#bts japanese comeback

[bangtanpurplearchive]

BTS trip through time. 2016.

On this page you will find quick links to most 2016 content and other content that was released that year.

A lot happened this year and it was a huge turning point

Seasons Greetings 2016

Seasons Greetings 2017

2016 Summer package (12th August 2016)

Bon Voyage 1: in Finland, Sweden & Norway. (Filmed May 2016)

Memories 2016 –  released 31 July 2017

JAPAN FANMEETING Vol 3 (161109-161215)

There were several comebacks this year

160502 Epilogue Young Forever

161010 Wings 2nd Studio album

160816 AgustD

2016 Japanese Releases

160315 RUN: 6th Japan Single Album

160907 – 2nd Japanese album “YOUTH”

The year culminated with them winning artist of the year and Album of the year!!

If you can please support to help keep the site running. all help is very appreciated. Thank you.

[digi-lov]

Digimon & Tamagotchi

Bandai V-Pet Crossovers Part 1 (Part 2)

In 1996 Bandai and WiZ inc. released the original Tamagotchi. To their surprise, the toy proved to be popular among boys as well, despite it being mostly marketed for girls. And in 1997, as a more targeted approach to this demographic, Digital Monsters was born!

A huge virtual pet boom followed and not only did Bandai and Wiz release new versions of Tamagotchi and Digital Monsters, and try multiple v-pets with a variety of styles within the next couple of years, but other companies also tried to bandwagon on the success of these virtual pets!

(Such as Nintendo in 1998 with the Pocket Pikachu-)

While the Tamagotchi was shaped like an egg (jap. tamago) with a crack in its shell where the screen is, the Digital Monster was shaped like a brick cage with bust-open bars! It also featured the ability to connect and battle! Otherwise they both use the same three button layout and similar menu icons. On the Tamagotchi, the toilet icon is portrayed by a duck themed potty, which is also used as the look for the Portable Potty items in many Digimon games.

Now with how closely these two franchises were developed, there's bound to be more that connects the two, right?

One such thing is Tamagotchimoji and Digimoji/DigiCode!

You can see that the two scripts are basically identical, just stylized differently. While Tamagotchimoji got used sparsely until they stopped using it in 2004 (But had a surprising comeback in one social media post on April 10, 2023?!), Digimoji has been used, and still is being used everywhere in the Digimon franchise! There is also a separate set of characters for the Latin Alphabet.

[Tamagotchimoji on the left, Digimoji on the right, respective Hiragana above the character]

Just like we know it from the Digimon Franchise, the Tamagotchi also grow through evolutionary stages along a branching path, depending on how well you take care of them! The original line of Tamagotchi as well as Digimon owe their designs to Kenji Watanabe! Generally all Tamagotchi's names end in "-tchi" or "-chi", similar to how Digimon names end in "-mon".

In these evolution charts, the Tamagotchi and Digimon are arranged by how well they've been taken care of / how good they are, with the top line being the best, and the bottom being the worst.

But that Tamagotchi chart is actually just the international version, which had "Bill" (aka Gaijintchi/Ketotchi) as secret character past the adult stage. Instead the Japanese version featured "Oyajitchi" (jap. oyaji means "old man").

But wait, doesn't that face look familiar...?

According to the Digimon Reference Book, Nanimon's true identity is unknown and it in fact came from another dimension, where it was known under the title OYAJI. In order to survive in the new environment of the Digital World, Nanimon had to go through a lot of training and battling.

Nanimon's name is also a play on its bizarre nature. In Japanese, "nanimon" is a casual abbreviation of "nanimono" which means "what (thing)". So, with intonation indicating a question, "nanimonda" can mean both "What are you?" or "I am Nanimon".

This joke is even included directly in Digimon World when the player encounters Nanimon.

「ん？なにもんだ？！」 "N? Nanimon da?!" “Huh? What are you?!” 「ナニモンだァ！」 "Nanimon da!" “I’m Nanimon!”

Nanimon's nature as an alien to this World is also reflected in his trait in the Card Game being "Invader".

Nanimon BT6-058 by Kenji Watanabe from BT-06 Booster Double Diamond

So yeah, Nanimon is supposed to be Oyajitchi who came from the Tamagotchi World to the Digital World.

Stay tuned for next friday when we talk about another World connected to the Digital World!

Special thanks to: tamagotchi wiki, gotchi-garden and tamatalk for being great resources!

If you're interested in more Tamagotchi stuff, go check out @tamapalace !

[kpoptimeout]

K-Pop Debuts and Comebacks for the 4th Week of December (Dec 18 - Dec 24 2023)

Dec 18

Bakjiji - I Always

Indie soloist Bakjiji releases a wistful piece.

NEXZ - Miracle

JYP's first Japanese boy band made up of the winners of NIZI Project Season 2 drop the Korean version of their Japanese pre-debut track!

Dec 19

No releases.

Dec 20

Silica Gel - APEX

Underrated indie rock band Silica Gel is back with another experimental piece!

Dec 21

NINE.i - Back to Christmas

Underrated boy band NINE.i celebrates the holidays with fans in this festive song!

Red House - WOMAN

Indie artist Red House drops a haunting track at the end of the eyar.

Dec 22

D-HACK - What shall I do?

Rapper D-HACK shows he got vocals too in this powerful performance!

Jimin - Closer Than This

BTS' Jimin serenades fans in this sweet track.

NCT 127 - Be There For Me

The NCT Seoul unit is ready for Christmas in this cozy track!

YOUNHA - Waiting (20th Anniversary Edition)

Legendary ballad singer YOUNHA celebrates her 20th year in the industry with a new rendition of one of her most popular songs!

Dec 23

No releases.

Dec 24

KyoungSeo - Christmas Tree

Soloist KyoungSeo joins in the festivities in this jolly song!

