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isitthemoon · 9 months

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✧ Musical Thoughts & Opinions ✧

Discography Review - The Boyz

This post involves me stating my personal opinions and thoughts while listening to the artist's discography, separated by era/release and pointing out my favorite song from each release. At the end of each section I'll give a score based on my enjoyment of the release as a whole, as well as a final score for the entire discography.

This is not an introduction to the artist, these are just my opinions posted on the internet for fun and should not be taken seriously.

Disclaimers and Rating System

The Boyz Edition: official korean and japanese discographies are included.

OSTs and Special Singles are not included.

Word Count: 3218

Originally posted on 01/11/23 and 22/11/23 as two separate posts in a sideblog.

A Bit About Me:

Something I do regarding kpop songs, mini albums and full albums is that I mostly listen to title tracks only. I follow about 200 kpop artists (including groups, sub units and soloists) give or take, so I limit myself to the title tracks so it's easier to check out their releases.

Still, I want to listen to all of their discographies, hence why I made this series.

My History With The Boyz:

I've been following them since their debut, actually. So every time they released something, I downloaded the title track. Ironically, I actually only stopped to learn their names in 2021, probably after the release of Drink It and before Thrill-Ing. That's also when Juyeon became my bias.

Thrill-Ing was their first mini album I listened to fully and some of these reviews won't be a first listen, but more of a revisit.

With that said, let's begin.

The First

I remember watching the MV for Boy the first time and then finding out it was released that daykkkk I don't know why but I definitely have a different "bond" with the groups I follow since their debut. It's a different feeling, even if I don't follow them everywhere.

For a debut I think they established themselves pretty good actually. The mini album gives off their style and does a great job at introducing them. Still, it doesn't really "pull me in", even if I think it's neat overall.

My favorite song is Walkin' In Time and looking at the other releases I can definitely see some callbacks to this mini album. I call it 'Classical The Boyz' Style, and when it appears in the newer releases (post Reveal) I think it's a nice nod.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

The Start

Now... I don't know why but I just didn't vibe with this mini album. My theory is that I didn't like it because I think these songs could've been released with their debut. For a first comeback, that's not something I want. I felt like they didn't expand on their style, but stayed on the same lane and speed instead. Maybe it was a smart marketing move, but still one I didn't enjoy.

I don't think it's a bad thing, it's good to have a brand. But for a first comeback I want something a bit more daring, I guess. Still, I don't hate these songs and my favorite is Just U (it does make me happy).

Also believe me when I say it's pretty difficult for me to actually dislike a song.

》 ☆☆ (Two Stars)

The Sphere

I have no idea what people say about this mini album but I WILL defend it at all costs. No one touch it. Keeper is my baby. This song gives me immense joy. There is not a sad day with this mini album. It has the energy, the style, the fun, the loveable vibes. No one will ruin this song for me.

Besides Keeper, I do think the three songs are great as a whole, even if I don't listen to the other two as much. Also Right Here was more captivating than Giddy Up for me (I will ALSO defend Giddy Up at all costs, don't try me).

As a final thought, if you hate Keeper, I'm sorry that you're not happy :(

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

The Only

This mini album gave us No Air, which in itself is a win. However, the other songs didn't grab my attention, and in this case, the title track won't raise the overall score.

With that said, this is the kind of album that I think of on rainy days and set aside a specific time to listen to it on its own. No Air still is my favorite song from this release.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Bloom Bloom

If you hate Bloom Bloom, I'm sorry that you're not happy :(

It was their first win FOR A REASON! The only people allowed to hate this song are The Boyz themselves, and even them won't escape it for the rest of their lives. If this song has one fan, it's me. If this song has no fans, it's because I'm no longer in this world.

