist that brings the nostalgia. He looks better than ever and the vocals, wow: It feels like Key’s powerful appeal can infuse the viewer equally to help them rebuff and shed the bad love in their own life.

[commajade]

Hi amber ! For you requested Taemin asks, I was wondering if you had any new thoughts on advice! Thank you, and I hope both you and Taemin are having a wonderful day 💓

i rly requested taemin asks for his birthday and only answered like 2 of them but lol i was tired. here's what i started typing up then and finished today:

advice is the unofficial epilogue of the ngda duology. i kind of think of it as 2 kids as the prologue that’s based in the world’s “reality” that is more typical mid tempo pop song about a past relationship. but then he takes u on a cerebral/mythic/symbolic emotional journey where act 1 is becoming pulled deeper and deeper into a dream/illusion that's equated to descending into hell. he makes a whole visual language drawing on film and catholic imagery and that of the criminal. it’s about illicit sexuality, a person being split into multiple personas based on the power of others’ perception, and a whole lot of other stuff. in act 2 it’s revealed that this is not a real catholic hell but a pre-christian framework of plato's allegory of the cave. he stops being distracted by shadows and realizes that he is bound to a cave wall. the idea mv is him escaping “hell” and trespassing into heaven and then running through purgatory chased by shadows of himself before taking over and destroying the whole thing, instead becoming one with nature/the universe. the softer more gentler songs in act 2 represent him being not an “idol” anymore (the taemin jesus statue in criminal) but human and open and vulnerable and soft and accepting of his circumstances and his inability to change them or himself.

and advice is the complement to 2 kids with the mini being 1 unit. it has sad kids the direct 2kids sequel, and in general it’s a very balanced human mini. he’s back and grounded and and there’s beauty and wonder as well as anxiety and opposition and strings is his most direct (it’s still all music metaphors but it’s direct for him) and bare sexy song with emphasis on his vocal tension and release instead of emphasizing production.

which is the same way advice the title track is his most direct about what he’s talking about, which is his relationship to fame and its media circus. he tried on purpose to do something that’ll be divisive and not immediately accepted, giving you something u asked for but kinda hitting you in the face with it, being expressed with the long hair but it’s stringy and unkempt and the tattoo reveal but it’s covered in paint. people have been projecting a vulnerable femininity onto him his whole life and he pairs long hair with boxy silhouettes, people begged him to show his tattoo and he did but like he does with everything else did this whole teasing and hiding thing for the reveal to have maximum impact. the song has a 18th century (i forget which century but reacttothek confirmed it's a typical classical sound for a specific era) piano base that repeats and taemin disrupts it in and remixes it in different ways. the mv shows him back from the brink of death and being obnoxious and braggy about it. the boy king aspect of the concept (stage/costume/some specific choreo) is incredible it adds such a storybook adventure feeling to it all.

it's a big artistic statement and the images of the mv and photobook and the sound production and lyric writing all match up with this new balanced taemin he's showing, more open and honest than before but also sharp and powerful and able to respond to any undue criticism and be heard. also the choreo is so fun, the mv is so clever and big impact, the man wore a sports bra under a cropped sweatshirt on national television. i think anyone who doesn't like it is within their rights and that's what taemin wanted (he was a little disappointed the response to his hair seemed overwhelmingly positive to him) but i had a great time and i'm very grateful i was here to watch this whole story happen. he so elegantly talks about his real feelings about his career and his life without giving anything away, he expresses so much of his interior world full of concepts and aesthetics and film/literature references in a gorgeous cinematic way, his music is catchy and trendy but immensely unique. advice was a very taemin way to say goodbye, and i'm very excited to see what he's cooking up for when he gets back. maybe we'll get a high concept ballad album with contemporary choreo. maybe we'll get heavy metal traditional korean music. maybe we'll get cafe music. who knows, but i'm gonna enjoy it.

[sanstropfremir]

I’d love your thoughts on BTS and their current image and music if you have them and aren’t afraid of the mindless internet hoards.

