#i also feel like in general this fandom is obsessed with making things edgier than they actually are

[natsmagi]

tbh maybe this is a hot take but i really dont get why people insist on having one person in natsumugi be this Super Toxic one and the other a victim. the easiest conclusion to draw is natsume being the bad guy and tsumugi the victim due to natsume getting physical and berating him at times but far too commonly do i see people insist that its the other way around and that tsumugi is actually the super toxic one and natsume just lets tsumugi emotionally manipulate him and thats ?? so weird to me ??? both of these are so weird to me ???

i can ofc see where theyre coming from. both natsume and tsumugi have plenty of issues going on in their heads. i feel like natsumes situation is more commonly understood as him simply just being difficult though and not being the best at managing his emotions, and with tsumugi i get it because he doesnt really have much of a moral compass. he doesnt quite understand peoples feelings and it results in him doing pretty fucked up things at times, but to then frame him as someone who would be abusive?? that doesnt sit right with me

tsumugi may not understand peoples emotions and be apathetic to the struggles people are going through, but its clear to anyone that that man has good intentions at the end of the day. at WORST he may get overbearingly controlling, but its never in a "you cant do x y z" way, its in a "i signed us up for this job opportunity because i thought it sounded nice and didnt speak it through with you beforehand and now we have to do it" way. had this been 2nd year tsumugi maybe he wouldve been far more desperate and even manipulative to an extent because he was in such a dark place, but current day tsumugi is actively trying to understand people better. hes trying to learn how to feel. in wonder game he even outright said that natsume taught him pain and everything else. his growth is clear

i cannot see tsumugi taking advantage of natsume in a genuinely destructive way with modern day ntmg. again, maybe during the earlier !-era stuff he could be more destructive, but natsume also does a relatively good job keeping tsumugi in his place during that time too, with him getting physical and all. its only in !!-era where tsumugi doesnt really mind it and can even make playful jokes about it because theyve Had this development in their relationship. theyve moved Past many of their toxic attributes, and theyve finally grown to understand one another. this is also when tsumugi can have a more "dominating" role in their relationship, since natsume has come to trust him to this extent, but tsumugi wouldnt take advantage of that. again; theyve now grown very close and understanding of one another. theyll have banters such as tsumugi wanting natsume to do something like idk. wear a dress. to which natsume will reply with kys but again. in !!-era this is banter and tsumugi wouldnt actually force natsume to do something he doesnt want to. theyre just very comfortable with each other now

i also really hate the position natsume gets put in with all of this. so often he is already hyperfeminized by the fandom for no reason whatsoever (which is especially fucked up considering how much he canonically hates being seen as a girl), and by making tsumugi this manipulative and abusive partner youre stripping natsume of even more autonomy and framing him as powerless. naively in love with a man thats hurting him. and that doesnt sit right with me either!! natsume does have a big heart and he has endured more than he probably should, but to think natsume would just take it ??? natsume has BACKBONE. if tsumugi upsets him he will either 1. get really mad at him or 2. start ignoring tsumugi alltogether. hes not just gonna put up with it. and tsumugi will notice this change in demeanor. ask if hes done something wrong. he may not understand what it was he did but he never intends on hurting natsume and would genuinely want to resolve it. tsumugi isnt stubborn in this regard, if he fucks up he wants to fix it. and natsume isnt a damsel in distress, why do you want him to be a helpless maiden so bad ??

theres alot of nuance to all of this and im obviously not gonna tackle every single element of their relationship and this is just an overview but TL;DR ntmg are both awful and have many faults and their relationship has gotten incredibly unhealthy at times but the point is theyre growing PAST that. maybe sometimes these toxic traits of theirs will resurface, but that does not make one the abuser and the other the victim. theyre just two fucked up people in love, standing as equals and learning to understand one another. stop framing one as evil

[shcjfrance]

THE SHINHWA STORY: 20 YEARS YOUNG & STILL GOING STRONG

by Lavanya Singh

If you think about how long Shinhwa has been around, you don’t need to look past their 14th anniversary press conference, where member Jun Jin put things into perspective for everyone: “The members of Girls’ Generation were in elementary school when we were in SM Entertainment. Jessica and Hyoyeon wrote us letters back in the day.”