Unfortunately, the title track won't raise the overall score, since Butterfly is not a song I usually go to and Clover is too cheesy for me. It will, however, earn this release our very first Moon Badge. Bloom Bloom is THAT song.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Dreamlike

Now... *breathes deeply* Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, Amazing, Showstopping, Spectacular, Never The Same, Totally Unique, Completely Not Ever Been Done Before, Unafraid To Reference Or Not Reference, Put It In A Blender, Shit On It, Vomit On It, Eat It, Give Birth To It.

If there's one thing The Boyz can do no wrong in, is in a Summer Comeback. This mini album is everything I need and more. The songs perfectly fit with one another. I even dare to say it has the best opening (Water) AND ending (Daydream) songs from their entire discography.

Dreamlike is the mother I never had. She is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don't know a better person.

This release gave us Water which is easily my favorite The Boyz song of all time. It gave us D.D.D which is just absolute fun. It gave us Juyeon singing a chorus. It gave us a dance break. The aesthetic, the MV. This is easily one of my favorite The Boyz's releases. It altered my brain chemistry. Dreamlike is THAT girl.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Tattoo

I remember being so confused with this release: I saw the MV but then realised they weren't promoting it anywhere? And then found out it was their Japanese debut??? But then the song was in KOREAN?????

I didn't listen to this song after 2018, and now with the first listen of the album, I can't say I missed *that* much. HOWEVER! This era gave us Stupid Sorry, which is my favorite japanese release from them. And it's also one of my favorite b-sides from their discography as a whole.

Still, one song won't raise the rating. l think the album is nice, though.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Reveal

Now... *sighs* Yes I was one of the people that didn't like the concept change. It just wasn't it for me. Especially because this was their first korean release right after BLOOM BLOOM and D.D.D which is already established that I love them.

I wouldn't say I was disappointed... or maybe I was. At the time I didn't know this was their first full album. I still thought the song was nice. I only listened to the album as a whole this year.

I'll also reveal (see what I did there?) some details on how my opinions have changed with the Chase section.

It's a good album, sure. My favorite song is Shake You Down because my girl Kenzie would never disappoint me. Also Kenzie and Moonshine on the same song in itself is a win. This album also gave us Goodbye and Spring Snow, which is nice. The other songs didn't catch my eye.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Chase

Now here, ladies and gentlemen and fellow non-binary folk, is how you make a successful concept. I think one of the let-downs of Reveal for me was that it didn't stick out to me because it was just a "dark" concept.

For a long time, actually, I liked Reveal more than The Stealer due to the chanting in the chorus (which is one of my pet peeves in songs). I only started liking The Stealer last year. And after listening to Chase as a whole, I look at my past self and think "How on EARTH did you think that Reveal was better than Chase?"

This era has the concept, the songs, the execution, the choreography, the storyline. It defeated Reveal in every aspect for me. I'm so sorry to the Reveal enjoyers who might be reading this (i'm sorry yumi), your tastes are still valid.

My favorite song is Shine Shine because MY GIRL KENZIE NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!! She also wrote the lyrics to The Stealer which is just the cherry on top.

All of this is still ironic considering that I disliked this era for two whole years.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Breaking Dawn

I don't think there's a lot I'll be able to say about this era. I don't have any strong opinions about it besides not liking Breaking Dawn (the song) and having nightmares about the MISBHV shirt (please... i'm exhausted... someone burn this shirt... I see it everywhere....)

My favorite song is Hush which is not exactly saying a lot. In this album's defense, I don't give much attention to their japanese releases as a whole.

》 ☆☆ (Two Stars)

Drink It

Technically speaking Special Singles don't count in this review, but...

THIS IS A PLEAD FOR THE BOYZ TO PLEASE PERFORM THIS SONG LIVE, THE UNIVERSE APP AND COMPANY CAN JUST SCREW OFF, GIVE US THE SONG AGAIN 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

》 ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆~ (ALL the Stars, please perform this song live, I'm begging 😭😭😭😭😭😭)

Thrill-Ing

As I said before, this was the first mini album of The Boyz I heard in full. As I also said before, The Boyz simply know how to make a good summer comeback.