Personally, I liked a lot of their older stuff, but haven’t liked anything since I think the Fake Love promotions 3+ years ago. They’d started losing their personality and soul before that album cycle, but it feels like the sanitization of their image and artistry really kicked into hyperdrive after that. Now most of what they do seems like a sterile money grab driven by the Hybe hive mind which is a shame.

ok alrighty (cracks knuckles) let's get into it.

now that i've fully given myself a headache watching the majority of the bts videography, here are three points i'm going to cover:

performative character and the lack thereof

interesting aesthetics and the lack thereof, and

the inevitable cracking of perfection

ready, set, let's begin.

1.

idol music is very clearly definited by spectacle based aesthetics. and it's had that structure for its entire existence. so i gotta hand it to hybe for this one, because they managed to revolutionize being utterly fucking average. the triumph of bts is that they're just some guys and they look like just some guys. hybe found a niche in the system and then gamed that system to the tune of one of the largest musical acts in the world. they're not marketing bts as a romantic parasocial relationship, they're marketing them as your friends. and that is just as insidious to lonely kids as a run of the mill romantic fantasy. but that's not what i'm here to talk about today.

there's a pattern i find very interesting with bts mvs and that is that i don't remember anything about them. specifically, i don't remember the stuff that's happening IN the video; not the styling, not the setpieces, if i didn't know the members i doubt i would remember them either. what i DO remember, is how expensive the production is, and specific shots. i couldn't tell you what a single member was wearing, but i sure as hell remember that first upward angle shot of jungkook and the rusted park ride in spring day. or every single time they do that birdseye shot of jin in like every video. honestly as far as i'm aware jin has only ever worn a loose fitting beige longsleeve shirt.

it took bts a long time to establish any kind of consistent visual character. and the character they did establish.... i don't know if you can call a family-friendly-style clean aesthetic 'character'. they debuted as a hip hop group to little (comparative) success, and then made a switch to doing an early version of where they're currently at right now. if you've seen any of the mvs, you know that this is a pretty significant visual change. i don't think it is inherently a bad change, since the visual branding for hiphop based groups always tips over into iffy terrritory, but it is dramatic enough and early enough that it doesn't strike me as a natural evolution. concept switch ups are common, but they usually work because the members have established a bit of character for themselves, used their performance abilities and presence to fit into a niche in the group. the idol mould is perfect for showcasing the performers; that's its function. the groups that are the most fun to watch are the ones with stage presence, the ones who know how to perform, who can act all the parts they need to play. and bts? 4/7 actual performers on a good day. in my personal opinion it's 2/7.

i'm gonna expand on what i said about jimin here (this is technically the first part of this series), because it does apply to the rest of the group on the whole:

and i think here is where we see the main crux of the difference between taemin and jimin as performers: taemin has both an artistic and an idol persona. we know and understand him to do solo work that has a separate artistic meaning to just him being an idol. even though this performance was pre-move, i would still say this applies, because he's hot off press your number, where he's acting in a story based mv. jimin on the other hand just has his idol persona. he's not known for creating the same kind of storytelling that taemin is.

bts has been very insistent on the image of the group as a single unit. despite having the size of fanbase and the revenue that would make any official solo debut a massive success, none of them have done any substantial solo work. this isn't artistically a problem, and i think it's very admirable of them to be so dedicated to the image and the legacy of the group, when that can be an uncommon trait in the industry. i do however, think it starts to become an issue when we want to discuss what the artistic visions and images of groups are. shinee taemin and solo taemin have two distinct artistic representations, and taemin himself will attest to that. it's the same with all the shinee members that have solo careers, and the same with other groups. jackson, bambam, yugyeom, and jaebeom's solo work is all very different from got7. yixing's solo work is very different from exo's. even the subunits within exo all have their own character (cbx and sc). kpop groups all ostensibly are trained under the same system, so why the disparity with bts? mostly, it's their brand of "authenticity." it's impossible to perform authentically, by the nature of performance as a medium it is unnatural, and tragically, not everyone is naturally interesting, or suited to performing: that's why the performing arts even exist in the first place. it required painstaking training to be good at performing; it is a complex set of skills and those skills are not learnt by "being authentic." being an idol is not just the singing, dancing, rapping; that's only half the work. you need to be able to act to be a compelling performer. pulling your true self and emotions out on stage every night is a fast track to burnout and psychological issues, there's plenty of evidence. the only member of bts of whom i can say for some certainty has a persona and a stage presence is jhope/hoseok, a) because he's kept up a very specific brand in the solo work that he has done, and b) he has actual dance training, not just kpop dance training. the rest of them may have the kpop dance and the kpop vocal training, but what they do not have is the ability to market themselves as compelling performers on stage. taehyung is the only other member i would hesitantly give a semblance of persona and ability to, but i think he stumbled onto that mostly by accident. and if all the pieces don't each have a distinctive colour, how can the whole machine be visually interesting?

2.

bts may never have been able to establish an aesthetic brand, but what they did establish is an intellectual one. if you talk to a fan, the schtick they give is that "it's about the lyrics." as noble as having an intellectual or cerebral message is, what does that look like? how do you portray intellectual on stage, on film? what about intellectual is interesting to watch? cerebral, by it's literal nature as a descriptor, is very difficult to communicate in visual language because it is internal. to successfully communicate cerebrality and intellect in a short form medium like music videos requires a deft hand with metaphor that can elude even an experienced designer. and honestly? i don't know whether to applaud hybe's visual team for being the most successful subtle contemporary designers i've every seen, or to decry them as worst kpop designers i've ever seen. maybe both. regardless, i don't think they're able to cross the gap.

there are exactly four mvs where i actually remember the content of the mv and not the frame it sits in, and those are dna, idol, the singularity comeback trailer with taehyung, and war of hormone. and of an eight year career......that's not very many. these four mvs have at least an inkling of interesting spectacle and character, but even then, it's still a stretch. there is absolutely nothing to write home about in the styling for dna, other than it's well colour matched. I don't even know if I should include singularity because it involves none of the other members. idol is probably their most interesting mv because it actually has alternative styling and varies (at least a little bit) from the standard hybe boom crane shot-that-shows-off-how-we-can-afford-big-studio-spaces-and-locations. the company and the group would be loathe to admit it, but war of hormone is a well designed and interesting mv for the time it was made, with a well crafted gimmick and some actual showing of character from the members. it was the start of a potential that they squashed quite quickly because it wasn't picking up in the hiphop-group-saturated market of 2014. but the rest of their mvs? remarkably uninspired styling. like it's truly impressive how boring the styling is. and like i've said, that is the triumph in their aesthetics: they all look like normal dudes (if you had professional skin + makeup techs looking after them for the last 8 years).

all of this is a carefully crafted image that's tailored to hooking an audience, especially an international one. the mvs are boring in the relative scale of kpop, but they're just different enough from a western pop mv to catch attention. and once you do sink a hook, there's a direct clickfunnel of content that bills itself on these men being "authentic" and "self-producing," which is a huge draw to international fans, because people are racist and believe that the kpop industry is a factory that produces idols like clones, where none of them know how to do anything other than sing and dance and all the music is just handed to them by companies. and they have SO much content that there's no way a new fan can get to it all in a timely manner, so they'll never have to engage with any other kpop artists' work if they don't actively seek it out. but that's another essay for another time.

3.

that brings us to current day, in which at least the last five bts releases have been in the same aesthetic vein of positive, sanitized, and pristine. i said it in one of my txt responses and i will say it again here: money scrubs the humanity from the aesthetic of living. minimalism is for rich white people. hybe and bts may have pivoted their style and brand directly into the lane of mass appeal, but when you pair that with the amount of money funding them, there's a cognitive dissonance between the message and the aesthetics in which it's portrayed. some people do like the clean cut looks, and i won't say that they don't work, but as you've likely gleaned from this response, it isn't my style and if you've been around and reading my writing for longer you'll know that my tastes runs much closer to the messy and the weird, so very little about any of bts' visuals have appeal to me. i do find the contradiction of applying the appeal of radical relatability with the aesthetics of expansive (and expensive) minimalism interesting; it's an extremely fine line that hybe is walking and eventually they are going to tip over, the porcelain mask will not hold forever. maintaining the all ages aesthetic is going to be difficult now that all of them are grown ass men. with other groups of this member age and generation there's very obviously been a shift to a more adult tone, and not necessarily explicitly. got7, mx, nu'est, btob, shinee, 2pm, and groups that have older members like a.c.e and sf9 have all made slow shifts in tone that are undeniably aimed at a maturing audience: they know their core fanbases are aging with them and they (the fans) are not as interested in the 'boy' in boy group. and most of them have telltale visual styles, enough so that i can distinguish a specific group's mv. the last year and change of mx mvs have a very distinctive character; got7 too, since easily as far back as if you do. i can always tell an a.c.e mv by its impeccable fashion and formic styling, and although shinee has always had a more experimental aesthetic edge, their sound and voices are unmistakable.

honestly, i can't predict what bts is going to do in the future, but i personally don't believe they can keep up their clean aesthetic indefinitely without some fallout. part of the fun of following bands is watching them grow musically, and the last couple of years of bts haven't felt like growth. there are fans that have already started realizing it, and there's likely to be more soon.

---

the third part is here, which is a short followup about some of bts' industry influence.

[brokenfoolishdreams]

Ley´s Release Corner Mar´22 - Girls Edition (2/2)

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

Masterlist

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

Title: Feel My Rhythm

Album: The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm (EP)

Artist: Red Velvet

Release: 2022.03.21

I tried to like this but no chance. I hoped It would go into the "Psycho" direction and it really started strong but the vibe of the song changes drastically and suddenly it just annoys me and I talk about the chorus here not the pre-chorus because that was great and even the second verse is still good. There is so much going on and I can´t think of arguments to save the song. The MV is almost the same I like the half of the visuals but the other half isn´t really my style.

"Rainbow Halo" continues the vibe of the title and I´m not talking about the good part. "Beg For Me" is a pop song and I think it might be a grower but right now it´s kinda boring to me. "BAMBOLEO" has this retro vibe again and I can´t stress it enough but I still don´t like this trend. "Good, Bad, Ugly" goes into the R&B direction I guess but sadly I didn´t like it as well. With "In my Dreams" we got the vibe I´ve waited for I almost thought I would have left the album with not one to add to my playlist but I´m so glad I liked this song.

Rating: 5,5/10 for Feel My Rhythm (Instrumental: 7/10; Vocals: 7/10; Rap: 5/10; Lyrics: 6/10; Choreography: 6/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 4,5/10)

Rating: 5/10 for The ReVe Festival 2022 because I think the songs are okay but not made for me

Title: Can´t Stop This Party

Album: Can´t Stop This Party (Single)

Artist: Seori

Release: 2022.03.22

We don´t have a full MV but what we got is really vibey and I like it. her voice reminds me a little bit of Olivia Rodrigo singing a Billie Eilish song to be honest but that´s not a bad thing though. It´s a full English song and I like really like the vibes.

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

Title: Diamonds (feat. TAEYONG)

Album: FLYIN´ PART1 (EP)

Artist: SURAN, (TAEYONG (NCT))

Release: 2022.03.23

To be honest I have no clue who this is. And sadly I didn´t like this song at all. I mean the only thing I enjoyed was the rap part but it was so extremely short, why even include it. Her vocals are beautiful and if you like this kind of vibey songs then go ahead and listen to it. The MV fits the song but there is not much happening.

"Let it fly" is pretty vibey and shows her pretty vocals but feels a little bit long because there is not that much happening. "Devils in the city (feat. Dok2)" is a solid song because I like the feature and it fits the vibe. "LUCKY STAR" sounds like the other songs to be honest and I started to hope that the album wouldn´t continue like this. "Wish I could" has a way calmer instrumental and the song feels so dark I kinda like it for one listen. "Sunny" is with it 5 minutes a brave decision in this time of music and for me it was way too long.

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

Rating: 5,5/10 for FLYIN´ PART1 because the songs ar too calm for me but they are solid

Title: Real Love

Album: Real Love (Album)

Artsit: OH MY GIRL

Release: 2022.03.28

The song has its charms and the vocals are really beautiful. It has these summer vibes and is pretty groovy but sadly not really my style. I liked the drop of the tempo at the end though. The MV fits the summer vibes and is really colorful.

"Drip" was definitely not what I expected after the title song. It lifted up my mood by an instant and I got excited for the album. It has switches in the sound and it's my favorite. "Eden" is a pop ballad with guitar sound and an interesting pre-chorus and till the chorus drops I loved the song. Nest is "Replay" with its clubbing sound while "Parachute" has more happy vibes. "Kiss&Fix" has so amazing vocals and gets addicting with its chorus. "Blink" goes for the cute vibe while "Dear Rose" feels very comforting and happy. Lastly, we have "Sailing Heart" a ballad that ends the album pretty well.

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

Rating: 7,5/10 for the album because I love their vocals and the most songs are pretty good

Title: memeM

Album: memeM (EP)

Artist: PURPLE KISS

Release: 2022.03.29

Oh I waited for this and even when it´s not what I expected I love it. It goes for the experimental sound and reminds because of this of Aespa. But unlike their songs, I think this one is for me so enjoyable. I love their vocals the change in tempo is so well done and I love the instrumental. And the visuals in the MV are so beautiful I´m in love with them.

The intro "Intro: Illusion" is really good and I wish it would be a full song. "Oh My Gosh" is a pretty good pop song while "Pretty Psycho" is such a vibe and I love it. "JOAH" is more groovy and R&B-like and very enjoyable. "Hate me, Hurt me, Love me" is such a fun listen. "Cursor" feels so powerful and emotional I love it. And the instrumentation is also pretty cool for a ballade. I love this album so much.

Rating: 8/10 for memeM (Instrumental: 8/10; Vocals: 8/10; Lyrics: 6/10; Choreography: 7,5/10; MV: 7/10; Overall Vibes: 8/10)

Rating: 8/10 for the EP because I love all the songs

Title: Salute

Title: Giddy Up

Album: THE END OF CHAOS (Single)

Artist: MAJORS

Release: 2022.03.28

This was so confusing because the single has only two songs and both got an MV at the same time so I thought it has both as title tracks but honestly, I don´t know. Anyways the song "Salute" is very girl crush-like and energetic but something is bothering me and I don´t know what it is. "Giddy Up" is almost good but the techno beat is kinda bothering me as well maybe because I´m not in the mood for it right now.

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

Rating: 6/10 for Giddy Up (Instrumental: 6,5/10; Vocals: 7/10; Choreography: 6,5/10; MV: 5/10; Overall Vibes: 6/10)

Title: Mother

Album: Mother (Single)

Artist: HEIZE

Release: 2022.03.29

I mean she has beautiful vocals and this is a beautiful ballade but I don´t like it the song that much because I get really sleepy. The lyrics are about needing your mother which I wish I could relate better to but it just feels bittersweet for me because I´m not on good terms with my mother.

Rating: 5/10 for Mother (Instrumental: 6/10; Vocals: 7,5/10; Lyrics: 6/10; MV: 5/10; Overall Vibes: 4,5/10)

Title: Event Horizont

Album: END THEORY: Final Edition (Album Repackage)

Artist: Younha

Release: 2022.03.30

I love her vocals her visuals and the vibe of the song. The only thing is that it´s a little bit too long. The MV is also well done.

Since this is a repackage it´s hard to judge because it only counts in 3 new songs although it´s a whole album. Because I´m running out of time I can´t say if the new tracks fit in the rest of the album. Anyways "c/2022YH" has anime opening vibes and I love them. "Black hole" shows her vocals pretty well and I like the sound of the song. So I think I will listen to the rest very soon.

Rating: 7,5/10 for Event Horizont (Instrumental: 7,5/10; Vocals: 8/10; MV: 6/10; Overall Vibes: 7,5/10)

Rating: 7,5/10 for the album because I like her vocals