That was six years ago.

On March 24th, Shinhwa celebrated their 20th anniversary. Rightly, the band is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running boy group in the world that hasn’t disbanded or had a member leave in 19—well, 20 now—years. A closer look at the band and its popularity, however, pegs Shinhwa as artists who transcend numbers and charts, and who have found permanence in an otherwise transient industry.

THE START

The six members of Shinhwa debuted on March 24, 1998 under SM Entertainment, performing the single “Resolver” on KM Music Tank. To say that the band had a rocky start would have been an understatement—accusations of being a copy of label-mates H.O.T and the controversy following the Sokcho water accident that overshadowed the promotions of their song “Eusha Eusha” soon sparked rumours of disbandment. With the exception of some songs, the group’s debut album did not chart well, leading people to speculate that the band may have been a bad investment for SM.

With their second album “T.O.P,” however, came an edgier concept and mainstream success. “T.O.P.” won Shinhwa their first major music award for “Best Music Video”, and the trajectory only went upwards after that.

A LONG LINE OF FIRSTS

As both fans and writers, we know how much modern K-pop owes to the so-called first wave of Korean music. Not only was the era a fantastic prelude to the all-encompassing force of nature that K-pop would eventually become, but the artists who defined that wave also left behind a legacy that would inspire and drive the future generations. Seo Taiji and the Boys, for example, gave Korea quite possibly its first tryst with R&B, and member Yang Hyun Suk later established one of South Korea’s premier entertainment companies, YG Entertainment. S.E.S, one of K-pop’s early girl group successes and the first girl group from SM, would later go on to inspire numerous other girl groups.

For as long as they’ve been around, therefore, it’s only inevitable that Shinhwa’s legacy be an ode to their popularity. What’s surprising, though, is knowing just how much contemporary idol and fan culture owes to the band and their fandom, “Shinhwa Changjo”. (The name means “making a legend”, aptly complementing the band’s own name meaning ‘myth’ or ‘legend’.)

In 2002, while still under SM, the band released their sixth studio album, thus officially becoming the longest-running act in K-pop. A year later, while reviewing their contracts, SM offered to renew contracts with all members except vocalist Dong Wan. Rather than splitting up, Shinhwa decided not to renew their contracts with SM, and departed from the company as one unit, signing later with Good Entertainment. As somewhat of an unspoken trend in K-pop, artists who leave one company for another often experience a wane in popularity. Shinhwa, however, is one of the only bands in K-pop whose members went on to have incredibly successful careers despite a company change and the mandatory military enlistments. In fact, their first Daesang(or Grand Prize), for the seventh studio album Brand New, came in 2004, almost a year after leaving SM.

But just because they left the label that formed them didn’t mean Shinhwa broke away from SM entirely. In 2013, member Min Woo looked fondly upon his time at SM, saying: “[Founder] Lee Soo Man is truly an amazing person. From each member’s hairstyles to everything we did on stage, he took care of us meticulously. He used to talk to all of us about every little thing.”

Following their mandatory military enlistments, Shinhwa became the first K-pop group to establish their own entertainment company in 2011. For a while, the band was locked in a legal battle with SM Entertainment and Joon Media (formerly Open World Entertainment) for profits and use of the name ‘Shinhwa’. The case was, however, settled in 2015, and Shinhwa Company (which had been dubbed ShinCom for the duration of the case) came into existence.

Shinhwa was also one of the early trendsetters in the industry in terms of musical control. While their creative license was limited under SM, the members participated actively in the production of their albums after leaving. By that time, most members had released solo music and found their personal styles. The result was an eclectic combination of sounds on future albums, making the band a truly versatile act.

It’s not just their music and their exceptional team spirit that set Shinhwa apart, though: the band was the first in the industry to break away from the mainstream style of the time. When much of K-pop focused on trendy skinny jeans and bright colors (think SHINee’s “Replay” era), Shinhwa adopted a much more sophisticated style with clean-cut suits and cropped hair—quite uncommon for popular acts at the time.