The concept photos? The MV? The songs? The aesthetic? The outfits? They slayed, your honor. This mini album is cohesive in everything it does. It was also the first comeback with me actually knowing all their names and following the teaser schedule.

The only song I didn't like at first was Dancing 'Til We Drop. Nowadays, I can enjoy it. It's still the last in my ranking from this release, but now I don't hate it. My number one slot is forever occupied by Bet On You.

As a closing thought, I'll say this: I really do like Merry Bad Ending, but that song is overrated.

》 ☆☆☆☆☆ (Five Stars) + 🌙 (Moon Badge)

Maverick

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I think the let-down of it all was worse because this was 2 months after Thrill-Ing. You gave us the best summer comeback of the year and then released this song with chanting in the chorus and lyrics that don't make a lot of sense??

I did learn to appreciate the pre-chorus but that's about it. Safe to say I'm not the biggest fan of Maverick the song. The other two songs didn't capture me enough to give it three stars. It's just not my cup of tea and not the kind of style I like from The Boyz.

With that said, It's funny that I'm going off about this release on its 2 year anniversary. Happy Birthday Maverick!

》 ☆☆ (Two Stars)

She's The Boss

I don't know what it is with their japanese releases that just confuse me. When I listen to this song I don't like the way the verse is all aggressive and the chorus gets kinda chill.

Besides the title track, this release didn't stick out to me, even among the japanese comebacks. My favorite song is Why Why Why, which is not saying a lot. I did like the aesthetic of the title track MV and concept pictures.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Be Aware

This comeback... was.... something... yeah. It really was something. Definitely one of the releases of all time.

Besides the Eric hiatus, this era didn't feel quite right to me. Whisper felt like it was a Thrill Ride 2.0 that went wrong. It's definitely not for me. I do think it's funny that The Boyz seem to ignore this song too.

For the mini album as a whole... I don't hate the songs but I'd rather listen to their other releases. I think this is just out of spite because I don't like Whisper. My favorite song from here is Timeless.

》 ☆☆ (Two Stars)

Be Awake

Now, if they had Roar ready even before they released Whisper... then why did they even release Whisper????

I know that it's supposed to be some kind of Duology, I guess? But I don't see a lot of connections besides thinking that Blah Blah could be a Be Aware b-side.

Now, if you followed me when this was released you would know that I didn't like it at first. I had to listen to it like 10 times before liking it. I'm still glad I did because now I really appreciate the song. The MV is a masterpiece. And Kenzie wrote the lyrics, which is always a nice touch.

As for the rest of the mini album, I think the songs go great together. For someone who "doesn't like" The Boyz darker concepts, this was a nice surprise. My favorite song is Horizon.

As a final thought, I think IST should hire me to do their line distributions, I'm 100% sure I would be able to make a fair line distribution according to their voice timbrers and vocal technique levels. Please let Juyeon and Haknyeon sing more, I love their voices so much 😭😭😭😭😭

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Delicious

This was... a bit of a whiplash experience because there were like four different types of songs?? Every two songs it felt like the vibe changed. It didn't make me dislike them, though. It was just a bit of a shock.

With that said, my favorite song is Lip Sync. I literally listened to it today before writing this, so I don't have much to say about this album.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Christmas In August

Say it with me: THE 👏 BOYZ 👏 KNOW 👏 HOW 👏 TO 👏 MAKE 👏 A 👏 GOOD 👏 SUMMER 👏 COMEBACK 👏.

Like, I don't know how they do it. They simply kill it every time. Dreamlike, Thrill-Ing and Christmas In August is THE Holy Trinity for me. If you don't like it, I'm sorry you don't know how to have fun :(

Jokes aside, when I first listened to this album, I pratically liked all the songs. I did get a bit disappointed by Fantasize because I thought it would have a more energetic chorus. But girl (gender neutral), when I listened to Fire Eyes...

When I tell you I jumped from my bed and started dancing and flailing around my arms and legs, you best believe me because that's exactly what it happened. This song is everything I wanted and more. It solidified this album as a favorite for me.