What is your favourite song of the week?

[lokisasylum]

You guys remember years back, when BTS were about to drop one of their "Japanese comebacks" (OG Armys will know what I'm talking about) and armys heavily boycotted it because one of the songs in the album (I believe the title was supposed to have been "Bird" or "Blue Bird") was a collab and/or written by a Japanese producer who Bongo "deeply admired", but the guy had deep roots to Imperialistic beliefs and on top of that, he was known for having composed A LOT of songs for his girlgroups that visibly scratched the surface of p*dophilia?

Ya'll remember that? And how K-armys & J-armys were working day in and day out to get this collab CANCELLED because it would tarnish BTS' image/reputation and a bunch of I-armys kept harassing them and accusing Korean & Japanese of not wanting to support BTS anymore by trying to "ruin their image themselves 'cause they were being selfish", even though K & J-armys had all the receipts exposing the dude. And Bongo made some bullshit statement about trusting the guy still because they had "Similar morals & way of thinking" (Sound familiar? 🛴), but in the end the boycott got SO heavily that it started attracting attention from the media, so Bighit had no choice but to make an official statement about having to resign from going forth with the collab and "respecting armys wishes"?

THAT DAY marked one of the MANY RED FLAGS that Bang PD was already in it for the money and didn't care that his decisions would fuck up BTS in the long run.

[secretentertainment]

Introducing the collaborative groups with Cupid & Brand new artists of Secret Entertainment!

A six membered girl group formed by SECRET ENTERTAINMENT in 2024. The group composes of Ruby, Juliette, Hinata, Jisoo, Sophie, and Lilly. The girls are known for their Lore, Storytelling, and trap beats. They are the second group under SECRET ENTERTAINMENT to be nominated for a grammy and the first to headline coachella.

[Basics]

➥ Birthname: Son Sooyoung

➥  stagename: Ruby

➥ Nickname: Bunny

➥ Birthdate: July 23, 1999

➥ place of birth: Seattle, Washington

➥ Nationality: South Korean

[Physical]

➥ Faceclaim: Heejin - ARTMS

[career]

➥ Agency: Secret Entertainment

➥ Occupation: Idol

➥ Position: Leader, Visual, Center

➥  Color: Lust Purple

[Basics]

Birth Name: Moon Seungwan

Stage Name: Juliette

Nickname: Julie

Birthdate: March 20, 2000

Place of birth: Ulsan, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Karina - Aespa

[Career]

Agency: Secret Entertainment

Occupation: Idol

Position: FOTG, 2nd Visual, Lead dancer, sub vocal, sub rapper

Color: Color me pink

[Basics]

Birth Name: Akiyama Hinata

Stage Name: Hinata

Nickname: Nana

Birthdate: October 5, 2000

Place of birth: Osaka, Japan

Nationality: Japanese

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Jurin - XG

[Career]

Agency: Secret Entertainment

Occupation: Idol

Position: Main Dancer, Main Rapper, sub vocal

Color: Ocean Blue

[Basics]

Birth Name: Lim Jisoo

Stage Name: Jisoo

Nickname: Teddy

Birthdate: August 2, 2002

Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Julie - KISS OF LIFE

[Career]

Agency: Secret Entertainment

Occupation: Idol

Position: Lead Rapper, Lead Vocalist

Color: Orange you glad

[Basics]

Birth Name: Sophie Watson

Stage Name: Sophie

Nickname: Soph

Birthdate: December 21, 2003

Place of birth: Ontario, Canada

Nationality: Korean - Canadian

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Yunjin - Le Sserafim

[Career]

Agency: Secret entertainment

Occupation: Idol

Position: Main Vocal, sub rapper

Color: Sunny Yellow

[Basics]

Birth Name: Pranpriya Suputhipong

Stage Name: Lilly

Nickname: Lil

Birthdate: December 29, 2003

Place of birth: Bangkok, Thailand

Nationality: Thai

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Minnie - G-Idle

[Career]

Agency: Secret Entertainment

Occupation: Idol

Position: Maknae, Sub Vocal

Color: Bury me in red

Boys World is a versatile group formed by Velvet Creative. The group composes of Rocky, Changmin, Taeyang, Joong, and Soul. The boys are known for their forever changing concepts, Songwriting, and insane visuals. The group dominated the charts each comeback and have a total of 100+ plus songs written in total as a group.

[Basics]

Birth Name: Seo Changmin

Stage Name: Changmin

Nickname: Baldy (Due to all the hair colors he’s had)

Birthdate: April 12, 1997

Place of birth: Jeju Island, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Kai - EXO

[Career]

Agency: Velvet Creative

Occupation: Idol

Position: Main Dancer, Main Vocals, Center

[Basics]

Birth Name: Park Taeyang

Stage Name: Taeyang

Nickname: Flower Boy

Birthdate: January 15, 1998

Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Kim Taehyung - BTS

[Career]

Agency: Velvet Creative

Occupation: Idol

Position: Lead Vocal, FOTG, Visual

[Basics]

Birth Name: Im Hongjoong

Stage Name: Joong

Nickname: The golden boy

Birthdate: June 2, 1999

Place of birth: Daegu, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Mingyu - Seventeen

[Career]

Agency: Velvet Creative

Occupation: Idol

Position: Leader, Lead Dancer, sub rapper

[Basics]

Birth Name: Namjoo Kim

Stage Name: Soul

Nickname: B-Boy

Birthdate: September 23, 2000

Place of birth: Houston, Texas

Nationality: Korean-American

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Eric - The Boyz

[Career]

Agency: Velvet Creative

Occupation: Idol

Position: Lead Rapper, Sub Vocal

[Basics]

Birth Name: Kim Woosung

Stage Name: Rocky

Nickname: Rock

Birthdate: April 9, 2001

Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea

Nationality: Korean

[Physical]

Faceclaim: Yeonjun - TXT

[Career]

Agency: Velvet Creative

Occupation: Idol

Position: Main Rapper, Sub Vocal, Maknae

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Happy Festa BPP! Is this something ppl do? Wish Festa like holiday? Ta! Happy Festa anyway!!

Don't know if you've said this before but how did you become army?

***

Hi Anon,

Honestly, no. I don't think wishing people Happy Festa is a thing within ARMY... People reminisce and all that but actually sending wishes, not really. But it's a nice gesture so I appreciate you sharing that festive energy with me.

All the Festas are sweet but something about a 10-year anniversary evokes strong memories. It's been a wild ride.

I've talked about how I became ARMY many times, but I can give an abridged version here.

I watched BTS's debut showcase No More Dream for the first time, some time in August 2013 but I don't remember which day exactly. I had heard about BTS by that point, (a lot of people had, which was unusual for a group from a small company and further shows how strong an impression they made at debut), but I didn't get around to actually watching their stuff till August.

I felt they were strong performers but had no other real opinion about them, and kinda forgot about them for a year, till their Dark & Wild comeback in August 2014.

After that album comeback, I consistently kept up with BTS but didn't really think of myself as a fan. The way I engaged with k-pop was to check out several groups I was interested in, sometimes go to their comeback shows if I was in Korea, attend KCON concerts, read Korean forums, etc. Like a fan of many groups but a stan of none, if that makes sense. So, I sort of watched BTS from the sidelines in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Throughout this time, I realized I loved every new musical output from them more than the previous one. It was clear they were improving not just their songwriting, production, exploring more genres, etc, but that they had a very distinct voice - a consistent message in their storytelling that seemed to come from their own lived experiences, for all seven members. Executed at the highest level. And that was something I had never, ever seen in k-pop or anywhere else really.

Of course, during this time, their fame, fortune, and success multiplied as well. And the latent animosity I'd observed since debut towards BTS from the wider k-pop fandom, just became more overt the more BTS became successful. That mess with EXO fans and the Blue House was particularly disgusting and soured my opinion on most fans of SM groups and the wider k-pop fandom. But by 2018, when it was clear BTS's rise was definitely stratospheric and already beyond the realm of k-pop, the gloves were off. The hostility became extremely blatant to the point k-pop stans were working with real life neo-nazis to physically assault Japanese ARMYs who were attending a concert, they were spam calling Japanese newspapers and Jewish foundations in America to put out a statement condemning BTS, and asking for the American government to blacklist BTS.

It was bonkers.

Sulli had ended her life just before the hate campaign against BTS hit a fever pitch in Fall 2018. I liked her a lot and her death shifted something in me - it made me re-evaluate my distanced, detached almost apathetic approach to k-pop beyond the music, especially regarding hate campaigns from k-pop stans that used to run completely unchecked and only escalated and became more sophisticated especially when the target was someone who broke against the norm. So, I linked up with some J-ARMY friends and we spent a weekend coordinating with local Japanese police to track down some k-pop stans working with neo nazis to assault BTS and ARMYs, and by the end of November 2018, I was calling myself an ARMY.

Nothing has really changed since then compared to how I was a fan of BTS before. Except that now, I buy their albums more consistently (it was kinda more sporadic / spontaneous before). I've never been a collector so I don't really care about PCs and what not. I educated myself on charts and fandom norms, and started watching more of their non-music content. I was already very familiar with their personalities and interpersonal quirks (jikook has stood out to me since 2015, yoonmin, namgi, namseok, and sope since 2014, and taekook since 2016 or so), but since 2018 I've found myself enjoying more of their auxiliary content though it's still not something I seek out (I still haven't watched SOOP 2 for example, lol).

Most of my friendships with fans of other k-pop groups I've maintained till now, and I still check out almost every new release in the industry when I have the time, and becoming a fan of BTS has been wonderful.

The ARMY community gets a lot of flack, like all big fandoms do, but there's a real community of genuine and smart people here that I appreciate. BTS has never disappointed me - and I had to really think before writing down that sentence. This industry is harsh, cruel. BTS had to navigate channels no k-pop group or Korean artist has had to before, they've single-handedly elevated an entire industry into the social consciousness of the wider world, and are still holding on to their relentless drive and sense of wonder.

These seven men are remarkable. They're some of the hardest workers I've ever seen. Fully dedicated to their craft and their team, artists and performers in every sense of the word. I thoroughly enjoy being a fan of the music they make, and supporting their growth as artists and people.

Happy Festa everyone! I'm treating myself to Taro ice cream topped with pistachio nuts today to celebrate. Maybe we should make this some kind of holiday lol.

[igiveyoumyblood]

Tbh this makes me really sad because;

1. Actual album/comeback when?

2. I’m really angry that ENHYPEN and &TEAM are so unequal. ENHYPEN is far more well known and successful in general kpop right now, but &TEAM really ought to be more successful - their concept has been far more consistent and solid and their music more cohesive and imo, better. I’m sad for &TEAM because they don’t get the recognition that they deserve and I’m sad for ENHYPEN because their epic concept has been pretty much thrown out the window.

Not to mention all the other issues, like HYBE just generally not taking advantage of their dual concept properly (why is Sunghoon part werewolf, not Niki who’s Japanese? Why is EJ, a Korean, not part vampire? Why is Nicholas not some separate species? Why do the groups have uneven numbers of members and barely interact? MAMA collab stage when? 😩😩😩😩😩)

Seriously Hybe are just throwing away the cool concepts all of their groups have. No more super powered ghost BTS. No more animal TXT. No more angel Le Sserafim, and very little in the way of wolfishness and vampirism from &TEAM and ENHYPEN.

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Red Velvet (Part TWO)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

Here are my credentials: Red Velvet was the first k-pop group I ever loved, even though Blackpink was really my introduction. I became a ReVeLuv in 2019, because of Russian Roulette, and I’ve been a fan since, including of the members’ solo careers (Wendy in particular). But as I’ve gotten more into k-pop and since they come back so infrequently, I haven’t really been keeping up with them and I feel like I’m less of a fan than I once was. So, I’m super excited for their comeback on the 13th (especially with a full album!) and I’m hoping that through this deep dive, I’ll fall back in love just in time for the new album.

This is Part Two of the review, and we left off just before another famous summer comeback in Power Up. Right away, Power Up feels like an interesting combination of Red Flavor’s warm excitement and Ice Cream Cake’s high bubbliness. It’s unusual for their music, because despite its bursts of aegyo in its choruses, it also has more subdued moments in the verses to breathe. I confess that for me, it doesn’t balance quite enough and I find that the song just feels immature and shrill, rather than Red Flavor’s good mix of youthfulness and wistfulness. It’s not for me, but it’s not a bad song.

From the Summer Magic EP, it was hard to choose a hidden gem. Blue Lemonade has a delightfully fizzy feeling with its popping, while Hit That Drum has (unsurprisingly) a great driving beat and a smash of a bridge / last chorus, and Mr. E’s “abracadabra” refrain remains stuck in my head.

#Cookie Jar and SAPPY are both Japanese releases, so I won’t spend long on them, but suffice to say I do like them both. SAPPY is a touch too bubbly for me, but it mixes its R & B and pop better than Power Up, but #Cookie Jar (despite the silly title), is actually a pretty good balance and very catchy.

Really Bad Boy immediately introduces itself as a little bit strange with Joy’s 1,2,5! countoff. With all my ranting and raving in past reviews about how much I hate empty, chanty choruses, I’m sure everyone’s expecting me to rip this one to shreds. But I’m actually not going to. A little bit of excellent harmonizing and background vocalizing goes a long way, and there’s not much harmonizing better than that in RBB. Red Velvet’s voices really are doing the heavy lifting here, but that’s really what sets it apart from all those songs I’ve complained about. It may be a little hard to take seriously, but just like War Of Hormone of BTS, it’s a pretty good time if you suspend your disbelief, throw up your hands, and have as much fun as the people singing it.

From the RBB mini-album, Butterflies was a standout for me. Like the best of RV’s b-sides, it zings along with a delightfully breezy feeling and some great slowly rising vocals to complete the sound. Shoutout also to the interesting vocal fry in Sassy Me and the playful back-and-forth vocals in Taste.

RV’s 2019 work is divided into three EPs, each with its own title track, that together form one mammoth album: the ReVe Festival. Zimzalabim is the first single, and is infamous both amongst ReVeLuvs and other k-pop stans alike. While other RV titles have been odd, this song takes it to a whole other level, like Rookie’s insanity on steroids. There are parts that work (like the na na na na na higher in the pre-chorus), but many more that don’t, and, just like with Rookie, we’re left with a song that has good ideas and good parts, but needed a few more drafts and way more editing. “Are you ready for this?” Wendy asks at the beginning. Well, apparently not.

From part one of the ReVe Festival, I liked both the calming, slightly reggae-inspired Sunny Side Up (because who doesn’t love terrible puns?) and the drum-line heavy, quick-footed Bing Bing, which, despite much of it being nonsense vocalizations, is very catchy and will have you dancing before the first chorus.

Umpah Umpah is often overshadowed in the ReVe Festival, due to the craziness that comes before and the that comes after (we’ll get to that), but it’s actually my favorite of the three songs. On first listen, I didn’t appreciate its humor, odd lyrics, and 60’s-at-the-beach vibes, but after learning that it’s actually a special track marking their 5th anniversary, it grew on me. I especially like the background vocalizations that round it out beautifully and the way-too-short acapella section at the beginning of the last chorus because it was probably my favorite part of the song. It’s really a celebration of their friendship and how far they’ve come, and I’ve never been able to resist songs that wear their heart on their sleeve.

Just as Umpah Umpah is my favorite of the three titles, the ReVe Festival Part Two is my favorite of the three mini-albums (and one of my favorite RV albums in general). I found it quite difficult to choose between the carnival-meets-doo-wop of Love Is The Way, the brisk chantiness of Carpool, and the feel-good girl power disco of Ladies’ Night. But the other songs are great too.

Despite the popularity of the many titles mentioned before, none come close to the almost inescapable fame that Psycho reached internationally. From the first whispered accusation “psycho” and the swirling electronic background meeting the delicate strings, it has this creeping unsettling feeling that never quotes goes away—which makes sense, given that it’s a song about a toxic relationship. While I do like this song, I think it’s not surprising that it doesn’t live up to the insane amount of hype it recieves, because really, how could it? It is what it is, and it does what it sets out to do well, but in such a strong discography, it’s just a footnote.

From the last part of the ReVe Festival, my favorite was definitely the jazzy, bluesy La Rouge, which I wish could’ve gotten a special music video like Be Natural or Automatic, because it’s definitely at that same level. I know I’ve mentioned the harmonizing in nearly every b-side but it’s just so good that, well, how could I not? The vocals are at some of their most refined here, oscillating between drawn-out and self-assured and gently emotional, giving the song much-needed layers.

Soon after Psycho’s release, Wendy suffered a terrible stage accident that injured her hip, jawbone, and wrist, and, needing time in order to recover, Red Velvet went on hiatus for almost two years, before returning with Queendom in late summer 2021. Because of when I became a fan, this was the first RV comeback I saw in real time, so I fully acknowledge the rose-colored glasses I’m looking at it through. It’s a basic pop song, and I’m not going to champion it like it’s the best thing since sliced bread, but it does get me bopping my head. It’s got the bones of another of their classics, but none of its strongest moments are pushed quite far enough.