Also uncommon was Shinhwa’s dedicated fandom, Shinhwa Changjo, who, honestly, were fandom goals before the term went mainstream. Shinhwa Changjo are credited with starting the popular rice wreath trend—it was member Hye Sung’s fandom who first sent rice wreaths to support his solo concert in 2007. Shinhwa’s fandom was also the first to have planted forests in support of their idols.

THE MAKING OF LEGENDS

Part of the reason why Shinhwa remains a groundbreaking act in K-pop is, as

The Atlantic

put it, their “smart self-awareness.” In an industry that’s sometimes too full to the brim with new acts, Shinhwa chose to evolve and mature in their own timeline, striking an attractive balance between age and trends. The result? Hilarious variety shows and appearances where the members didn’t, and continue to not, hesitate in poking fun at themselves, all topped off by the very refreshing devil-may-care attitude that came with spending years in the industry (I will never be able to hear the words “Do you smell something burning?” without laughing.)

In fact, despite their seniority in the industry, age hasn’t ever been something that’s held Shinhwa back: the band has embraced their late 30s with fervour and humour, even going so far as to admitting that having a “battle of stamina with younger groups” is pointless. Now that they don’t have the “weapon of youth”, they’ve turned their focus on charms that suit their age. There’s the cheeky SNL Korea broadcast where the members dress up as exhibits in a museum—only the exhibits are their younger selves from a decade ago—with visitors standing around, confused about who they’re supposed to be. There’s the sarcastic “Idol Retirement Insurance Plan” skit, where the members sold insurance plans to idols in the climax of their careers that included obsessive fans to stalk them and make them feel young. Or, if you need something else, there’s the infamous “Farting chorus” broadcast—which is exactly what it sounds like.

That’s probably the most endearing part about Shinhwa—with the passage of time, they made their own interpretations of what they were supposed to be, both as individuals and as a group, and molded the expectations to fit them than the other way round. As a unit, it makes them relatable. They never shy away from sharing both their successes and their struggles—the members have always been vocal about arguments among themselves, but have also been quick to admit how their long bonds have made working together easier. In a recent interview about their 13th studio album, member Jun Jin put the feeling into words: “If it weren’t for Shinhwa, Jun Jin wouldn’t exist.”

It isn’t just the marvelous teamwork; it’s also the fact that Shinhwa has never been a group that downplays their concerns, both as artists and businessmen. Group leader Eric expressed his anxiety about working in an industry where Shinhwa is one of the only groups left from the first generation: “We have no role models, nowhere to get advice. I think we have to grasp our future direction ourselves as we continue to work.”

They’ve also never had qualms about admitting to concerns about their company—Eric once talked about how Shinhwa realized that running a company was different than being an idol when they had to monitor how much money they spent on meals. Somewhere down the line, Shinhwa shed the skin of idols and became human, which brought them to closer to their fans.

Speaking of which, part of the reason why they remain popular favorites is also their relationships with their fans, which has always been more like that of bickering best friends and less like the typical fan-idol interactions. In fact, the group has never been hesitant to call out fans on their behavior. As a story about their first fan-sign goes, member Dong Wan told the fans that “Shinhwa is definitely not responsible for your lives.” He received some flak for that, but Dong Wan defended himself, saying that the “fans’ love could sometimes be over the top.” It was an example of how Shinhwa were mature since their early days, not caring about gratuitous fanservice and establishing a relationship of mutual trust with their fans.

K-pop is an ephemeral industry: every burst of fame and omnipresence is followed by a plateau where new groups come in and take over, and fandoms are inherited down the generations. Yet, Shinhwa is one of the only groups from the first generation of K-pop to not only continue making music, but to be loved by fans and the industry alike. They remain among the groups for which the word “groundbreaking” rings utterly true—because of their acceptance of the changing times; because of their self-deprecating and brilliant humor; and, most importantly, because of their steely resolve to always be one unit for themselves and their fans. They never take themselves very seriously, and that’s what makes them so endearing. If you’re just starting out with Shinhwa, check out the remake of their music video, “All Your Dreams,” which was released on the 20th anniversary of their debut.

