woorikworld

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

(G) I•DLE's main vocalist, Mihyeon, released the single "Dreaming Of You" on February 19 as part 6 of webdrama "Replay | 리플레이."

I'm a big (G)I•DLE fan, but I never knew that MiYeon's voice could sound like this! Quite a contrast from what we hear from the group. She totally has the perfect voice for OSTs! So lovely.

The ballad carries the simple message of waiting and dreaming for a loved one, searching for them everywhere, and all-around just missing them.

I believe MiYeon released her first solo track last year, also an OST, but for a different drama. That makes "Dreaming of You" her second solo song. I wonder if she will make an official solo debut soon?

Don't miss new episodes of "Replay" uploaded every Tuesday and Friday at 7 PM KST through their official YouTube Channel, "LIKE THAT."

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

Part 7 for JTBC's "She Would Never Know | 선배, 그 립스틱 바르지마요," which features BEN's talented vocals, was released on February 22nd.  

The single, "Leave Me | 떠나요," is about knowing love is over and the difficult task that is ending the relationship due to regret and lingering feelings.

The drama is about a romance that started between two characters without even realizing it.  

"She Would Never Know" airs every Monday and Tuesday on JTBC at 9 PM KST.

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

BTOB member, Seo EunKwang, released the single "Leaving You | 너를 떠나" on February 23 as part.1 of the soundtrack for webtoon "Tomb Raider King | 도굴왕."

"Leaving You" is the main character Seo JooHeon's theme.  It depicts his human side and expresses the sense of loss and longing he experienced after losing his family before returning to life.  

Tomb Raider King is a Korean webtoon where ancient Gods' tombs began to appear around the world, each containing a special relic.  Whoever possesses any of these relics will either wield their legendary powers or find themselves enslaved to them. One day, a Tomb Raider determined to collect every relic for himself emerged--the Tomb Raider King.  

"Tomb Raider King" is a KakaoPage webtoon by Yoonz, sanjijiksong, and 3B2S.  The official English version is available on Tapas.

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

BTOB's Seo EunKwang adds a waterfall of emotions with his voice to the webdrama "Replay | 리플레이," released on February 16  The song is a story about a breakup and the one-sided love that remains on the partner who didn't want to let go.

The webdrama is a story about a group of high school friends who get together to form a band.  Soon after, a new project within the band begins to take place: romance.  Will the band survive the threatening problems that usually come with relationships?

Replay airs every Tuesday and Friday at 7PM on the official YouTube Channel "LIKE THAT."

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

On January 19, indie artist Motte released the song "Distance | 한 뼘" as part 12 of the soundtrack from Netflix's "Lovestruck in the City | 도시남녀의 사랑방."

This song and video made me super happy. Just Motte's sweet ice cream voice instantly changed my mood even after a long day of work. The lyrics talk about being so secretly in love with someone, and you try to keep your distance for fear of being found out.

The drama recently concluded, so binging is now available at full speed. Find it on Netflix!

And remember: don't stand too close to your crush! They might hear your heart pounding.

[woorikworld]

[#FridayFlicks]

On Monday, I shared Gaho's new single, "THE," which features LUNARSOLAR's Jian.  The song is being used currently to promote the upcoming webtoon adaptation, "Are You Leaving?"

The musical fantasy web drama will star SF9's Chani, N.Flying's Lee SeungHyub, LUNARSOLAR's Jian, and actress Park JungYeon as lead character Min YooJung.

The story focuses on three famous musicians--Park Yeon (Chani) and Lee Won (Lee SeungHyub) from the Goreyo era, and Min YooJung, an aspiring KPop star who lives in the present.  

How will people from the past and the present connect with each other?  Read the comic (in Korean) on toomics.com, or wait for the airing of the web drama on Seezn (beginning February 26) or SKY TV (beginning March 5).

[woorikworld]

[#ThrowbackThursday]

I love Suzy.  Her ballads always carry the perfectest emotions for dramas.  

The 2018 single, "I'm In Love With Someone Else | 다른 사람을 사랑하고 있어," is part of Suzy's second mini-album, "Faces of Love."  As the title suggests, the former miss A member's breakup song about the complicated feelings of wanting to leave someone she's no longer in love with but still cares for and doesn't want to hurt, simply because she's in love with someone else.  

Yeah, can't get any more honest than that.  I say it is always better to be honest about these situations.  Being shady about it, cheating, is a thousand times worse than being honest about breaking up because the flame that sparked the relationship is no longer there.  Not saying anything because of fear of hurting someone hurts much worse than honesty.

Have you ever felt this way?

[woorikworld]

Oh...and here I was, thinking only Suzy can hit the feels.

On February 19th, Urban Zakapa vocalist, Jo HyunAh, appeared in KBS's long-running music/talk show "Yoo HeeYeol's Sketchbook" and performed Suzy's 2018 single, "I'm in love with someone else | 다른 사람을 사랑하고 있어."

Jo HyunAh delivered such a heartfelt rendition at Sketchbook’s stage.  I wonder if she's channeling previous emotions of a past experience?

Yikes. Scandalous.

By the way, may I be blunt and say I don't like the blonde on her?  Please go back to any darker or autumn-shade color.  I think it looks more beautiful and makes that smile glow ever so brighter.

What did you think of her version?

[woorikworld]

[#ThrowbackThursday]

Since this week I began talking about "Bimil:ier" (because I really loved it and think the concept is pretty neat), I decided to share the song DAY6 created with the help of fans.

DAY6 were the first artists to feature on "Bimil:ier," an "atelier" where fans "secretly" send their unrequited love stories to help artists finish writing the lyrics to their next single.  Their happy single, "so this is love | 사랑, 이게 맞나 봐봐," is about that exciting flutter we feel by just seeing our crush be happy.  It was first released on January 15, 2021.

You, too, can submit your stories through comments about your unrequited love story.  The next artist to feature in the series is pH-1, so share your stories via YouTube comments because he can't complete the song's hooks without you!

I'm a fan of the series now.  Can't wait for the next episode!

Be on the lookout for new videos every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 PM KST.

[woorikworld]

[#WhateverWednesday]

Take a look at pH-1's latest preview of his upcoming feature on "Bimil:ier."  

Bimil:ier is a Konglish (Korean-English) combination of the words "bimil | 비밀," meaning "secret" in Korean, and "atelier," meaning an artists' workshop or studio.  (Although, really, "atelier" is a French-derived word.)  Fans of the show can "secretly" send in their unrequited love stories to inspire artists to create a song everyone can relate to.

You, too, can submit your stories through comments about your unrequited love story.  pH-1 can't complete the song's hooks without you!

Be on the lookout for new videos every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 PM KST.

[woorikworld]

[#WhateverWednesday]

With Gaho's new single "THE," featuring LUNARSOLAR's Jian, promoting the web drama adaptation of "Are You Leaving? | 가시리잇고," it's only fair that we share the actual webtoon this is coming from.

Unfortunately, there is no translated version of the comic I could find. However, if you're fluent in Korean or just want to test your Korean skills, check out the original webtoon by RanHee and Park SunJae.

“THE” was released on February 14th accompanied by two versions of the music video.

The eight-episode drama is set to air on Seezn on February 26 and on SKY TV on March 5.

[woorikworld]

[#WhateverWednesday]

One-sided love.  짝사랑.  Jjak-sarang.

This is the theme of Kassy's latest single, "Waiting for Spring | 오늘도 난 봄을 기다려," released on February 18.

The single, which is about bottling up feelings for a crush, is part of the YouTube series "bimil:ier | 비밀:리에."  The series focuses on showcasing the creative process artists go through in writing and composing a song while getting inspiration from fans' secret unrequited love stories.  Show followers get to send in their untold love stories anonymously to inspire each featured artist to finish writing a song.

In each 15-minute episode, the artists open their homes and share personal stories with friends and fans. They talk about their hardships endured to get where they are and the everyday stories that inspire them to write beautiful music.

So far, only two artists have featured in the series--DAY6 (Even of Day) and Kassy.  DAY6's single "so this is love | 사랑, 이게 맞나봐," released on January 15, was the first song of the bimil:ier series.

Teasers for pH-1 have already been uploaded to the channel page.  I'm excited to follow his journey to create his next single!

New Bmil:lier videos are uploaded on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7PM KST on their YouTube channel.

Have you experienced one-sided love?

[woorikworld]

[#NewMusicMonday]

Kang Daniel dropped a dark and powerful new single titled "PARANOIA" after six months.  

Released on February 16th, "PARANOIA" depicts the kind of dark thoughts or feelings that loom over us in the darkness of the night alone in our room.  The lyrics, written by @daniel.k.here , express pain, conflict, and anguish--he sheds light on the inner-self that hides deeply behind the surface.

The heavy synths, bass, and electric guitars across the song give it the dark "boom" it has. In the MV, Kang Daniel puts a powerful performance filled with fire and impressive, sexy dance moves.  The fast-changing scenes and sets really help feel the song.  Feeling trapped, drowning, and exposed...losing one's mind...going crazy?!

"PARANOIA" is a break from his debut theme series, COLOR, marking a gear shift in the stories he wants to tell.  Perhaps a new series?

What do you think of this release?

[woorikworld]

[#NewMusicMonday]

One of my favorite Korean indie bands is back with a new single, "Child | 소인," released on February 20.

The chill song is actually a sad song about feeling the need to hide our true nature because the world expects us to.  It's a song for those people who feel too small in such a big world--for those who let go of their beliefs and hide in the shadows.

Casker's sounds, though.  They hit just perfect.

[woorikworld]

[#NewMusicMonday]

These boys have been through such a rough time lately.

On February 20th, GOT7 gifted fans with their long-awaited comeback by releasing the single "Encore | 앙코르."  

The song conveys a gratitude message filled with love for all fans who have stood by them all these years despite their tumultuous times.  "Encore" is also a self-reflection song for the members who still feel like kids in a world that sees them as adults. I'm sure many people can relate to feeling like this.  Let's face it--adulting is hard.

Earlier this year, news that famous boy band GOT7 had parted ways with JYP came as much surprise to many, but at the same time, we saw it coming.

Towards the end of the MV, which is made of various clips from their seven-year-long journey, GOT7 delivered a personal message to all of Ahgase.  While sitting on the couch like brothers, YuGyeom, BamBam, JinYoung, Jackson, Mark, Jay B, and YoungJae thanked fans for all the love and support, and reassured them that they will always sing an encore for them.  

IGOT7, let's stay strong and keep sending them love and support today and every day.  We are what keeps them going just as they are who keep us going.

GOT7!! Fighting!!!!!

[woorikworld]

[#NewMusicMonday]

I see ChungHa is quickly being referred to as a "diva," and her latest music video for "Bicycle" is a great example.

The Produce 101 finalist and one of my favorite artists, ChungHa, released her highly anticipated first full-length album, "Querencia," on February 15.  The 21 track album includes last year's mega-hits "Stay Tonight," "PLAY," “Everybody Has | 솔직히 지친다,” and "Dream of You (With R3HAB)," as well as the pre-released single "X (걸어온 길에 꽃밭 따윈 없었죠)," and the SUPER HAWT title track, "Bicycle."

Do I dare to compare ChungHa to Lee Hyori or BoA?  I mean, she's definitely one of the flashiest, most open new generation KPop artists currently out there.  She is adventurously bringing global influences into her work, just like these veteran divas did.  

These women have broken so many stereotypes both in music and culture as a whole. Had it not been for them, KPop wouldn't be the significant phenomenon it is now, nor would it have started to break off from the hostile and tense Korean culture deeply rooted in conservatism. They have opened the door to so much change and a wider acceptance, especially within younger generations, of people different from "the norm."

Okay, I'm getting off-topic.

The music video for "Bicycle" has a darker mood than "Stay Tonight."  She is also more blunt with her sexiness both in her performance and lyrics.  I love that she is not afraid to break from stereotypes.  I mean, I still think she's the first artist to have male background dancers in heels (referring to "Stay Tonight" MV).  That, to me, was shocking, and it made me so happy.  Plus, she incorporates some Spanish words into her music so naturally, further expanding her audience reach and enriching KPop with more global fusion.

SHE EVEN HAS A SONG HALF IN SPANISH THAT I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO PROCESS!!!

I had to stop in the middle of what I was doing as I listened to the album to realize my ears were being fed words in my mother's tongue.  Track 13, "Demente," is half in Spanish and half in Korean.  The song features Puerto Rican rapper Guaynaa, and no, not only he sings/raps in Spanish.  ChungHa REALLY sings in Spanish.  That was my amusement.

Should I find it surprising from her?  After all, she did live in my home state of Texas for 7-8 years while growing up--enough time for her to have become fluent in English and learn a lot of Spanish.  This is why so much Latin influence in her music.  I am curious now as to how much Spanish she knows.  I would love to speak to her in Spanish to test her.

There is just so much to love about ChungHa, and even so much more to love ahead.  

I admit, my last review from her pre-released single "X (걸어온 길에 꽃밭 따윈 없었죠)" was one with mixed feelings as the song didn't really grow on me.  However, I found myself craving for the song a few days after I first heard it.  I really do like it.

The second new notable feature in her album is with Colde in the track "Lemon."  The song has semi-Latin vibes infused in Colde's sounds.  Somehow, I find Colde has this distinctive signature sound in his songs and features that sets him apart.  I can't explain it.  If you know, you know.

If you're wondering the meaning of "Querencia," it is a Spanish word meaning something like a place or a person dear to you--like a tendency towards somewhere, something, or someone that makes you feel like home or safe. Basically, where you draw your strength from.

All in all, "Querencia" is a fantastic album that encompasses so much diversity in its style, from music genres to global artists and different languages. Let's not forget the feels--sensual, happy, playful, sad, nostalgic.

“Querencia” is available now on major streaming sites including iTunes and Spotify.  Don’t forget to check them out and give them lots and lots o’ love!

What's your favorite thing and/or song about this album?

[woorikworld]

[#NewMusicMonday]

SOYOUUUUUU~

Pepsi has begun their 2021 KPop collaborations this year. The first artists in the lineup for their "ZERO" campaign are none other than ex-Sistar member SOYU and rising KPop idols IZ*ONE.

Only five of IZ*ONE members feature in this collab--Kwon EunBi, Kim MinJu, Jang WonYoung, Miyawaki Sakura, and Jo Yuri.  Rapper pH-1 also features in the song for a quick rap verse.

The track "ZERO:ATTITUDE," released on February 15th, is only part.1 of the campaign.

I'll admit it was a bit difficult telling SoYou apart at first when the girls perform together.  Being an ex-girl group member, she just blends in with the rest and flows like water in the choreography.  I mean this most positively--they were just phenomenal together.

The song has catchy EDM beats, and the video has so much sparkle.  I can see the bling flashes clearly in my head through just the rhythm of the song--they match flawlessly.

Part.2 for the Pepsi x Starship Entertainment campaign will feature boy group ATEEZ and is scheduled for release on the first of March.

Did anyone notice the buns on the burgers they're eating are black?  I had that once while living in Korea.  Delicious!

Ever tried black bun burgers?