This album is just really good overall. Ugh I love it, I really do. Unfortunately it didn't quite get the five stars because not all the songs are my absolute favorites (including Lip Gloss, I'm so sorry my dear). With time it'll probably evolve into a Five-Star, but for now this is all I can offer.

As a final thought, I don't know why they decided to call it a Second Full Album divided in three parts?? Like, just say it's three mini albums? Especially if the concepts are gonna be different? Also if it doesn't reach the 30-minute mark, it's not a full album. But maybe it's just a me thing.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Sixth Sense

First, the marketing leading up to this release left me SO nervous and desperately hoping that we woudn't get a Maverick 2.0. I'm a lot more "forgiving" on the b-sides, but given the fact that The Boyz's members were talking about "bad boy" concept (and not the Red Velvet kind)... yeah, you can say I was at least a bit nervous, since I already said that I'm not the biggest fan of The Boyz's "darker" concepts.

As for the title track itself, Watch It is NOT a Maverick 2.0 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏. It's definitely not my favorite title track of them and I really prefer Roar to this, but it's also NOT my most disliked song! And for me, that's both a relief and a good thing to say, because I actually had some enjoyment listening to the song, although it didn't quite get past the "nice" territory.

I was scared it would be an anti-drop (which I'm tired of), but since there was no percussion on the first pre-chorus, there was no tension or buildup to resolve. However, on the second pre-chorus we had a bit more buildup, and I was a bit disappointed (but not really surprised) that the second chorus didn't add anything else beside an extra synth layer. I think I would've liked it better if there was more energy, in a similar way to You Calling My Name by GOT7, to give an example.

Also, on the end of the bridge there was a tempo change leading to the high note?? Out of nowhere???? And I can't believe they DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY. They went back to the chorus. With an extra synth layer. No change in the percussion. That didn't make me disappointed, it made me sad 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. It could've been SO much more, they could've gone full Silent Night by Dreamcatcher, and I would've loved EVERY SECOND.

As for the rest of the album... why didn't they make Bad Luck the title track 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭, like yeah, I can see why Watch It is the title track, considering their marketing strategy, but I liked Bad Luck so much more... It has a break of expectation and it's so much more dynamic in my opinion. Crying&Laughter is my second favorite and honestly this track name just sums me up so well.

The mini album is really cohesive (and I love using the word cohesive) and you can definitely (another word I love using) see the vision they had for this release. Unfortunately, it's not a vision that I particularly enjoyed. So, this album is gonna have to go into a pretty familiar category: It's Nice But That's About It.

As a final thought, I'm gonna say this again: why are you gonna release 6 songs at a time with entire different concepts and call it a Full Album? Just say it's three mini albums or release a complete Full Album, please.

》 ☆☆☆ (Three Stars)

Final Scoring

As a whole, I almost rated this discography as three stars only, but after thinking a bit, even if I don't listen to every song (or most of them, at least), the ones I love and that I consider my favorites are enough to raise the score as whole. I may not love all the songs, but the ones I do, I love them with all my heart and they'll always be a special memory.

》 ☆☆☆☆ (Four Stars)

Final Thoughts

Again, I wanna say this was just for fun. I wanted to document my "process" as I navigate through my favorite artists' careers and maybe find a new perspective. I consider listening to music as my personal hobby, and so I wanted a fun way for me to do it.

I hope that those who read everything search a bit about The Boyz and their songs, if you haven't already ^^

Until the next post and happy listening 💜✨️

~ Gio🌙

#🌙 gio talks #🌙 mto #🌙 discography review #the boyz

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a-moth-to-the-light · 1 year

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Summer of K-pop Tag, 28-31

[introduction/full list of questions]

Felt terrible yesterday, but we're doing a bit better this morning :) Listening to the new Itzy album really cheered me up, I think! "Cake" definitely could have been better--like damn it could have been a "Yeppi Yeppi" if the production hadn't been so amateur-sounding--but I'm used to liking the group's b-sides a lot more, anyway, and the album didn't disappoint. The NewJeans style on "None of My Business" suits them really well, for one!

Also, currently trying to decide if I should reread Heartstopper before I watch S2??

Current Obsessions:

Psychic Lover -- Itzy (i never get tired of rock itzy!)

Kill Shot -- Itzy (oh my GOD this would be a perfect song, if only they didn't keep saying "swish swish")

Más Lejos -- Atalhos (i wish my life was the kind of movie that this song would be in the soundtrack for)

Coming of Age -- Maisie Peters (no but this would be so fun at karaoke???)

Dance the Night -- Dua Lipa (if you get it, you get it--and are also probably a huge betty who fan)

Blame it on Me -- Twice (they can SING.)

Turn it Up -- Twice (was stuck in my head all weekend)

Cool About It -- Boygenius (also stuck in my head all weekend)

Questions of the Day: what do you think of mamamoo’s “egotistic"? do you still listen to it?

This was one of the songs that got me into k-pop!! I remember the way, when I was first obsessed with "Egotistic" in 2020, I would find myself dancing along to it without even trying to--at that point, I struggled with feeling very disconnected from my body, so being able to just lose myself in dancing, to feel so completely in tune with my physical self, was huge for me. And I get why my younger self chose this one to dance to--Mamamoo sing the hell out of "Egotistic", somehow sounding even better than my (already high) expectations for them, and you really can't lose with a dembow beat!

I don't listen to "Egotistic" much anymore, though I still enjoy it when I do--I think it's just been replaced for me by Mamamoo's calmer tracks, like "Emotion" and "Self Camera" and Hwa Sa's "Bless U". I still have a taste for high-energy dance music, but I'm not as obsessed with the style as I used to be!

what’s your favorite song from thrill-ing by the boyz?

"Nightmares". I don't really like when this album tries to be ironic, as if the members are laughing at the songs as they perform them--some groups can make that work, but I'm not sure The Boyz can. I just end up feeling like, why am I listening to this song, if you don't even care about it? In contrast to the title track, then, I like that "Nightmares" feels genuine in its silly moments. It doesn't feel like someone is on the other side of the screen, holding up a sign that says "laugh! this is a joke". Instead, it feels like it's primarily meant to be a nice-sounding song (the vocals are awesome!), with some jokes hidden in there to reward repeat listens.

what’s your favorite song with the word ‘summer’ in the title?

"Our Summer" by TXT. It's such a sweet, tender song, and that wholesomeness has secured it a special place in my heart for years now!

what’s your favorite song released this month?

"Shhh" by Kiss of Life! This is such a perfect match of song and performers--I can hear so much confidence in every second of "Shhh", and that just makes me want to listen to it again and again!

what’s your favorite question from this challenge?

The summer memory one! Songs and memories have always intersected a lot for me, but while brainstorming for that question, it was kind of wild to realize just how clear of an image a song can bring to my mind--I'm someone who doesn't remember things very clearly, especially not visually, but I guess music is a better memory aid for me than I had realized!

#WHOOO I DID IT I DID THIS TAG THING #i can cross it off my summer bucket list!#thank you to everyone who checked out these posts :)#i'll post my most-listened of the month in a bit #summer of kpop 2023 #mamamoo #the boyz #txt #kiss of life

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sunuism · 2 years

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the boyz 🆘️

boyiez lets go

📥 send me a kpop group & i'll answer:

✦ my first bias: juyeon ✦ my current bias(es): sunwoo :3 ✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each) it says ranking so my top 3, i only have these bc i was there for them... cant speak for anything pre-2020 1. chase/the stealer 2. thrill-ing/thrill ride 3. maverick ✦ how i got into them: saw gen z identity film on twitter and it was over for me ✦ which member would be my best friend: choi chanhee ✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member): i associate literally anything with sunwoo its not even a joke; raccoons, curly dogs, cherries, soccer, batdz maru, neoguri ramyeon, mcdonalds..... someone pls save me

#thsnks lol #ask #kee per

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virtuangel · 2 years

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vity and tbz?!

hi bibi <3 (it got long so. it goes under the cut)

crabs

first bias: serim (& jungmo)

current bias: woobin / wonjin / jungmo / serim

album ranking: season 2 (hideout: the new day we step into) > liberty: in our cosmos = new wave > season 3 (hideout: be our voice) = season 1 (hideout: remember who we are) > the awakening: written in the stars (> vivid > boogie woogie)

how i got into them: i was interested when i heard they were going to debut bc. it's always exciting to see new groups debuting i think (nd partially because of the pdx/x1 guys but like not Really bc . i didnt rlly remember that i liked them during pdx AND i didnt like mini/hyeongjun when x1 was. a thing) + brina was posting abt them when the teaser pics were coming out nd all that so they were on the dash for me to see y'know. then batr came out and i hated it so i thought that's where my adventure w the cavities was done but after a while i finally listened to the rest of the album AND STAY WAS THE BEST SONG IVE EVER HEARD............i listened to Only her on loop for like DAYS . n here we are now

which member would be my best friend: id pester mini until he agrees to be friends w me . also wanji !! best friend energy off the charts

something i associate with them: crabs. cavities. brina & eri. the phrase brand deals bc of how many times ive said that mini deserves all the brand deals in the world. bubblegum w hyeongjun. orangeade & sewoon songs with wanji. pitbull (dont ask). randall the lizard thing w jungmo (this is brina's fault blame her). meteors, honestly.

bring the boyz back

first bias: haknyeon (& hyunjun)

current bias: ?????? (chanhee/sunwoo/hyunjae)

album ranking: reveal = breaking dawn > the start = chase > maverick => the sphere = dreamlike > the first = thrill-ing > the only > tattoo = be aware > bloom bloom (= last man standing = all about you > christmassy! => drink it > white) + still haven't heard the she's the boss album oops..... as u can see. very different from my title track ranking

how i got into them: see it's a long, long, long story........ was really excited when they were rumoured to have their little snack shop show/be debuting because i liked hak from broduce. i made another twt account just specifically for the to-be-tbz stanning purposes. saw hwall fantakens n i was like Oh Whos that. nd then suddenly i stopped going on that account n kinda forgot? abt them? i would listen to every release they'd put out but without much more bc as much as i LOVED boy. song of the century. i absolutely hated giddy up so i was like well too bad :/ rip my interest in them :/ and i think i disliked right here at first as well (i love her now. shes my beloved.) but i was absolutely INSANE about no air shes the best song ever i've been in love with her from the first second i heard her. so i ended up watching the showcase stage n someone caught my eye (i ended up finding out it was hak which was rlly funny it was a . destiny kinda moment). i think it was around that time that i saw their right here era weekly idol appearance. got a small crush on sunwoo. but then nothing much more happened rlly? i still kept watching their mvs whenever they'd release one and i Was a p big fan of their music!! and . i must have seen some more content at Some point before rtk because i remember already having a better idea of who each of them were before rtk started but. it was rlly during rtk that i rlly got Into them . but like . Rlly into them like . the amount of vlives i watched in the span of a few months (while rtk was airing, even though i wasn't watching the actual show, only the performances, and for a while after it ended im p sure)......yeah

which member would be my best friend: chanhee bestie shaped.... also possibly moonbae . or hyunjae/eric

something i associate with them: betrayal plotlines. flower emojis (esp in spam format). horses & pigs w hak. pink hair, chanhee's natural haircolour. big pools during summertime. winter releases (they probably have the best ones overall all things considered). sorry to taemin but danger is their song. also u w kyu & léks w cob & sarah w eric

#thamk u for asking bibibibibi <3 #also this is neither here nor there but we should all consider figure skater!chanhee. and we could also think about sneakers sunwoo . think #think abt it . thanks <3

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