What’s your favorite Shinhwa song? Let us know in the comment section below. Be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Cr: KULTSCENE

L'HISTOIRE DE SHINHWA: 20 ANS, JEUNES ET TOUJOURS FORTS

Si vous pensez à depuis combien de temps Shinhwa est présent, vous n'avez pas besoin de regarder après leur conférence de presse du 14e anniversaire, où le membre Jun Jin a mis les choses en perspective pour tout le monde: “Les membres de Girls' Generation étaient à l'école primaire quand nous étions à SM Entertainment. Jessica et Hyoyeon nous ont écrit des lettres dans le passé.”

C'était il y a six ans.

Le 24 mars, Shinhwa a célébré son 20ème anniversaire. À juste titre, le groupe figure dans le Livre Guinness des records comme étant le groupe de garçons le plus ancien au monde qui n'a pas été dissous ou dont un membre n'a quitté le groupe pendant 19 maintenant 20 ans. Cependant, un examen plus attentif du groupe et de sa popularité place Shinhwa en tant qu'artiste qui transcende les chiffres et les classements, et qui a trouvé sa permanence dans une industrie par ailleurs passagère.

LE DÉBUT

Les six membres de Shinhwa ont débuté le 24 mars 1998 sous SM Entertainment, interprétant le single "Resolver" dans l'émission KM Music Tank. Dire que le groupe a eu un début difficile aurait été un euphémisme - les accusations d'être une copie de ses coéquipiers H.O.T et la controverse suite à l'accident de Sokcho qui a éclipsé les promotions de leur chanson "Eusha Eusha" ont bientôt suscité des rumeurs de licenciements. À l'exception de certaines chansons, le premier album du groupe ne s'est pas bien placé, ce qui a amené les gens à spéculer sur le fait que le groupe aurait pu être un mauvais investissement par SM.

Avec leur deuxième album "T.O.P", cependant, est venu un concept plus incisif à la tendance et un grand succès. "T.O.P." a donné à Shinhwa leur premier prix majeur de musique pour "Meilleure Clip Video", et la trajectoire n'a augmenté qu'après cela.

UNE LONGUE LIGNE DE PREMIERS

En tant que fans et écrivains, nous savons ô combien la K-pop moderne doit à la soi-disant première vague de la musique coréenne. L'ère était non seulement un prélude fantastique à la force omniprésente de la nature de ce que la K-pop deviendrait finalement, mais les artistes qui ont défini cette vague ont également laissé un héritage qui inspirerait et guiderait les générations futures. Seo Taiji et les Boys, par exemple, ont probablement donné à la Corée son premier rendez-vous avec le  R & B, et le membre Yang Hyun Suk a ensuite fondé l'une des premières compagnies de divertissement de Corée du Sud, YG Entertainment. S.E.S., l'un des premiers groupes de filles de K-pop et le premier groupe de filles de SM, inspira plus tard de nombreux autres groupes de filles.

Aussi longtemps qu'ils ont été présent dans la scène musicale, il est inévitable que l'héritage de Shinhwa soit une ode à leur popularité. Ce qui est surprenant, cependant, c'est de savoir à quel point l'idole contemporaine et la culture du fan doivent au groupe et à leur fandom, "Shinhwa Changjo". (Le nom signifie "faire une légende", complétant avec justesse le propre nom du groupe signifiant "mythe" ou "légende".)