From the Queendom EP, I had two hidden gems. Pose, despite what in lesser hands would immediately make me classify it as an anti-drop, is actually my favorite, and the combination of self-assured sing talk and exuberant singing really works for me. Knock On Wood is a calmer R & B b-side, and like many of their Velvet tracks, it’s nothing incredible, but their voices elevate it to great. That post-chorus is a highlight too.

Feel My Rhythm is the 1st single from the ReVe Festival’s 2022 counterpart, and is honestly one of my favorites. The song is lovely, weaving in a classical background and samples of twittering birds and running water to truly establish a calm feeling. The song bursts with life, but a more refined, almost mature version of it compared to Red Flavor’s bombast. The title “Feel My Rhythm” may create the image of a very dancy, upbeat song, but in truth, it’s more like the quiet beauty of an Oh My Girl track than that. Also, the MV is just really pretty, with its moving impressionist paintings, while keeping some of that signature Red Velvet strangeness.

From the mini-album, though I did like both Bamboleo and Rainbow Halo, In My Dreams was my clear standout. That chorus is the stuff of legends: the way it rushes back and forth from quiet to loud, the way the voices blend in such a stunning way, and the way it combines its driving emotion and the beautiful elegance swirling around it. Perfection.

Birthday is the single from the 2nd part of the ReVe Festival 2022. After how much I liked the 1st part, I wish I could say I liked this one too. Unfortunately, I think that despite a few standout moments (like the pre-chorus), I have no idea what on earth SM Entertainment was thinking. This song isn’t “bad”, in the way of Rookie or Zimzalabim, where, despite not being for me, I can at least respect what they were going for. Instead, it sounds nothing like an RV song, and just rumbles around in bizarre, uncharismatic sing-talk that does a disservice to such great vocals. The girls do their best but even they can’t save this one, because every time I hear this song I just wonder who mixed up the tracks for Red Velvet and NCT 127. I also think that the accompanying EP is one of their weakest, and I don’t have a hidden gem for it.

Red Velvet just came back today (the 13th, as I’m writing this) with their third full album (finally!!) and the title track Chill Kill begins with the kind of creeping yet lovely string-accompanied verse that I wish Psycho had. I was worried that we’d get a repeat of Birthday but thankfully I needn’t have worried. The chorus bounces with horrid delight in alt-pop perfection while the girls cover up a murder in the background (as one does). The bridge, meanwhile, culminates in a 3rd gen trademark high note as a house burns to the ground, the girls dance in front of the police pursuing them, and face their fate together in a surprisingly touching show of sisterhood. I couldn’t have asked for a better single; it’s that more vocal focused and emotionally driven Peek-A-Boo that I always wished for.

The album, Chill Kill, is just as strong, harkening back to the Red Velvet I loved back in The Perfect Velvet. It was difficult to pick a hidden gem, as I loved the cathartic high part and scratchy strings in Knock Knock (Who’s There?), the surprisingly video game like chorus in Will I Ever See You Again, the catchy yet gentle comfort in Nightmare, and the slowly rising a-capella in Wings that encourages the listener to be a brave butterfly no matter what the world says.

My Top 5 songs by Red Velvet are One Of These Nights, Russian Roulette, Umpah Umpah, Dumb Dumb, and You Better Know, with In My Dreams and Peek-A-Boo as honorable mentions. Red Velvet gets a 9 out of 10 from me, and I think that both that and my distance from the band can mostly be put down to the fact that while the songs themselves are almost all technically excellent, very few of them have deeper meanings than a typical b-side.

The ones that do—like One Of These Nights or Umpah Umpah—are some of my favorites, but on the whole, I don’t have as deep an emotional connection to their music as I do to Dreamcatcher’s or to Seventeen’s. This is also down to the fact that Red Velvet doesn’t write any of their own songs, unlike the previous two (who write / compose some and all, respectively), and thus the members have less of an emotional connection to the music too. This isn’t a dig at Red Velvet, who are all incredibly talented, but I would love to hear more of what they have to say, like on their solos.

So, did I meet what I set out to do at the beginning and rediscover my love of Red Velvet? Well, I think I did! I’ve honestly yet to find another group like them, barring maybe SHINee, whose voices are all excellent separately but together become something far greater than the sum of their parts. I think it’s safe to say that Red Velvet will always have a special place in my heart, even if I don’t listen to them every day. No matter if they disband tomorrow or not for decades, I’m proud to call myself a ReVeLuv. I’ll be here on August 1st. 2024 for their tenth anniversary, blue lemonade in hand, and I hope you will be too.

Next time, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming with just one group a week. See you then, for a boy group. Tschüss!

[stuff-diary]

Top 20 K-pop songs in 2023 (Part 1, 20-11)

This has been yet another fantastic year for K-pop, and putting this ranking together was so hard that I had to take drastic measures. So, this time round I'm only including one song per solo artist or group, be it a title track, a B-side or even a Japanese release. Anyway, let's get going:

20. Do Not Touch by Twice MiSaMo

I know this is technically J-pop, but I don't care cause it's a bop. I never expected this specific unit to go with this sound and concept for their debut, so it was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year.

19. Sugarcoat by Natty (Kiss Of Life)

Launching Kiss Of Life through this solo song was a brilliant idea, cause it's pop perfection. I really hope they work with this producer for future comebacks.

18. Sweet Juice by Purple Kiss

I love this song's creepy vibes and its string arrangement. Easily one of the most underrated K-pop releases of the year.

17. Like Crazy by Jimin (BTS)

The instrumental for this song is spectacular, and Jimin's vocals add a touch of mysticism that makes the whole thing spellbinding.

16. Thirsty by Aespa

Quite possibly the best R&B style K-pop song we've gotten this year. I kept playing it over and over when it came out.

15. But Sometimes by Boynextdoor

I just love this song's pop-punk, indie-ish sound. I see so much potential in this group, and I really think they could be huge if they keep giving us music like this.

14. Love Effect by ONF

I missed their sound so much and I'm so glad they finally came back. We really need more K-pop like this.

13. Rover by Kai (EXO)

Usually I'm not the biggest fan of reggaeton and that type of music genres, but when they're mixed with K-pop we always get superb bops like this one.

12. Slow Dancing by V (BTS)

Nobody else in the whole K-pop idol industry could pull this off. V has truly found the perfect style for his voice and image. Also, the flute solo at the end of the song is magical.

11. Shooting Star by XG

Yeah, I know, this song technically isn't K-pop, but I had to include it because its pre-chorus and chorus are among the best stuff I've heard this year.

And that's it for now. Come back tomorrow to see the top 10 songs!

[btsyeonu]

👣. !!: YEONU THROUGHOUT THE ERAS ‧₊˚

( ★ ) ───── 2O13 !

╰ 2 cool 4 skool = o!rul8,2?

( ★ ) ───── 2O14 !

╰ skool luv affair = dark & wild

( ★ ) ───── 2O15 !

╰ the most beautiful moment in life pt.1 = the most beautiful moment in life pt.2

( ★ ) ───── 2O16 !

╰ the most beautiful moment in life : young forever = wings

( ★ ) ───── 2O17 !

╰ you never walk alone = love yourself : her

( ★ ) ───── 2O18 !

╰ love yourself : tear = love yourself : answer

( ★ ) ───── 2O19 !

╰ map of the soul : persona

( ★ ) ───── 2O2O !

╰ map of the soul : 7 = be

( ★ ) ───── 2O21 !

╰ butter

( ★ ) ───── 2O22 !

╰ proof

( ★ ) ───── JAPANESE COMEBACKS !

╰ wake up = youth = the best of bts = face yourself = bts, the best

( ★ ) ───── SOLO !

╰ TO BE ADDED !

[vinyl-head]

I’m out of the loop of K-pop now.. can you give me some updates on big bang?

Hello!

I'm not sure how long you've been out of the loop but here's a few updates just off the top of my head for the overall group as well as individual activities.

It's nothing juicy, scandalous, or groundbreaking, just the facts I'm aware of with no thoughts behind them. If I'm missing anything, feel free to add on or correct me.

BigBang

The group’s latest release is ‘Still Life’ (2022)

Bang Bang Bang’ becomes their first song to surpass 200 million streams on spotify as of March 2023

T.O.P

Departed from YG Entertainment in February 2022

Attended a Versace show in LA on March 9th

Joined the Dear Moon Project (a tourism mission and art project launched by a Japanese billionaire that will take a single lunar free return that’ll last over 6 days with 9 crew members including T.O.P and Steve Aoki)

Has developed his own wine brand (T’SPOT)

Although previously stating he would give up on idol life and music overall, he’s planning to release not only his solo debut album but a feature film as well (no confirmed date)

Taeyang

Married February 2018 and became a father December 2021

Confirmed to have signed with THEBLACKLABEL January 3rd after parting ways with YG Entertainment in December 2022

Released a collab with BTS’ Jimin called ‘Vibe’ on January 13th (has one win)

GD

Currently the only BigBang Member under YG Entertainment

Has attended a few Chanel shows as it’s ambassador

7 months after it’s release, his cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ has been added to the deluxe version of the  ‘ELVIS’ soundtrack

Rumored to be making a comeback album and potentially hold a concert

Daesung

Left YG Entertainment December 2022

Was a guest on ‘Roommates, not Marriage’, his first appearance on a variety show since 2017

Seungri

Willingly parted ways with both YG Entertainment and Big Bang in 2019 following the Burning Sun scandal

Released from prison February 9th, 2 days earlier than scheduled, and has kept a low profile for now

[bangtanpurplearchive]

BTS trip through time. May 2015.

This month the HYYH promotions continued

This month BTS had their first ever win at a music show with I Need U

Check out the Music show pages for more

This month they also filmed Summer package 2015

150722 BTS 2015 summer package dvd (pt 1) (pt 2)  (Filmed 10-15th May 2015) (archive)

Have a look at the 2015 landing page for more

There were a lot of fansign events

This month we also has the Festa timeline

150530 [#2015BTSFESTA] Festa schedule.

150531 BTS [A.R.M.Y #2] Happy Birthday to you~ (June) 

This month was such a huge turning point for them. I loved revisiting the HYYH comeback with all of the fansigns and music show performances.

Let me know what was your favourite part of this month?

[thetaeprint]

BTS V Ranks Highest Among Korean Celebrities…The Most Popular One!!! Why?

1) BTS V’s Unexpected Impact On “Squid Game: The Challenge”

His cosplay remains iconic!

2) Japanese model Asuka Kijima went viral after admiring V’s visuals so much that she wanted to recreate his look.

3) The MV ‘Love Wins all’ is gonna be talked about years to come as IU & BTS' Kim Taehyung's Love Wins All music video gets its own Wikipedia page

4) BTS V Ranks Highest Among Korean Celebrities in Top 1000 Influencers in the US

Alongside top stars like Ronaldo and Taylor Swift, BTS V shone with his popularity in the US

5) BTS' V Becomes FIRST K-Pop Soloist To Clock 17 Million Spotify Followers

Need I say more!!! Oh, I’m just waiting for V to come back after his ME…. His comeback will be huge huge !!!!!

#방탄소년단뷔 #뷔 #BTSV #V #KimTaehyung #mostpopular #iconic

[kpoptimeout]

K-Pop Debuts and Comebacks for the Fourth Week of May 2024 (May 20 - May 26 2024)

Mar 20

NEXZ - Ride the Vibe

JYP's first Japanese boyband NEXZ and winners of NIZI Project Season 2 makes their Korean debut in this laid back and trendy track!

Mar 21

MCND - X10

Underrated boyband MCND returns with another confident outing

Mar 22

ONEUS - Now

Talented boy band ONEUS remakes FinK.L's legendary track "Now" in this suave comeback!

Mar 23

JD1 - ERROR 405

Trot child-genius Jeong Dongwon continues his transition to his K-Pop star alter-ego JD1 in this refreshing track!

SEVENTEEN VOCAL TEAM - Cheers to Youth

SEVENTEEN's vocal line showcases their honey vocals in this empowering track!

SOOJIN - MONA LISA

(G)I-DLE's former member SOOJIN continues to show her flare in this solo comeback!

Mar 24

AleXa - i'm okay

AleXa bares her raw emotions in this honest pop-rock anthem.

NewJeans - How Sweet

Popular girl group NewJeans is back with another dreamy Y2K bop!

RM - LOST!

BTS' RM is artsy and experimental in this haunting performance about daily office grind!

Mar 25

No releases.

Mar 26

KyoungSeo - Cherry Pink

KyoungSeo brings the citypop sound to this catchy song!

What is your favourite song this week?

[prapaiwife]

helloooo what are your favorite music groups? i've seen you post about shinee who i LOVE so i was wondering who else u are into :-)

Hi OMG my favorite groups there's a lot but SHINee is my ultimate favorite like their my first grout that brought me into K-pop and I cannot go a day without playing their music 🥹 but I really love exo my most listened to with SHINee. Then Tomorrow by together (txt) they are neck in neck with SHINee, day6 I loveeeee them so much, loved their comeback. The Boyz!!! I saw in person actually amazing live😭. OH ATEEZ I saw them on tour as well literal beasts on stage another ultimate group for me like guerilla live was an outer body experience that I will love to relive over and over again. Seventeen, bts, 127, dream, enhypen, monsta x, 2pm, oh a Japanese rock band called one ok rock AMAZING DISCOGRAPHY I highly recommend luxury disease one of my favorite albums ever!! And Got7 can't wait for their reunion after military is done!! P1 harmony I mean the bsides the title tracks are just impeccable 😫

[writingmochi]

an honest review of minisode 3: tomorrow purely from musical observation (not proofread)

opening remarks: i'm one day late and that is definitely still valid. given that there is currently a boycott for big 4 from april 1st to may 1st, i've downloaded the album off of spotify so thank you to the developer who created the software.

is there a reason why both the chaos and name chapters only have two releases on their belt whilst the dream chapters have 3? in a way, i think this is telling of how fast the trend is changing here in kpop and pop culture music in general. i could say that kpop groups are literally cloud chasing the newest tiktok trending music given that le sserafim's newest release is full of familiar sounds rather than establishing their sound. i sure hope this album has a clear way to tell what it wants to tell because i have a pretty big expectation when it comes to txt, especially since i came here blind and deaf cause i don't know anything about this comeback apart from the concept and promotional photos.

speaking of that, concept-wise it seems interesting. i'm currently in a more neutral side because i just realized just how biased i can become even if it doesn't meet my expectations. i like how they basically embrace their fantasy-esque story retelling on things happening to individuals in real life. based on the txt.ibighit, the concept of this release is about past promises, salvation, and hope for tomorrow, which i've felt in a few of the concept photos. i, once again, feel disappointed to know the creative difference in between the concept photos and the music video. it kinda feels like false advertising as i realize the dichotomy of it. as i enter into the sonic world of this album with restrain and neutrality, i hope that the songs can help to invest me with them too.

let's start!

1.i'll see you there tomorrow: what in the illit is this? it sounds rhythmically and melodically complex at the start, which i like. but it became this light hyperpop-esque edm sound. i think this will be a challenging first song to here, especially with kpop fans who are not familiar with "strange beats". the bridge part kind of reminds me of daft punk in a way with beomgyu's voice on the vocoder filter. soobin's timbre is the highlight of this song for me because it has been a long time since i hear low-voice soobin, so i'm glad to hear it here. i like how complex the percussion of the song is, especially in combination with the bass playing.

2.- --- -- --- .-. .-. --- .-- ("tomorrow" in morse code): i know it's literally only morse code and it's definitely lore-based, but why do they bring back the morse code now when the last time we hear it is in crown/dream chapter star? hmmm

3.deja vu: i've heard from people that this title track doesn't have a bridge. that is definitely a minus for me. but let me here it first before continuing to write this.

at first listen, this reminds me of a japanese release of a kpop group. i was reminded of stray kids's slump, maybe because it's the synth that they're using. i like the little sprinkle of a floaty synth behind it as it seems like there is ghost (positively?) haunting the song, that's why it sounded a bit mystical and isekai-ish. i like that little interlude as it enters verse 2. okay, i now understand why there are people who complained about the lack of a bridge cause this song has the potential to be a more tear-jerker than it is now if there is a bridge.

i will compare this song with bts' spring day (which for me gives off similar vibes, especially with their current situation mirroring bts during their time releasing ynwa). i'm always near in tears whenever i hear spring day ever since it was released and i believe it is because of taehyung's bridge and how the song pays off what it is building throughout the listening experience, especially in the music video version with the added band interlude. deja vu has the potential to be txt's take on spring day (some may say it already is), but, for me, the lack of bridge = lack of payoff = lack of grit to the song. that second interlude with the guitar and added like another set of lyrics can definitely alleviate and add that grit i'm searching for. i also think that maybe strings can also be added to aid the tear-jerking sense of the song. but it is synthy so idk how it will be connected (maybe this is an encouragement to use acoustic/natural sound more than midi). i also think the short pre-verse also contributes to the lack of grit this song potentially has because it hasn't fully develop the transition between the verse and the chorus.

other than that, this is the first hybe song where the vocal processing doesn't sink the vocals into the instrumental (until the deja vu part in the chorus). yeonjun's voice has this yearning in it that is definitely to match the vibe of the song. he is definitely the highlight for me. i'm also not surprised at the lack of beomgyu here because this song is high even for me and especially for the boys. beomgyu's songs are the brooding, darker one but this one is more melancholic to hopeful so it is expected to not hear much of him.

a missed potential to add a freaking heartbreaking bridge and a much more grand departure. if they maybe get more inspirations from aespa's welcome to my world then i can hear the track in its fullest potential.

4.miracle: different types of me hearing the world miracle: (1) life could get better~ (suju's miracle) n (2) i believe in miracle (wayv's miracle).

the start of this song reminds me of bts' love myself before changing to enhypen's tfw. okay, it sounds more like those feel-good pop rock songs kinda like enhypen's orange flower or something that i called "road trip songs". it definitely embraces more of rock txt as it delves into something i usually listen at the start of my alt/indie music listening arc. idk why but hearing the synth synchopation at the verse reminds me of the game i'm currently playing, hyper light drifter (which is one of the sound i associated with my fic, subterranean homesick alien). i like the instrumental break at the part where i can say is the bridge, but maybe like a musical breakdown/slowdown where the song slows as it starts with acapella/minimal instrument before rising to the last chorus (that's a beomgyu part and he will definitely shine in that) and i like the cymbals bash at the end as the song closes out.

5.the killa (i belong to you): okay, guitar ooh the latin sound (which i expected seeing the title). it definitely is riding high (maybe dry) of tinnitus with their latin influence. a more lo-fi reggaeton, unlike tinnitus. tbh idk what to say because this is so similar to tinnitus but a bit mellower with the sensuality. i can feel the sensuality with the harmony. with how similar this song is with tinnitus, it also shares its weakness for it to be too droning especially because of the more lo-fi approach. i also don't know what to say on making this song better because i think it is meant to be a song that drones, like those 70's 12" disco songs that can be played for 10 minutes. maybe, if they consider it, making this song more bossa nova it can give off a more unique feeling. surely a bit more sensual but it sounds more like they are serenading you or something. i can also guess from the fact that this is a yeonbin song that it might even have innuendos in the lyrics. another safe entry for me.

6.quarter life: with the title of quarter life and the fact that this a unit song, i thought that THIS song is the yeonbin song because they are in/approaching their quarter life. so i didn't expect the killa to be their songs while beomtyunkai get this song.

i can definitely hear the same influence of this with miracle. the same inspiration maybe because of its rock vibes. it's like the quintessential coming-of-age song you hear in those american coming-of-age movies (say edge of seventeen, perks of being a wallflower type of movies). i can hear the mid 2010s influence of those feel-good songs but i hate how the song abruptly stops anhajkfhaj pls beomgyu sounds so good at the ending but they just decide to finish it. this song deserves a freaking bridge and too hear tyun belt his voice at the last chorus. ughh why are you making a song that can be 3 minutes long so short? me is mad.

7.deja vu (anemoia remix): even i am intrigued with why they decided to put a remix in the main release instead of a one-off single. but after listening to the song, i definitely understand why.

this version of the song is the one that i'm willing to pay to watch live (but i can't tho cause i'm boycotting hybe) because for me, this song doesn't deserve to have a choreo and i rather watch them sing their hearts out. in a way, this version of the song is the happier ending compared to the original's more melancholic. hearing the main synth being put here in it's original form makes it weird, like, you couldn't adjust the synth with the band background? idk, like make it sound more like an organ instead of an 80's synth.

even though in the context of which one i want to watch live, it's this remix. the original deserves to be the title track because i can't imagine this version of the song having to use the choreo. in kpop sense, using this version as the title track will actually erase the other pivotal part of kpop: the performance aspect. yet, i could definitely see this song being performed in the festival circuit (hopefully they do that)

closing remarks: concept-wise and now sound-wise, the concept photos captures perfectly of what the album sounds like (but i just dislike how the music video is different than the concept photos). other than that, especially coming from freefall, this album is definitely underwhelming for me. did it meet my expectations? it exceeds it actually but i just have the feeling that it isn't optimal enough.

to have txt embracing their pop rock side with soft rock now (especially with balletcore, fantasy, n rocker fallen angels as part of the concept) definitely defines them as the rock representative that i have assigned them too (along with woodz for the more grittier alt sounds and dreamcatcher with the heavy metal rock songs) and it shows in how i think their creative director knows that txt = rock, which validates my txt as a rock band au so much but i digress. this side of rock that they're showing is definitely the rock that can be found on tiktok--those songs you hear in those feel good tiktok which is imo a very beginner-friendly side of rock because of its pop n rnb influence. i also like that they're experimenting with i'll see you tomorrow, especially in the verses but the chorus sounds too generic.

i actually really describing this release their spring incarnate song. it's just a shame that they didn't do more with it. and also 17 min ep for 7 songs? i'm actually mad cause that is a freaking scam and the fact that none, NONE, of the song has sung bridges is just *sighs*

final ranking:

7. - --- -- --- .-. .-. --- .-- (it's literally morse code)

6.the killa (i belong to you) (too droning)

5.quarter life (that abrupt ending makes this drop against miracle even though instrumentally i like this one better)

4.miracle (it feels too safe for me)

3.i'll see you tomorrow (will like it better if they embrace the weirdness instead of making it into the pop mold)

2.deja vu (anemoia remix) (pls don't force the choreo to this one)

1.deja vu

small conclusion: how could it have been if deja vu had the spring day x welcome to my world treatment... just add the life-changing bridge, a chorus of string insturments, and voila: best txt title track. lovesong is still my fav title track but ughh what a missed opportunity. f u hybe and bighit for not taking risks

PLS TAKE RISKS!!!