En 2002, alors qu'il était encore sous la direction de SM, le groupe sortit son sixième album studio, devenant ainsi officiellement l'acteur le plus ancien de la K-pop. Un an plus tard, lors de l'examen de leurs contrats, SM a proposé de renouveler les contrats avec tous les membres, à l'exception du chanteur DongWan. Plutôt que se diviser, Shinhwa a décidé de ne pas renouveler leurs contrats avec SM, et a quitté la compagnie comme une unité, en signant plus tard avec Good Entertainment. Les artistes qui quittent une entreprise pour une autre connaissent souvent une baisse de popularité en tant que tendance tacite de la K-pop. Shinhwa, cependant, est l'un des seuls groupes de K-pop dont les membres ont connu des carrières incroyablement réussies en dépit d'un changement d'entreprise et des enrôlements militaires obligatoires. En fait, leur premier Daesang (ou grand prix), pour le septième album studio Brand New, est arrivé en 2004, presque un an après avoir quitté SM.

Mais ce n'est pas parce qu'ils ont quitté le label qui les a formés que Shinhwa s'est complètement détachée de SM. En 2013, le membre Min Woo regardait affectueusement son temps à SM, en disant: "[Fondateur] Lee Soo Man est vraiment une personne incroyable. Des coiffures de chaque membre à tout ce que nous avons fait sur scène, il a pris soin de nous méticuleusement. Il avait l'habitude de nous parler de tout et de rien. "

Suite à leurs engagements militaires obligatoires, Shinhwa est devenu le premier groupe K-pop à établir sa propre compagnie en 2011. Pendant un certain temps, le groupe a été engagé dans une bataille juridique avec SM Entertainment et Joon Media (anciennement Open World Entertainment) pour l'utilisation du nom 'Shinhwa'. L'affaire a toutefois été réglée en 2015, et Shinhwa Company (qui avait été surnommée ShinCom pour la durée de l'affaire) a revu le jour.

Shinhwa était aussi l'un des premiers faiseurs de tendances dans l'industrie en termes de contrôle musical. Alors que leur licence créative était limitée sous SM, les membres ont activement participé à la production de leurs albums après leur départ. À ce moment-là, la plupart des membres avaient sorti de la musique en solo et trouvé leur style personnel. Le résultat a été une combinaison éclectique de sons sur les futurs albums, faisant d'eux un groupe vraiment polyvalent.

Ce n'est pas seulement leur musique et leur esprit d'équipe exceptionnel qui distinguent Shinhwa: le groupe est le premier dans l'industrie à sortir du style traditionnel de l'époque. Quand une grande partie de K-pop se concentrait sur des jeans skinny à la mode et des couleurs vives (Shinee "replay" era), Shinhwa adoptait un style beaucoup plus sophistiqué avec des costards et des cheveux coupés courts.

Shinhwa Changjo, le fandom dévoué de Shinhwa, était également inhabituel et, honnêtement, qui était le fandom modèle avant même que le terme ne devienne courant. Shinhwa Changjo est connu pour avoir lancé la populaire tendance des couronnes de riz - c'était le fandom du membre Hye Sung qui avait envoyé des couronnes de riz pour soutenir son concert solo en 2007. Le fandom de Shinhwa était aussi le premier à avoir planté des forêts pour soutenir leurs idoles.

LA FABRICATION DE LÉGENDES

Une partie de la raison pour laquelle Shinhwa reste un acteur révolutionnaire de la K-pop est, comme l'atteste The Atlantic, leur «conscience de soi intelligente». Dans une industrie parfois trop pleine pour de nouveaux actes, Shinhwa a choisi d'évoluer et de mûrir dans leur propre ligne de temps, de trouver un équilibre attrayant entre l'âge et les tendances. Le résultat ? Spectacles de variétés hilarants et apparences où les membres n'ont pas hésité à se moquer d'eux-mêmes, tout cela étant surmonté par l'attitude très diabolique et rafraîchissante des années passées dans l'industrie (je ne serai jamais capable d'entendre les mots "Est-ce que tu sens quelque chose qui brûle ?" sans rire.)

En fait, en dépit de leur ancienneté dans l'industrie, Shinhwa n'a jamais connu de retenu avec l'âge: le groupe a embrassé la fin de la trentaine avec ferveur et humour, allant même jusqu'à admettre qu'avoir une “bataille d'endurance avec des jeunes groupes” est inutile. Maintenant qu'ils n'ont pas «l'arme de la jeunesse», ils se sont concentrés sur des charmes qui correspondent à leur âge. Il y a l'émission insolente de SNL Korea où les membres s'habillent comme des expositions dans un musée - seulement les expositions sont eux-mêmes plus jeunes d'il y a dix ans - avec des visiteurs qui se tiennent debout, confus au sujet de qui ils sont supposés être. Il y a le sketch sarcastique "Idol Retirement Insurance Plan", où les membres ont vendu des plans d'assurance à des idoles dans le climax de leur carrière qui incluaient des fans obsessionnels pour les traquer et les faire se sentir jeunes. Ou, si vous avez besoin d'autre chose, voici la tristement célèbre émission "Farting Chorus" - c'est exactement ce que ça donne.

C'est probablement la partie la plus attachante de Shinhwa - avec le passage du temps, ils ont fait leurs propres interprétations de ce qu'ils étaient censés être, en tant qu'individus et en tant que groupe, et ont modelé les attentes pour les adapter à eux même et non à l'inverse s'adapter aux attentes. En tant que groupe, cela fait que les gens arrivent à s'identifier Ils n'hésitent jamais à partager à la fois leurs réussites et leurs luttes - les membres ont toujours parlé ouvertement des arguments entre eux, mais ils ont aussi été prompts à admettre que leurs longs liens ont facilité le travail en équipe. Dans une récente interview au sujet de leur 13ème album studio, le membre Jun Jin a mis le sentiment en mots: "Si ce n'était pas pour Shinhwa, Jun Jin n'existerait pas."

Ce n'est pas seulement le merveilleux travail d'équipe; c'est aussi le fait que Shinhwa n'a jamais été un groupe qui minimise leurs préoccupations, à la fois en tant qu'artistes et hommes d'affaires. Le chef de groupe Eric a exprimé son inquiétude de travailler dans une industrie où Shinhwa est l'un des seuls groupes de la première génération: «Nous n'avons pas de modèles, nulle part pour obtenir des conseils. Je pense que nous devons nous saisir de notre orientation future alors que nous continuons à travailler. »

Ils n'ont jamais hésité à accepter les inquiétudes concernant leur entreprise - Eric a dit un jour comment Shinhwa s'était rendu compte que diriger une entreprise était différent d'être une idole quand ils devaient surveiller combien d'argent ils dépensaient pour les repas. Quelque part sur la ligne, Shinhwa a laissé la peau des idoles et est devenu humain, ce qui les a rapprochés de leurs fans.

En parlant de cela, une partie de la raison pour laquelle ils restent des favoris populaires est aussi leur relation avec leurs fans, qui a toujours été plus comme celle des meilleurs amis se chamaillant et moins comme les interactions typiques de fan-idole. En fait, le groupe n'a jamais hésité à appeler les fans sur leur comportement. Comme une histoire sur leur premier session d'autographe, Dong Wan a dit aux fans que "Shinhwa n'est certainement pas responsable de votre vie." Il a reçu des critiques pour cela, mais Dong Wan s'est défendu, disant que « l'amour des fans est parfois hors des limites du raisonnable ». C'était un exemple de la maturité de Shinhwa depuis ses débuts, ne se souciant pas de fanservice gratuit et d'établir une relation de confiance mutuelle avec leurs fans.

La K-pop est une industrie éphémère: chaque éclat de gloire et d'omniprésence est suivi d'un plateau où de nouveaux groupes entrent et prennent le relais, et les fandoms sont hérités à travers les générations. Pourtant, Shinhwa est l'un des seuls groupes de la première génération de K-pop à non seulement continuer à faire de la musique, mais à être aimé par les fans et l'industrie. Ils restent parmi les groupes pour lesquels le mot «révolutionnaire» sonne tout à fait vrai en raison de leur acceptation des temps changeants; à cause de leur humour désapprobateur et brillant; et, plus important encore, en raison de leur détermination à toujours être un groupe pour eux-mêmes et leurs fans. Ils ne se prennent jamais très au sérieux, et c'est ce qui les rend si attachants. Si vous débutez avec Shinhwa, regardez le remake de leur clip, "All Your Dreams", qui a été publié à l'occasion du 20ème anniversaire de leur premier album.

SHINHWA ALL YOUR DREAMS (2018) MV

[vskpop]

June 2017 ⋅  Critical Cute Concept

As If It's Your Last - BLACKPINK

In the last few weeks, I’ve been fascinated by k-pop fans’ obsession with finding similarities between Blackpink and 2NE1. I was particularly struck by the huge deal made about the fact that As If It’s Your Last is not a new song, as if songs weren’t composed and left there until the right person comes along since the beginning of time (and as if all Teddy songs didn’t have elements in common).

Just to make one example, Russian Roulette had been doing the rounds at SM since before Red Velvet even debuted, but I didn’t see anyone reacting with outrage to this, even though the song might well have been for f(x) for all we know. I am seriously shocked by the amount of energy that the k-pop fandom is putting into trying to take Blackpink down, as if that even made any difference in their favourites’ career.

That said, before the comeback actually happened, I had one real problem with it: the fact that it would be a single digital release. Blackpink have never been generous with their releases: they only put out two couples of songs so far, with no b-sides. I’m not sure why they would waste a perfectly good song and delay their “actual” comeback (and a physical release) even more.

All in all, I think it still worked out well for them. Even though it is just one song, it’s clear that YG is not doing things cheaply (despite people finding problems with the MV as well, of course): each member has seven or eight changes in the video, there are a thousand sets, everything is lusciously designed and studied down to the last detail.

As If It's Your Last is the limit of how many mismatched sections I can take; it switches quite jarringly from the head-spinning bass of the verse to the slower pre-chorus to the super-pop chorus to Lisa’s intense rap section (which is also, quite confusingly, entirely in English). It could have done with being a bit more cohesive, but with more listens, the haphazard structure of the song is drowned by how catchy it is.

Before the song was released, it was described as the first “pink” release from them, as opposed to the “black” of the previous edgier songs. I think that they made a seamless transition between their signature style and this colourful, more joyous version of themselves. They are cute, but not saccharine, “innocent”, baby-voice-y.

I’m waiting for Blackpink to do something I hate, but for now, I will keep following them as if they’re my last love (get it?).

Kwon Ji Yong - G-Dragon

 June has been a terrible month for Big Bang fans.

 The short story for people who have been living under a rock is that T.O.P was charged with smoking marijuana (a criminal offence in South Korea), expelled from the police where he was serving his military service, he overdosed on anxiety medication, was unconscious for a couple of days, then recovered and was moved to a mental health unit, then was tried and sentenced to two years of probation with ten months in prison if he breaks the terms.

 In the midst of this, G-Dragon had announced his comeback and had to go through with it because he was about to start a tour with 30+ announced dates, which would have been pretty complicated to cancel.

 I don’t think it’s necessary to explain that, like anything put out by G-Dragon, it’s a masterpiece. As usual, it has very little to do with what people expect when they talk about k-pop, and I would argue it doesn’t have a lot to do with pop in general.

 To me (and to him, considering the title is his real name) this is the definitive G-Dragon album. Even if he didn’t put out anything else, this would complete and explain his oeuvre. Each of the songs captures a particular time and feel of his career, and he has space to examine his public life, his persona, and his personal struggles. This comment on Reddit really explains the trajectory and the meaning of the album and I don’t think there is a lot to add.

Ceremony - Pentagon

I love everything that Cube is doing with Pentagon right now. Fresh from the good run of Hui and E’Dawn in Triple H, as well as the stellar success of the song that Hui penned for Produce 101 Never, Pentagon have a lot going for them right now.

 In a sea of tropical house (drink!), they reference Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock and find their voice with a hooky chorus and an image built around being ironic instead of trying to be edgy at all costs (which, granted, they had tried to do before).

 The costuming of this comeback deserves an honourable mention: they have been wearing some extraordinary suits on stage, and they are always tailored perfectly. Some favourites: M Countdown on 15/06, Music Bank on 23/06, Inkigayo on 25/06, Music Core on 01/07.

 I have especially come to appreciate the fact that the members of Pentagon have different enough physical builds (some tall, some short, some bulky, some skinny) to never look like a shapeless mass of people even though there are ten members. Each of them gets a moment to shine on stage, which is not always the case when a group a lot of members. I don’t like big groups, but this one just works.

Cherry Bomb - NCT 127

I have a long history of loving NCT despite the mess of their structure, but why do they always look so unhappy and try-hard on stage? I can’t find a single performance where they seem to be enjoying what they are doing.

While I appreciate that they are trying to be edgy and experimental - something k-pop always needs more of - I feel that they missed the mark with Cherry Bomb. The dissonant voices, the distortion, the intense bass, the mismatched sections are too much to work as a pop product this time.

The repetition of various sentences (“I’m the biggest hit on the stage”, “빨리빨리 피해 right / Cherry bomb feel it yum”) in Cherry Bomb makes up for almost the entirety of the song, which gets really obnoxious really quickly. I found “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands” funny the first five times, then I was tired of it.

Differently from Cube with Pentagon, SM just can’t seem to find a song that gives space to every member of the group. Johnny and Haechan are basically invisible in the performance; WinWin and Yuta get to mouth to some of Taeyong’s lines, without actually singing any of them.

Once again, the rest of the album is quite good, but sounds like they were given the scraps of other groups (especially SHINee, in this case). What’s important to note is that literally any song would have been a catchier single than Cherry Bomb (full disclosure: they’ve still sold like 70,000 physical copies).

Archangels of the Sephiroth - Stellar

 I ended up sort-of following Stellar because they were someone else’s unfortunate favourite - that group that’s always on the edge of disbanding or worse, wallowing in their trainee debt until the end of time.

Archangels of the Sephiroth is a sharp turn from their previous concepts; they have added a new member, and to celebrate this they have gone down the fantasy/dark route with a music video in which they literally drown the new girl in a bathtub full of blood.

I don’t know why I’m so excited by the pseudo-satanic concept, but I love it and I love their new song. I like the intensity, the sort-of-mystical vibe, the shouty chorus, the big drums. I’m not so enthusiastic about the weird use of the Kabbalah they made in the insane additional material/game/alternate universe for the comeback (I was sure it was a Final Fantasy reference, oops), but I don’t have the instruments to understand how bad it is, so if you do, let me know. 

It’s bizarre to consider the title track Archangels of the Sephiroth in the context of the mini-album; the rest of the songs definitely belong to the “old” Stellar vibe, and most of them could have been good lead singles without the witchcraft.

  RAPID FIRE ROUND  

Stroke - Gummy

Whether Gummy qualifies as k-pop is part of a larger debate on what the label actually means, but this is hands down my favourite album of the month, so I will put it here anyway because I want to. Don’t miss Stop Talking and Room Service.

Shine Forever - Monsta X

Is this at all meant to be a conclusion to the story Monsta X started with All In (aka the song that got me into Monsta X)? Who managed to give some decent hair to Jooheon for the first time in his entire career? “I’m fascinated by the bright light of your beauty”?

Jinsoul - Loona

 I’ve been following Loona very very closely since the beginning of their debut project and I’ve been loving almost all of their releases (my favourites are still Heejin and Haseul). This second sub-unit of the final group has been receiving much more interest than any of the first five girls ever did, and I have to admit that I have fallen for Jinsoul’s future bass track Singin’ In The Rain. I’m curious to see how she and the other “girl crush” members will fit with the “innocent” ones ... in a year or so.

 MORE SONGS OF NOTE

I Smile - Day6

Finally - Mamamoo

Never and Hands on Me - Produce 101

What’s My Name? and Diamond - T-ara

Happy and Babyface - WJSN

STRAYS

Dreamcatcher save the day once more with their amazing rock covers:

iKON’s Bobby on King of the Mask Singer. His singing voice is incredible:

Is there anything better than Taemin’s Japanese releases? I don’t think so.

Day6 cover a bunch of Twice songs:

Kings of everything Seventeen on Immortal Songs: