#bts compilations 2020

[94erz]

The fact that I can always find new shit I've never seen before because they have so much content not just in Korean but apparently random-ass Chinese vids too from years ago...

Anyway, look at them! Cute cute cute!

Also, link to a higher-quality vid

#Sab talks BTS stuff #just two pretty best friends singing and dancing together #the closest thing we have to a Namseok collab let that sink in #this was apparently big on Twitter in 2020??? #where are the gifs of it then huh??? #like hello this should have been in all the Namseok compilations I watched on YouTube back in 2021 #Namseok nation let me down #The faves #video

[mrs-monaghan]

Hey, since you often catch details and seem like an open-minded person, I want to share what I observed in the last few days. So, I definitely believe in Jikook but that was not always the case. My bias is Jimin and I always mostly focused on him, but once I observed Jungkook more carefully, the truth revealed itself step by step. Now something similar happened since I focused on Taehyung. And it seems crazy, to me as well, but please give it a chance! Watch "Nippon TV BUZZ RHYTHM 02 - BTS Cut" timestamp: 13:55, and watch (and listen to) all of their expressions closely, especially Jikook and Taehyung. Keep an eye on Namjoon, too. Then please look at the lyrics of Sweet Night and really reflect on them. Just as a reminder, there is Taehyung calling Jimin his "one and only best friend" in "Let's BTS" and similarly in Festa 2019, for example. I also am stuck on Jin calling Taehyung very generous and big-hearted in "Special Movie BTS MUSIC JOURNEY" (after the release of Sweet Night) and the others agreeing, their expressions speaking once again. Then finally those compilations where Taekook is apparently jealous of each other. Or Vmin. And now you just have to connect the dots but I did not see any other person who has done so. All those moments, all those compilations make so much more sense to me. All in all, it seems that Taehyung has or had feelings for Jimin. Sounds crazy! Of course we should not assume too much but the connections are there and in hindsight, they seem obvious. You just have to put the puzzle pieces together. I really hope that Taehyung is over it, because unrequited love hurts badly. Taehyung as a person makes so much more sense to me. His actions, his depression, his pain... Well, I guess Jimin did not call himself "Tailor of Chaos" without reason. That situation must have been difficult for him, too. Maybe (just maybe) that is an indicator regarding his state in 2020... And of course on Jungkook. But maybe that is the actual reason why Jungkook and Taehyung seem to be closer now, maybe mending their friendship! Especially, since Taehyung found a partner. And maybe Jikook feel some kind of guilt for causing Taehyung pain... who knows. There is much to think about and honestly, it sounds like pure fanfiction but if I learned something in life, it is that nothing is impossible. Hope you give it a chance, I really would like your opinion on all that. I certainly am feeling very surprised. Have a nice day :)

Yes anon, it takes very little for me to judge people seeing as I'm a lunatic myself 🤭🤭 if I had a shilling for everytime someone called me crazy I would have attended all of Suga's concerts and then some 😂 so u get no judgement from me my lovely 🙌🏽

Except insecure Jikookers, of course. Fuck you! I judge you everyday! 🤨🤨🤨

So! Umm yes. I've seen this theory being thrown around. I have friends who think this might be the case. And one of them is actually really good at analysing and picking up cues and she believes V may have had feelings for Jimin at some point and her arguments make sense.

But for me... idk. Idk anon. 🤔 I have a hard time picturing this. I will share a clip that will be hard for some of you to watch. So brace yourselves

Oh boy. Glad I have my anons off because u guys are already kinda mad at V atm 😂😂

Things to note about the first clip: (I know... I know. It's bad. I recently just discovered it and it doesn't look good, I agree)

a) Point to note number one is that, that is how most people in SK feel about homosexuality. As u can hear V is basically telling Jimin something is wrong with him mentally for liking men. And when u grow up with everyone around u telling u this, of course u will believe it. It also explains why he would keep the company he keeps. (Go Google Bogum and his cult scandal) People in SK don't believe men can be with other men. And those who have seen it happen, think its a mental illness. This was obviously embedded in V for him to have done this not once, but twice. And this is only what we saw on camera.

b) 2nd point to note; Taekook just cannot be real. It's just, impossible. Yes, V has changed, obviously. Hanging out with Jimin will do that to you. He obviously doesn't feel as strongly about homosexuality like he used to. And he loves Jimin and JK which means he has adjusted his mentality. But, this is a guy who used to say basically homophobic stuff to his friend. And as u can see, that clip is from around May 2015 So at what point would V have started dating JK as early as 2013 when this is how he felt about his friend a boy, liking boys?

c) 3rd point to note; Jimin doesn't deny it. I hate how he's just defending himself there repeating over and over; I don't like you that way, so what's your issue? I dont behave that way towards you, why you mad? Anyway, Jimin doesn't once say "no i don't like men." Or "stop lying" he just says "I don't feel that way about you."

d) Last point to note, Jikook is real. Why? Because what triggered V, was Jimin telling JK to sit next to him. And immediately V goes off about how something is wrong with Jimin in the head because these days he likes men. Likes JK.

Now anon, let's go back to point number 2. I know internalised homophobia is a thing. (Thank you Shameless! You taught me sm!) But it stems from someone hating that they like someone of the same sex and they don't want to be that way, but they are. So saying V used to have a crush on Jimin insinuates he would have had to get over his homophobia and start seeing Jimin in a new light. I mean, it's Jimin and the Jimin effect is a thing that exists. But, still. Idk. I just don't know. Watching that clip tells me that his parents are like this. Him being so close with the WS, tells me he wouldn't have kept them as friends if at any one point he started liking someone of the same sex. Knowing how they feel about it.

V is more accepting now, of course. But Jikook are in the closet and only close knit people know about it. And V definitely isn't divulging that to the WS. Again, knowing how they feel about this topic.

What am I saying anon? I think those V jealous Vmin moments that exist are because he "lost" his bestfiend when Jikook became a thing. He had to share Jimin with JK. And I imagine Jimin tried to be there for both of them but sometimes JK took priority and maybe V didn't like that. They used to be bestfriends. Super close. V even looked after Jimin in school. Asked some people he knew to look after the new kid because that was his friend. They were close. Really close. Then satellite Jeon comes and changes everything.

Now to the assignment you gave me. The question was who's the most romantic

Suga (what?) And RM say JK. Guess they've seen it first hand. 🤭 Also Jikook both point at Jin

V on the other hand says Jikook but then changes it to just Jimin

I also looked at the lyrics of sweet night (he sounds so good) and I'm guessing you're talking about this part;

Anon, if you ship Vmin, or are suspicious of Vmin, it would be easy to conclude this song is about Jimin. Easy. But if you're like me who believes V is as straight as a ruler, then the first thing I think of when I hear that, is some girl he liked at the time that he was really close to. Someone he dated in the past, maybe. To me V is as straight as they come and I could try, but I cannot see where you're coming from.

But if you listen to sweet night and then watch V jealous compilations, you're gonna be influenced. Because you're going in already thinking the best friend he's talking about is Jimin! But, remember, you don't have to have romantic feelings for someone to be jealous. You can be jealous that your sister is spending too much time with someone else. You can be jealous your bestfriend doesn't make time for you anymore ever since they started dating. You know what I mean?

That's what I think you saw. In my opinion, of course. I could be wrong and way off base but...yeah.

In Conclusion: Vmin isn't real and there was never potential for it to be so.

I appreciate u trusting me with this ask, anon 😘

#ask shaz #bts ask #jikook #vminkook #jimin and jungkook #bts #jimin #jungkook

[cutecherrygirl]

Skz 9th member

Okay so im starting this series because i want to. Its just a compilation of chaos and mess lol. But imma need your help, please write requests on what you want to see in this series 🤭

Okay so! You became stray kids member in 2020! Before you became a stray kids member you were under Big Hit entertainment in a girl group called moonlight! Since you were trainee under Big Hit you knew Lee know since he was bts backup dancer. However, he joined JYP and you two were sad to separate :(. Your girl group split up because the members wanted to quit. You went under JYP and he put you in skz :). The fans like you and your personality. Your position is : Lead singer, main rapper and maknae.

Your relationships with skz members:

Bang Chan

- Since you are maknae, Bangchan is is like your dad. He loves taking care of you but your also like a mom since you are the only girl in the group lol. You dont really like being taken care off but let him take care of you cuz you dont want to be mean lol.

Lee know

- you and lee know are old friends. You sometimes fight over choreography but solve it easily. You love when he brings his cats to the skz dorm.

Binnie (Changbin)

- you love treating Binnie like a baby! Sometimes you talk with him like mother would talk to a toddler or baby and he loves it! Like he would wake up from a name and you would go "who just woke up! Did Binnie woke up? Did Binnie had a good sleep?" Like that but in high pitched voice and he absolutely loves it.

Hyunjin

- you and Hyunjin aren close, you like same things and like to do same things. He sometimes invites you in his room so u can talk and drink tea. You love being in each others spaces and talk for hours until you cant think of any more fopics to talk about lol.

Han

- Han LOVES you. You and han are chaotic duo no one can separate. You are like twins, you two share a room and sleep on bunk beds, him on top and you on bottom. Every night, Bangchan is stressed out because you and han are running around the room screaming and singing, you guys play all the time and mostly before bed so you are really loud and chaotic. Sometimes, Chan even comes in room and scold you two or woop your asses so you finally shut up and sleep. you two are always together, but i mean ALWAYS. you always jump around, twerk together, scream the lyrics pf your favourite songs together, rap random shit together, eat together, cuddle, you sometimes even sleep in each others bed. You are always very loud around other members and chan has to separate you two durning interviews or important meetings cuz you cant stay still lol. You also love and take care of each other. He would often invite you to 3racha studio just because he can't be without you.

Felix

- you and Felix like to hang out. You're not particularly close but you have your moments. You like to bake together and watch stuff together. You often have different opinions on stuff so u discuss them together. You love listening to Felix sing and you love cuddling him. Sometimes you like giving each other fashion advices, he also likes sending you tik toks lol.

Seungmin

- you and Seungmin are very different, he prefers to stay quiet while you're loud. But he thinks you're amazing and is always trying to find a way to start conversation with you and talk to you. He is always shy around you and you think its adorable.

Jeongin

-he at first didn't really like you cuz u took his maknae spot lol. But as the time pass by he started loving you. You don't really like acting like the baby of the group. You treat Jeongin like a baby even tho he is older than you.

#skz #kpop #skz stay #straykids #stray kids #stray kids imagines #hyunjin #lee know #bang chan #seungmin #han jisung #jeongin #changbin #felix

[causesciencethatswhy]

Was thinking how we get confirmation of some of the things years later. Like in today's ep jm said him, jk (confirmed) and either one of jin and yg (jm was a bit confused who but it could also be that yoonjin both left later like jikook) were the last ones to leave their dorm and remember how we used to think jikook "might" live together cause they used to share car alot during 2019-2021. Now idk exactly when they left their dorms but i do know the news of RM and jm buying house in nine one hit the media around june 1st 2021. Also that one BTS video where the boys were interviewing e/o and jk asked jm what was the most enjoyable thing these days and jm replied "The most enjoyable thing these days is waking up and seeing jungkook" idr but wasn't it around 2019-2020 when he said that? And jikook and yoonjin used to share car, jikook the most of times so i think yup jikook used to live in the shared apartment be it dorm or whatever that is. So we were basically right.

Intersting thing is even after RM and jm buying house we still saw jikook sharing cars now idk why that. Yes when minimoni brought their houses they shared car but it was like only few times but jikook still has shared cars few times here nd there so i wonder why is that maybe they love sharing cars or their houses are near or etc etc.

Maybe as the besties they're when it comes to car sharing they just simply put these two together knowing they have shared it before too. Remember how they shared car 4 days of concerts in LV? There's another thing who's confirmation we got way later but i don't remember that now but yeah.

Also the way tkkrs be like "but jungkook don't cook for jm he doesn't even have jm's number" both got denied in this ep....i know it's only them who believed their shit theories but they're sooo many in number and they spread it everywhere so it's like thousands of them i think like 99% of them belive that shit. "Jungkook doens't have jm's number why is it a problem it happens people don't have e/o's numbers why are you blaming tkkrs for it" i remember mfkr dionysustkk tweeting this. The way i wanna bitch slap that identity crisis human. Like bitch not only he has jm's number (sounds so fking silly to say even) he literally knows jm's House password and walks like he knows the place and even cook for the two of them so you can sit in a corner and cry me some river

Thank you for this mini timeline compilation anon!

I found it interesting that jimin knew for sure that jk was still with him at the dorms but couldn't confirm whether yoonjin were there too. Seems like a detail you'd recall I feel, unless you were spending a majority of your time with one person. And if we are to go by your timeline it does seem that even after moving out jikook seemed to have made a deliberate choice to take the same car on multiple occasions. I do think there was a period in mid 2021 and early 2023 where jkk were maybe not seeing each that frequently based on some of their conversations, but this docu has really made me re evaluate a lot of these assumptions.

Since 2020, we have gotten almost 1/3 the amount of behind the scenes ot7 content and that definitely had an impact on many peoples assumptions on the members relationships. It's why certain "groups" felt more confident in proclaiming that jikook were never close or only fanservice.

Tkkrs and their cult leaders will never stop in their attempts at undermining jikooks relationship with false narratives. It's something I didn't understand the need of when I first entered shipping spaces because if you believe tkk are real and in a healthy relationship, then why would assuming jikook are close friends, in any way would come in the way of that? Why did jimin need to be the villain in their theories so bad? It's only now that I kinda get that as a tkkr, they can't possibility perceive that tkk are in a 'genuine and healthy' relationship if they have to take jikook at face value. Cause the way those two interact and prioritise one another, does really throw tkkrs off gaurd. Which is why so much of their belief and foundation hinges on all of jkks interactions being fake and forced and jk secretly hating jm. Because the alternative cannot be that they're 'close friends" for them, once they start 'really seeing' jikook for the way they are around one another, it disturbs their perfect ideal.

Not saying that there's no possibility that jikook are in fact just close friends after all, but I think once you do see that underlying spark that makes one go "?" ,it's kind of hard to unsee it.

#jikook

[taekooktimeline]

September 6, 2023 (released) -

Tae is on You Quiz, ep 210! The episode is precious, with Tae talking about his parents, siblings, grandma, Jk (3x), Hobi, BTS, Wooga and Yeontan. Tae shares that the members’ schedules were busy, but Hobi and “Jungkookie” heard his solo songs. Both complimented his songs as suiting him and being fresh.

Tae also reveals he recorded music at Jungkook’s home. I’ve seen different translations of this, with some translations saying he recorded “songs” at Jk’s home, while others have said Tae recorded “Love Me Again” at Jk’s house. He also shares that“Jungkookie” helped with the directing. This, once again, shows how close these two are and how much they support one another. They continuously share their art with the other first.

Timestamp 19:29 or - https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1699411844480536843?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/ging_kth/status/1699412638092960109?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/vsssi_95/status/1699414231395791021?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/mybwits/status/1699414014495793263?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1699412060285948388?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/jjk_times/status/1699418494134014274?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Of course, we know Taekook are close and prioritize sharing their artistry with each other. Sharing their music with each other first and assisting with the development of each other’s work is the sweetest and so supportive.

Of course, not that anyone needed a reminder, but for archival purposes: Tae mentioning that Jk and Hobi heard the song(s) first reminded all of us of Jungkook’s Spotify interview, when he shared “Taehyungie Hyung” was the first person he played his song “Seven” for.

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline/723208027610759168/july-15-2023-posted

And on his live on July 27, 2023, Jungkook accidentally shared ahead of time that Tae’s album was on the way, when he asked if the announcement had gone out yet. He then teased playfully he’d heard some of Tae’s songs and they’re good.

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline/724382713958809600/july-27-2023

And who could forget on December 6, 2020, when BTS won “best music video” for “Dynamite” and during his acceptance speech, Tae gave a personal shoutout to Jk for directing “life goes on.” Tae is a big fan of Director Jungkook ☺️

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2020/647632637503078400/december-6-2020

Tae is asked how he knows the trot song “Hong-si” that he sang during Jinny’s Kitchen. Shyly, with a smile, Tae shares that “Jungkookie” shared it with him.

Time stamp 30:11 or https://x.com/ging_kth/status/1699414681562067131?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1699414577321062616?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

For cuteness - When Tae was talking about his dad and how hard working he was growing up, the production team used a clip from the Taekook live (May 5, 2020), when Tae talked about making a song for him for Parents’ Day.

Timestamp 37:16 or https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1699423645183918413?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Recap of that live - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2020/630818413760184320/may-5-2020

For additional cuteness - a compilation of Tae saying “Jungkookie” during the interview - https://x.com/_k91230v_/status/1699429673296380403?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Subs from this kind translator - https://armyxmiro.crd.co/

Raw - https://youtu.be/VQyHSSshvgY?si=zYC6swtR75gZRAHO

#taekook #taekooktimeline #2023 #you quiz on the block #closeness #supportive #director #Director Jungkook

[stupendousfoxthing]

It's so annoying to me when I come across people who say that tkkers base their belief in taekook on edits and videos that overanalyze. Not saying that there aren't shippers like this but I know this is not the case for alot of tkkers I know and certainly not for me. I had no interest in shipping and theorising on band mates being in a secret relationship when I got into BTS. I just really loved their music and their story.

I noticed taekook while catching up on lives and binging BTS content trying to get to know the members more. I wasn't trying to ship any members, but I was picking up on things with taekook that made me side eye them ngl. The odd tension in lives, the hot and cold behaviour, being overly touchy and familiar with eachothers bodies and personal space while also sometimes acting like they don't know eachother. I tried to brush it off but the vibe they were giving off was like when you start noticing tension between two people in a friend group but nobody talks about it and it becomes the big elephant in the room, only to find out later they were secretly hooking up lol.

After awhile I felt like I had gotten a good grasp on all the friendships and dynamics within the group and yet taekook remained a big question mark to me and fandom discourse certainly didn't help at all. It's only then that I fell into the rabbit hole out of curiousity and most of what I learnt has solidified my suspicions about them. You really don't need analysis videos or shipping edits to notice them because the vibe they give off and the things they do, the way BigHit handled them, these things are enough to make you question. Remember when locals at 2020 Grammy's were asking if they were a couple? Yep, taekook give off boyfriend vibes and we all know it, even the naysayers know it deep down.😂

(Btw I love reading your thoughts, please post more 😭)

It doesn't annoy me when other people say that about Taekookers, because I know for a fact that's not what I base my belief on and I think a significant portion of people who say that are trying to convince themselves there's nothing between TK, we just really want there to be. A lot seem to believe that if they get rid of us Taekook's relationship will stop existing, whatever the nature of that relationship is. Personally I hate analysis videos. Like I said previously, when I first starting looking at Taekook those kinds of videos weren't very popular yet. The two big YouTube accounts I followed just posted compilation videos of moments with no analysis. That's all I need. There are so many moments that speak for themselves. I'll be screaming about the nape kiss until the end of time. I'm sorry but there's no way you're going to convince me there's anything platonic about that. Two recent moments I think about a lot are the Sweetheart shirts and Tae's live where we found out Jungkook always sings "To Find You" to him. Those are very loud and obvious imho. I don't need to analyze them. I've also in my own life accurately called these same "vibes" between plenty of people who ended up together. The tells aren't any different for same-sex couples, but some people will readily read romantic/sexual interest into every interaction between a man and a woman but dismiss way more sus moments between two men. I think there would be no question about Taekook for a lot of people if they were a het pair. I do remember the buzz around them at the Grammys. I was just recently thinking about reactions I saw on Twitter to the live where Tae played "Oh No Oh Yes" (where he intentionally "twin flamed" with Jungkook as an anon recently pointed out). That had some people questioning things. I remember seeing people talking back and forth in a thread about the lyrics and how they usually drag Taekookers but maybe we're onto something. 😂 I still think that some people who call us delusional just don't follow what happens between Taekook, because they were more suspicious than ever during solo era. Thank you for the message, sorry it took me a bit to get to answering ❤️

#asks #taekook

[fillinforlater]

what's your kpop journey ? (how you got into it, your first groups and biased, your opinion on kpop before etc.)

Thank you for the ask, my tired brain will try it's best to talk about how what when happened and yeah... let's go

Early Phase (2012-2016)

Basically me knowing that Psy exists because of Gangnam Style and later Gentleman. Young me really enjoyed those songs, but there was no real connection to korea or the idea/culture of kpop.

Then my sister introduced me to the song Tomorrow by BTS but because I was in my anime phase at the time, I just put it in my anime playlist. I fucking loved the song tho lol.

No bias, no real opinion either lol.

BLACKPINK Phase (2018-2019)

I don't really know how but I found Blackpink and started to vibe with their songs and style, which got really enhanced by their dance of DDU-DU DDU-DU on Just Dance 2019, which i played a lot. I got into them a bit more and my sister (who was a kpop fan behind my back basically kek) showed me Monster of EXO and Don't Wanna Cry of SEVENTEEN.

I was deinitely not a kpop fan, hell, I had no real clue about the culture or other groups or the fact that BTS, who I had one random song of was currently on and unprecedented rise. Everything was set in place, but I was still only danving to D4 lol

Lisa is my bias, though I dunno what that is yet lol. I like Blackpink, but the concept of kpop was not yet really in my mind.

Covid-Lockdown Phase (March 2020-May 2020)

This was the void. There was nothing to do, nothing thag mattered. All responsibilities were on hold. Time to watch vids my siblings to pass the time.

What are they watching? Asian men I do not understand? Looks... fun! With every day, every video, every song I add to my playlist I fall deeper into this glorious hole that is kpop. Like a sponge, I suck up all the content until I am this weird multistan with no sense of direction but the unbridled want to know more and to listen to more.

Blackpink, then BTS, then Twice, the it was already basically everyone else. Kpop filled my time with more fun than everything else could have. Life, strangely, was perfect. During a fucking lockdown, I reached a peek that continued.

My favorite group is BTS by a HUUUGE margin, my bias is switching between Lisa, Jin and Dahyun.

Deeper Into the Hole (June 2020-March 2021)

I add more groups to the list I like. KARD, Red Velvet, Mamamoo, EXO, NCT, SEVENTEEN, Everglow, aespa, TXT, ATEEZ... it never seems to stop. New releases left and right filling my mind to the point were even drastic changes in life cannot shake me up. I'm still falling, reaching deeper for more.

I find songs that I love to death. Answer by ATEEZ especially has me with adrenaline on every listen. It is about now that I find it not that difficult to remember names of members and that I see some (especially) female idols as very pretty.

BTS best group, Dahyun best girl.

K-Pop-Fan (April 2021-August 2021)

Basically yeah. Multistan that had commited to IZ*ONE last second because they were more than just good... they were literally the greatest girl group ever... though I have yet to realize it.

My life is going quite well, I have fun, I don't get tired of this genre that id more than music. It's stupid game shows, funny compilations, memes, stupid takes and pretty people. Around this time I get a bit spicy, reading fanfiction, dumb W*ttp*d stuff with crazy stories until...

Smut. Fuck, since when were TWICE this hot???

But this WP stuff is quite cringey... so I looked around and found Tumblr. First was Peach, then ddeun and then... Levi.

BTS best group, TWICE a close second, Dahyun best girl, Nayeon and Minju were in the hunt.

Smite, Smut and Smusic (September 2021-March 2022)

I messaged Levi (basically just a fanboy letter lol) and he encouraged me to try writing myself. The last time I wrote creatively was 2016, so I really doubted that I could pull something off.

About a week later, I'm in this server with all these cool smut writers and yeah... everything went crazy lol. My life was different and so was my kpop life. The visual effect of idols grew exponentionally, from very high to absurd, yet I still found myself finding beauty and attractiveness in other people around me. I dunno how to explain it lol.

I was writing, listening and also chatting with these new amazing friends that helped me navigate through what were difficult times while also being incredibly talented. My hobby of kpop now turned to another hobby with a new group of friends which grew to great importance in this phase.

BTS an inch before IZ*ONE, Minju easily my new ult.

That's my life (April 2022-now???)

A lot of stuff happened in this time frame but my attitude towards kpop, this community, writing or idols hasn't changrd too drastically. I saw my first concert, that was awesome. IVE rocks my world, other 4th gen groups fight their way to my heart, while I still really love older stuff.

I reach thousands of followers, find new insanely pretty and hot idols, write way too many fucking stories about fucking lol. I listen to almost everything, kpop is still my No. 1 hobby, yet it never overtook my whole personality.

BTS-IZ*ONE-IVE, Minju remains No. 1 but I love so many other idols, especially Yujin and Gaeul.

If you read all this, thank you, have a nice day!

[nextstopwonderland]

Masterlist of Taika/Rhys content I’ve posted on tumblr

Because I do so love archiving things.

(If putting anything on Twitter, especially photo edits/vid compilations please give proper credit)

Videos

Compilations (do not repost without credit)

Us Against the World: Interview compilation part 1

We’re in this Together: Interview compilation part 2

We were there for each other: Interview compilation part 3

We have similar souls: Interview compilation part 4

A Taika gushes over ofmd & Rhys 15 min supercut

Rhys + “the managerial role”

Rhys + “the managerial role” - the WWDITS edition

Rhys & Taika + working together

Taika + Rhys + “perfect”

Taika + Rhys + “great(est)”

Yet another casting related compilation

“Taika and I get each other’s vibe” -Wilderpeople bts compilation

“Do i ever make you laugh that hard?”

“It’s one of my favorite scenes in the film, because of him” - What we do in the shadows directory commentary compilation

Taika + the most fun being with Rhys

“You weren’t acting there, were you?” - in which the FYC q&a is like an established relationship romcom

Clips

“I never want those moments to end”

Rhys and the blackbeard bar & grill scene

“I was doing an erotic dance for my friends” vibes

“It was always the most exciting - for me- when it was just me a Rhys”

“We’re gonna work together forever. I know that.” 

“Having Taika there made it easier to do. Because we’re in this together.”

“Put your Kraken arms around me... and take me... and squeeze me”

“This is all perfect” | full version 

“The parallel between fiction and fact and life and creativity was so close”

Rhys discussing 2002 Fringe Fest and Taika

“We met on the comedy circuit in New Zealand”

“To trust each other”

“I spoke to you bro!! 🥺”

“He invites me into his special tent” (private 🔒)

Rhys discusses OFMD beginning of filming (private 🔒)

Rhys discusses adjusting to the filming schedule & guest stars (private 🔒)

Compilation of Rhys’s OFMD talk on The Cryptid Factor (private 🔒 )

“When’s the werewolf question coming up?”

“I only come here for the ring toss!”

Wilderpeople Sundance compilation

“One of the reasons he probably said yes is because he was opposite me”

Rhys discusses being cast in ofmd

“Finish each other’s sentences”

“I DO take direction well!”

“We had a each other to lean on”

“There’s just this synchronicity between our brains and the way that we act or improvise where we always seem in tune”

Rhys discussing scenes with Taika and next goal wins

Taika discussing Rhys during Wilderpeople DVD commentary

the FYC private foot tap

“See you in there, babe” - S2 spoilers (BTS footage)

“When I direct him, it’s easy. And when we act together, it’s even better.” - bts interviews, S2 spoilers

“See you in there, babe” - the Samba edition (edit, S2 spoilers)

Other Collabs

Rhys’s part of 2015 Taika directed charity vid

Rhys in Crazy Domains commercials directed by Taika

Audio

“I love how he makes movies, he’s fucking fantastic”

“I always knew i’d end up working with Rhys. I always do.”

Rhys talks being directed by Taika

“We really dig a lot deeper in this show to get into the psyche of these two characters” (Takes place right after the above audio)

“Thanks, Taiks!”

“I love him”

Taika on being able to have fun acting, fanart, and s2

David and Taika discuss the romance aesthetic and the end of episode 1

Rhys discussing his ghost experience at 2002 Fringe fest

Rhys discussing early comedy days with Taika and next goal wins from 2020

WWDITS Australian promo tour compilation

“He’s an amazing artist and I’ve seen everything he’s done”

“We haven’t changed who we are.”

Picspams

Taika and Rhys through the years

Taika and Rhys + Space Waltz (includes link)

Unicorn floats

No thoughts just these photos

WWDITS promotion 

Gifs from vids

Find someone who looks at you...

Find someone who… part 2

Taika agrees with the above find someone’s apparently

More press promo tours

Another pic compilation

Taika photographing Rhys for FOTC

Taika + Rhys + hands

Taika + Rhys + beatboxing + heartseyes

FYC q&a stills

Next Goal Wins premiere

Quotes

“It was a pleasure romancing with you, Ed”

Quote compilation part 1 (in which i originally say they met at Fringe in 2002 because Rhys confused me, but in actuality they knew each other before that. Post has since been edited 🤣)

Quote compilation part 2

Pics + Quotes Compilations

“We’re good for each other, so it just works”

“Let’s just have some fun”

“Just Breathe, Rhysie”

Yet another photo + quote compilation 

1996 vs. 2002

Rhys once again discussing their chemistry, love, and “magic”

“Rhys is inherently loveable. You can not help but love him.”

Ed + Stede + romance tropes

“I still see within Taika the same alternative comic from the 90s.”

“Taika has obvious sex appeal and I never have.”

“We’ve kind of been taking on the world together”

“I always play the nice guy and he’s always a prick”

“So, all of Rhys’s lines.”

_________________________________

Graphics

Mixes with cover art (Blackbonnet)

Without the one you love

The reason I hold on

The part of me I can’t let go

#taika/rhys #masterposts #masterlists

[stormblessed95]

Wait did Jimin really said that, it is not fake but has official source? I always thought it was fake because I couldn’t find any reliable original source, and bts archive is so huge and hard to navigate. Please can you tell me which year (maybe approximately) it was and maybe what JK answered too…funny in 2020 Jimin basically answered to similar question the same..nothing changed about his adoration to maknae perhaps it only increased by time

https://twitter.com/jimijeons/status/1618411489106497536?s=46&t=-Ti47bYEVRxxyn_PcGx83Q

Hi! That's from 140122 Haru Hana Magazine Vol 22 Interview. As for full translations for the who would you take to a Desert Island Question, this is what I can find:

Q: If you had to go to a deserted island, which member would you bring with you? Please state the reason.

JIN: I’ll bring Jungkook. First he’s strong and he usually carries around all of my necessities so he’s been a great help. 

JUNGKOOK: I also choose Jin hyung. Hyung is a good cook and will put to good use the things I bring over. 

RM: I choose V because he’s loud so I won’t be lonely. J-Hope too because he’s very optimisic. It feels like he’s going to say to me, “There’s hopes of living!” (laughs) 

J-HOPE: If I’m with Jimin, I think we’ll be able to make things smoothly.  

SUGA: I also choose Jimin because he listens well to me (laughs). Besides he’s very vital so it feels like he’ll still live quite well even on a deserted island. 

V: Me too! Finding food to eat and giving me a massage… it feels like there’s a lot of things I can use Jimin for! 

JIMIN: I absolutely will not go to a deserted island, absolutely (laugh). 

So it seems like perhaps the part about Jungkook got added in, as i cant find any translation account that added that sentence in. OR it just got missed. Who knows. You can read the ENTIRE interview here. Which you should, it's really funny and cute

And if you read the language, or know someone who does, you can perhaps check the original magazine scans to see if he really did mention Jungkookie for his answer or not

Their back cover interview trans and photos and drawings here too for the same magazine volume:

And the video message from BTS for this issue

Jikook Aeygo within lol

Hope that helps!!

#jikook #kookmin #140122 jikook #140122 haruhana jikook interview #jikook in 2014 #jikook in interviews

[irishhorse-blog]

BTS JUNGKOOK STAGE PRESENCE AND DANCE COMPILATION 2020💜(🔥watch at ur own...

#youtube #Jungkook #Stage presence and dance compilation

[thetaekookcloset]

Well, twt has been a mess over the possible TK beach hang out and the new video from the Busan rehearsal. And I’ve been seeing a lot of arguments that the entire basis of taekook potentially being in a romantic relationship is somehow “made up” entirely by taekookers, so I’m wondering if there was a specific moment(from official content, because apparently that’s the only content that’s valid) that made you question the nature of Taekook’s relationship? Second question! Do you have an opinion on the assumption that most taekookers are Jimin anti? You’ve made it clear that you aren’t, but I’ve seen a lot of people sort of come to the conclusion that if we assume that taekook are in a relationship, then it must also mean that we think Jimin is a terrible person who keeps interfering with their relationship, which seems like an unfair projection, imo. Sorry, I feel like I’m ranting in your ask box. It’s just frustrating to see people spewing misinformation based on what are essentially causal fallacies(concluding that TK being in a relationship means that Jimin is the worst/everything about Jikook’s relationship is fake).

It was original content that made Taekook first stand out to me, and that made me first question their relationship, actually!  As I’m sure it is for most of us.  Specifically, for me, it was Run BTS.  That was the only BTS content that I came into the fandom already knowing about, because a YouTuber I watch for another interest had gotten into BTS in 2020 and sometimes mentioned watching the new episodes in her vlogs.

So once I knew I was actually into BTS, I started watching the show, as well as little compilations of different members and different kinds of moments (like BTS being cuddly with each other, or that sort of thing) because once I’m committed to something, I want to know everything right away, and compilations are a good way to see and learn things quickly.

Anyway, I saw the clip of Taehyung dragging Jungkook over to get the basketball down from the top of the game, which happened in a Run episode, and that was the first Taekook moment that really stood out to me and endeared them to me, but it didn’t make me question the nature of their relationship.  That happened a little while later, when I was trying to catch up on the Run episodes from 2021 (I watched the earliest episodes first, but then decided I wanted to get to know the members more as they are now, so then I jumped ahead to 2021).

(This got long so I’m putting the rest below a cut.)

It was the moment where they’re all sitting around a table talking about their ideas for future episodes.  Taehyung was pretty quiet the whole time, and out of nowhere, Jungkook reached out and ran his fingers up and down Taehyung’s back just once before taking his hand back.

It’s such a tiny moment, and I’m sure it’s easy for a lot of people to write off, but for me, it really stood out as being couple-y in a way that other interactions between the members really don’t.  It seemed natural and subconscious, and whereas most skinship seems to be either an act of idle and convenient comfort for the person initiating, or else an intentional act of service like a massage, this one wasn’t really an act of service, but it also seemed more motivated as a way to comfort Taehyung than as a form of comfort for Jungkook.  Plus Taehyung didn’t react at all, like the gesture itself was completely natural and common between them.

I can’t think of gestures that have read the same way to me between  other members, even nearly a year (and lots more content consumed) later, but I’ve since seen others between Taekook, plenty of which have come from original content.

As for your second question, while it’s certainly true that there are a lot of Taekookers who are Jimin antis, just like there are a lot of Jikookers who are Tae antis, it hasn’t been my experience that the majority of Taekookers hate or even don’t particularly care for Jimin.

There are some people who think that if Taehyung and Jungkook are together, then Jimin must be a bad friend to them because of the ways he interacts with Jungkook, but that’s never truly made sense, for a whole lot of reasons, and there are plenty of Taekookers who don’t feel that way at all.

So I think when Jikookers use that idea as a talking point, they’re either 1) taking a bad perspective of a subsection of Taekookers and acting like all of us feel the same way just to make us look bad collectively and therefore discredit the case for Taekook, or 2) they personally feel like there’s something wrong with Jikook’s interactions if the two of them aren’t dating or are dating other people.

I don’t like that idea, and I don’t personally agree with it.  I don’t see Jikook getting up to anything that I feel would stand in the way of either of them being in a romantic relationship with someone else, so I certainly don’t think there’s anything wrong with either of them if one or both of them is in a relationship with someone else, and I know a lot of other Taekookers feel the same way.

Plus, in general, while I think it makes sense to consider what we each personally would or wouldn't be comfortable with in a relationship or friendship, we can't make those determinations for other people.

So when some Jikookers spread that idea, I think they’re making assumptions about how all Taekookers feel based on the thoughts of a vocal minority, or they’re using the idea essentially as a bad faith argument against Taekook, or else they genuinely feel like if Jikook aren’t romantically involved with each other, then there’s some problem with the way they behave together.

In any case, despite what I see as a plethora of logical fallacies and bad faith arguments constantly being lobbed against the possibility of Taekook, original content has always been there giving small and subtle, but consistent, insights into the relationship that Taehyung and Jungkook have, no arguments necessary.

#taekook #ask

[daechwitatamic]

When did you become ARMY? and has Tae always been your bias?

AH, hello! You'd like my villain origin story, hm?

I guess I'll use a read more because I'm cursed by the inability to EVER shut up.

So back in 2020-2021 someone that I've been friends with for over 10 years and follow on tumblr became army. She was posting tons and tons of giftsets and vids every day as she began to work her way through the content. I didn't pay much attention at first but as the moths passed I somehow eventually started playing a little game with myself called "Is Jungkook in this/Can you find Jungkook" because that was her bias at the time and I only knew his name.

Somehow this expanded to one or two other members (I wanna say Jimin and Joon?) and it was just my private little game with myself when she would post.

I can tell you the exact moment I actually paid attention - she posted gifs of this moment:

I remember DISTINCTLY sitting up like wait, they're actually good/talented???

We got to the point where Dynamite was out and I'll be honest, I didn't really like it and I still don't. But after this moment I thought okay maybe I'm missing something.

So the summer of 2021 I dm'ed her and said, "Hey, want to rec me some BTS songs? My playlist feels stale."

She sent me Mic Drop (steve's version lol), Fake Love, and Truth Untold and I loved all three (they still remain among my top faves!). I asked for a few more. So on it went until I'd listened to the whole discography lol. Eventually she sent me like a list of their discography and I would watch the lyric video that lights up who's singing so I could 1) know what the lyrics were about and 2) kind of learn their voices. If I liked a song when I listened to the lyric video, I threw it in a giant playlist on Spotify. I ended up with uhhhhhhhh a lot of songs lol.

I also watched Run BTS from episode one all the way through during that summer. I watched Bon Voyage 1, 3, and 4 and watched 2 together with her later in the fall.

We went together to PTD LA (I flew from the east coast lol someone save jo) that December and saw Coldtan :')

The following March I started reading and writing ff and made this account :')

Anyway, was Taehyung my first bias - yes!! The first moment I was like "oh THAT ONE" was she had sent me a compilation of Taehyung saying insane shit with a straight face and I got to "that's the eyeliner" and had to pause to collect myself because him!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I also saw a gif from this moment (hi maggie lol) and I remember being like WAIT HOLLUP WHO IS THAT? ONE OF THE MEMBERS LOOKS LIKE THAT? WHO IS IT? and it was cemented. I alsoooooo remember DISTINCTLY losing my shit the first time I listened to Singularity because HIS VOICE!!!!! HIS VOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEEPER THAN THE OCEAN IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO DROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anyway ahem we're all normal here.

However it was MAYBE only two weeks after Taehyung claimed me that I dm'ed her again like, "Why does my brain suddenly love Suga?" and she was like "I was waiting for that" and for the majority of my army time I have really considered myself a double-bias, at times feeling like maybe I was a Yoongi-ult but these days the taehyung chokehold is stronger, I'm afraid. At PTD LA Yoongi came to our corner of the stage in a leather jacket during soundcheck and I'm telling u I ascended I was not on this planet anymore i did not breathe air until he was gone again afjheaiufqiughijg

THEN of course Mr. Kim Namjoon had to absolute wreck my shit in the Indigo era and took over my entire existence SIGH.

So, idk. These days I feel like a Tae-ult with Yoongi wrecker and Joon wrecker-wrecker? But ot7 are soooo special and wonderful and amazing, like truly the universe aligned to take these seven more extraordinary humans and put them together!! Like?! they're so special, i love them a lot fr :')

ANYWAY did you learn to never ask me anything because I will talk until I die?! love you anon have a wonderful fridayyyyyyyy <3

#answered #anon #MADE MYSELF HAPPYSAD ON THIS FINE FRIDAY MORNING #I JUST LOVE BANGTAN OKAY #the fact that i couldve answered this anon with 2021 and yes #and instead u got a dissertation i am so sorry

[marengogo]

NAKED - 2: Lips on Neck

Clarity - by Saleka  [CLARITY]

[Music is a very big part of my life and I’m MOSTLY INCAPABLE of writing without music, so I just thought I'd share what I am listening to while writing this]

–🐺–🐺–🐺–

I know. I know. I know. My next post was supposed to be about Jikook and the Art of Silence … but I am INFJ-T … so I follow my feelings (for the most part) and as a result, I’d like to talk about that particular occurrence in the lives of JM and JK for a second. All that chest, waist, butt and neck talk made me rethink about Hickeygate!

Like I do, in this come naked second of the blog, I’d like to begin with stripping them down of EVERYTHING that has happened to them previous to the day in which JK, at the time a 23 year old young man, vocalist of a band named BTS, came out of a car with a mark on his neck, ready to go to rehearsal. Soon after him, from the same car, out came another young man by the name of JM, also a vocalist for the same band. If I may add, the fact that they came out of the same car should also be stripped down from this story and simply regarded as facts. 

This information is being given to us through a compilation provided to us by the company of said band, HYBE. The DVD/compilation is called “BTS Memories of 2020” and it is paid content (there is a whole can of worms about paid content, but this is not for today’s essay…), which is edited by HYBE and mostly directed to ARMY, who are BTS’ fans BUT … we already know aaaaall of that right? So we shall not go deep into the various objective of this DVD, as this is about the two boys: Jungkook and Jimin.

When the cameraman addresses JK, who is monitoring JM’s rehearsal and asks him what happened to his neck, the young man said and I quote -

JK: “Yesterday, Jiminie-hyung and I played around while having drinks. Jiminie-hyung got dizzie and bit me. He bit me and it became like this”

 Translation: phorenJJ

In the following scene Jimin is confronted with regards to JK’s mark. This time, the cameraman chooses a different approach and questions JM while he is in the company of JK and two other bandmates (Tae and Jin). JM replies and I quote:

Jimin: “... Jungkookie carried me and kept on going round and won’t let me down so I bit”

Translation: phorenJJ

From both boys’ versions of the event at some point: Jimin’s teeth were on Jungkook’s neck as they both used the word bite. Now I know it didn’t look like a bite. To many, including myself, it looked like a hickey BUT, let's strip them down of that as well. OK? Teeth are located inside the mouth, right? And the mouth is made of lips, just like an ass is made of buttcheecks. Thus, let’s chalk it up to the fact that, at some point during that night, JM's lips were on JK’s neck.

Now, let’s take a second. Let’s imagine. You’ve been drinking. For those who have never drank, it makes you feel lighter, it lowers inhibitions, and the more your drink the less you can control your bodily functions as well; you really need to concentrate in order to do something properly.  

Let’s take a step back. Jungkook and Jimin are bandmates but also friends. In a location that is not provided to us, they were drinking, alone, as Tae and Jin seem to have no idea of what was going on. How do you drink with your friends? I'm usually seated at a table on a chair, so are my friends / friend. Some might be on a table, or by a window etc. But each on their own. And we are not talking about drinking while watching a movie or doing something else, because that is another situation and I do believe it would have been mentioned. This was just a drinking and talking night, it seems. Now here comes the piece of information we do not have: How did JM end up getting carried by JK?

Take a second and let’s continue to try to imagine. What could have made JK want to get up and carry JM? ...

So let’s change the scenario. Let’s have them standing, what could have made them be standing? Maybe JM observed that JK now is so strong that he can carry him for example like he does in No more Dream! He knows, JK knows. So … would they need to demonstrate the fact to themselves? I’d say no, but they’ve drank, so for the sake of argument let’s say that JM wants to have JK show him how easily he can carry him … for some reason … and JK agrees. They both stand up and JK carries JM bridal style. Cool. Yeah, cool but apparently there was spinning.

… Let’s keep imagining. 

Once being carried, (not for the first time because Jungkook has carried Jimin bridal style many times) they both confirm and can see that Jungkook can carry Jimin, but for some reason JK decides that it is a good idea to start spinning them. Now mind you, they have both been drinking at this point and the last thing you want to do is start spinning. Like, I’m what you call a liquor enthusiast (... to put it nicely 😬…) and TRUST MY PEOPLE, spinning is really the last thing you want to be doing as the brain and the body would not sync and lots can happen from dizziness to throwing up. 

… but let’s keep imagining.

At some point during this very controlled, yet under the influence, rendition of No More Dream, JM decides that he wants to get down but JK doesn’t let him. From what we’ve observed JM usually pats JK’s chest to let him down, which he probably tried that night without avail. At which point, apparently we are still spinning (JK is Clark Kent …) and the next thing JM thinks is to bite him. Except, there are no teeth marks at all BUT we will call it a bite mark. JK must have not felt the bite at all or maybe didn’t mind it, and for his neck to get that bruise it means JM was on the neck for more than 15sec at least… after which we have no idea what happened. All we know is that they both showed up together to rehearsal with a clear mark which JK could have covered but didn’t. I’ll get back to this but before this, let’s take a quick step back and rely on some good ol’ physics real quick

Have you ever been on a spinning ride? If you haven't, what happens is that you will be kept closer to the outer edges of what is spinning because of the centrifugal force, which depending on its strength, would make it very hard for you to reach the centre of whatever is spinning. In the bridal spin situation, JK was the center and JM was at the edge of “the ride” and depending on how fast JK was spinning, it would have been hella hard for JM to reach JK’s neck. Now let’s say that JK was spinning him slowly … 

try to imagine two tipsy grown ass men slowly spinning in the middle of a room, alone, while one is being carried bridal style and reaching out to bite the spinner in order to make him stop … LOL.

This is not just JM calling JK cute, or JK slapping JM’s but, or JM pinching JK’s cheeks, or JK shaking JM’s hands. This is literally JM’s lips and tongue (now stay with me on the PG lane please! 👮) on JK’s neck, and no matter how blurry the concept of personal space is for every member in that band, they do have boundaries. We don’t know in fact if JM spent the night or if the same car did its rounds to go pick them up from separate locations … but that really doesn’t matter does it? As we get back to our speculation of what might have happened, let’s imagine JK, waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and finding that mark on his neck. We all know that JK has plenty of makeup available, because of work but also personal choice, so covering that up was definitely going to be

... but he didn’t.

And here come my thoughts - JKK_OBSERVATION_5.mg - Part of me thinks that if it were left to himself, when asked about the “bite”, he’d just say that Jimin bit him, but JM had them agree on a story to go with. And it wasn’t like the area hurt or anything, homeboi was touch the hell out of the mark and the whole day the only people that were allowed to touch that “bite” were the bitten (JK) and the biter (JM), now I ask you, if this were just some messing around among friends as some are trying really hard to make it look like, would JK be so sensitive about who touches a non important mark on his neck? I also feel like lowkey (highkey) JK was kinda proud and happy about being able to just walk around with that bite on his neck, I think that was a personal important moment for himself. Not sure what Jimin thought but as the biter he couldn’t quiet dictate how the bitten handled his body, right? Many will also downplay the meaning of a hickey, but let me tell you, just like when you write your name on something to make sure people know it is yours, if you apply that concept from human to human, I can guarantee you, there is nothing remotely platonic about leaving one's own mark on someone else’s body. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. 

And that’s all from me!

About to go watch Eternals with a cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Always respectfully Yours,

Marengo.

#JKK NAK #JKKobservationsMG #Jikook #The Bite #JM #JK

[exoplanetupdates-blog]

[ENG] Happy Camp - EXO

EXO:

2012

EXO M - [Teaser] [Full Episode]

EXO OT12 - EXO Cut

2013

Teaser

EXO OT12 - Full Episode

Unreleased Luhan Cut

2014

Teaser

EXO OT11 - Full Episode

Unreleased Cuts [Preview]

Advertisment

Advertisment BTS [Viet]

Advertisments Compilation [RAW]

Unseen Scene

LAY:

2015

Teaser

150314 Lay - Full Episode

151121 Lay + cast of "Oh My God" - Full Episode

Lay Special Stage - A Wonderful Day

2016

Lay Cut

2017

Teaser

Lay Cut

2018

Lay - Full Episode

Behind the Scenes

2019

Lay - Full Episode [1] [2] [3] [4]

Lay Cut

Lay - Honey

2020

Lay - Full Episode

#EXO #VARIETY #XIUMIN #SUHO #LAY #BAEKHYUN #CHEN #CHANYEOL #DO #KAI #SEHUN #KRIS #LUHAN #TAO #2012 #2013 #2014 #2015 #2016 #2017 #2018 #2019 #2020 #happy camp

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Repost: On Hate - This Post is too Long for the Subject

Below are two exhibits that I strongly encourage you read completely before reading the rest of my post.

Exhibit A: You might be surprised by the parallels you see in this story from 2011 about a person the boys (especially Yoongi) know personally - this is about a 5 mins read. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/the-persecution-of-daniel-lee

Exhibit B:

Two more things I’ll say before the actual ‘think piece’ is that (1) k-army is not a monolith. Every type of fan we can think of (army, diet solo stan, solo stan, anti, multi, manti, stalker) has its Korean equivalent that is usually just more intense. Please remember this when you see me write ‘k-army’ in scare quotes.

(2) When dealing with people on the internet, the expectation is to show, not tell. It is not enough to say something happened, you must show it happened with pictures or screenshots, and video clips are preferred because those are harder to manipulate by lay people. The only receipts in this post are the exhibits I linked above. I am consciously refusing to share media in this post because the subject is hate. I hope the further down you read the more you’ll understand why I decided to do this.

Le document de réflexion - my most intense reporting experience last year as a case study lol:

In early 2020 up until just after Dynamite was released, a group of friends and myself were spending upwards of 2 hours online every other day, reporting users on major Western SNS platforms and Korean ones. This timeline is important to remember for later. Practically all the users we were reporting were Taehyung antis ‘exposing’ him for his behavior in both his personal dealings with other members and other celebrities, and towards his work. 

A lot of newer armys have by now heard about how Tae was called “Alien” until around 2019, this has been lovingly changed to him having a “4D personality” circa 2018 onwards. Both nicknames were given by Korean ‘fans’ or ‘k-army’, and both are euphemisms. This history is now sanitized because the reality was far more ugly (kudos to Jimin for attempting to reclaim that term in his song: 친구 ). 

The reality is that a sub-set of the fandom found (and finds) Taehyung’s behavior to be beyond odd - the kinder ‘k-armys’ in that sub-set saw him as stupid and left it at that, the others saw him as rude, passive aggressive, inconsiderate, manipulative, and consistently seeking to undermine some other members, and they have the clips to ‘prove’ it. These clips are essentially compilations of every time Tae says or does something brash or unthinking (not always reflected in the subtitles), whether harmless or not, including ‘subtle’ actions that they feel suggest a need for control or dominance, as well as every time the members have less than glowing responses to things he says or does - including clips from interviews, award shows, RUN BTS, radio shows, you name it - they also heavily implied (with supporting video ‘evidence’) that his moodiness towards the members and in interviews was an attention-seeking tactic and that some members spoke over him because they secretly dislike him. There were also instances of him groping or grazing the members intimately and the reactions of certain members to that if they were caught unawares and those reactions did not always seem very positive. These clips had been circulating for years and were everywhere in akgae forums by late 2019 and it was these clips we were working hard to get taken down. There were also clips drawing doubt as to his talent and contribution to the group - they included compilations of him lip syncing, singing off key or straining, ‘lazy’ and off-beat dancing, ‘lazy’ acting (from Hwarang), some clips included someone who looks like Tae smoking or vaping either alone or with someone who looks like Kwon Seonghwan, and this was often tied to his work ethic and the apparent impact on his voice. Then there were the rumors which I won’t go into detail on but they included everything from his parents making undisclosed investments in BHM (this resurfaced after BHM ipo) to sponsors and drug use to relationship drama with staff and a Korean influencer to claims his friends are misogynists therefore it is likely he is as well. Then there was just pure hate: speculation he was suicidal or with ED, pics or clips suggesting he had hair transplant surgery and other procedures done to his face, pics suggesting he photoshopped and used filters excessively, name calling implying sexual crimes, speculation he actually spent time with friends before going to see his grandmother, and that he was using her passing to manipulate the members and the company. Everything I’ve written was either believed and/or spread by ‘k-armys’, and the reality of this campaign is even still worse than this.

The shift in 2020 is that some of us in the fandom felt Tae had become more withdrawn, distanced, and just more sort of ‘out of it’ than he typically is sometimes. We were concerned. The Festa rolling papers the members left for Tae wasn’t also very encouraging. At the same time, my friends noticed this hate being spread to twitter and Weverse in English-speaking spaces, from the niche Korean blogs it was rampant on before. This was something my friends had to educate me on because as I’ve said elsewhere, my interest in BTS usually revolved around the rapline and most of my earlier insight into any of the members was through their interactions with rapline members. A few of my friends are Tae-biased and were following this closely. I knew of the nature of akgae forums for the rapline members and was active reporting there, for the maknae line, I needed some orientation. 

This timeline is also important because in early 2020 there were apparently rumors that Tae was being considered to star or feature in a drama targeted to a Western audience. Whether this was true and/or connected to the anti stuff spreading to English forums, I can’t say, because this shift (late 2019) appears to have happened for Jimin and Jungkook antis as well. By the end of 2020, we learned Tae dealt with some depression or burn-out (which for me at least partly explained how withdrawn he seemed earlier), and the slow-down from the pandemic helped him find himself again. Those ‘k-army’ accounts and clips still exist but most of the really problematic ones are now off twitter, reddit, and youtube. The original clips are still thriving in ‘k-army’ anti spaces. These video clips for Tae are updated with every single content the company or general media puts out, because if you’re looking for bad behavior, you’ll find it even if it means working with preconceived notions and misconstruing reality.

The reason it took close to 8 months to get these accounts offline is because the users kept creating new and multiple accounts each time we got one suspended. It felt like fighting a hydra but I was somewhat used to this after going through the same thing for rapline members (I’ve been actively reporting since 2018) and in late May we had to focus on the hate Yoongi was getting after D-2. My friends and I weren’t doing this alone - they have their friends who have their friends and some of us report regularly. What was different in Tae’s case (and the maknae line in general) compared to the hyung line, was the sheer volume of hate. We did not at any point engage with the antis directly nor with the content. This is important for Part 2.

(mood break)

Le document de réflexion - Part 2: 

There aren’t many cons to being an OT7 army but one annoying con, especially if you report frequently, is seeing the same anti talking points, 7 times over. At first when I noticed this, I thought it was interesting, then I thought it was amusing. Now, I just find it annoying. 

In late 2020 my curiosity about jikook got the better of me, so I started spending time in shipping spaces. It was horrible. It’s true a lot of shippers are solos or diet solos who handpick a partner for their fave and some project heavily through them. It’s also true that wherever you find solos, you’ll find akgaes and/or antis. Just by paying more attention to jikook, I got exposure to their sort of antis. By early 2021 I found some shipping spaces on Tumblr I could tolerate, so I opened an active account. This didn’t give me exposure to more jikook antis (they’re mostly on twitter and youtube and the main offenders I was aware of anyway), but it did let me see just how closely shipping ties into the hate for all seven members. But’s that a topic for a different ‘think piece’ if I ever write one. 

The real point of this section is to explain why I don’t think it’s a good idea to engage with the antis directly or with the content.

On not engaging antis directly:

Hate is not an opinion, it is a judgement call that is believed to be true and it almost always necessitates action. It’s rare to find people who hate in silence lol. People are hated all the time and this is nothing new or alarming. In societies with disproportionate wealth disparities, like Korea and the US, celebrities or people with perceived influence or power are seen as less deserving of sympathy in general, and as a result are easier targets to hate. For k-pop idols, who are already commodified to some degree which always results in them seeming less (not more) human, if they are hated, it is of an even more dehumanizing kind than the sort levied at regular celebrities. K-pop stans have a peculiar sense of entitlement that deserves it’s own study istg.

The thing with hate towards another person is that for most rational people, it requires moral justification. (You look silly if you hate a good person, you look at least decent and get a dopamine high if you hate a bad person - yes, it’s been studied). This justification is easy to provide and more believable if you have intimately dealt with said person but nobody this side of Tumblr has intimately dealt with any BTS member. Very few fans in Korea have that experience too, and even then their experience from fan meets last mere minutes. In fact, all anybody really has to go on, are video clips that capture seconds at most, of interactions that are more/less than ROTM. BTS are not even like regular celebrities or politicians where it’s easy to find verifiable gossip. The reality is that fans have very limited visibility into their real lives. 

For a group like BTS, where people who have directly worked with them have gone on record to speak about each member and how they relate to each other (eg. Jessie, Seo Taiji) you need to make some assumptions but it is easy to arrive at the conclusion that x member is mostly good because of how they all speak about each other. To think that x member is mostly bad you need to make several more assumptions, but this is still a relatively easy conclusion to reach. And this is a very important point. 

I initially thought it was odd that all seven members have similar things said about them in hate forums. It’s one thing if it’s just one or two members, but these antis seem to follow a sort of template for all seven: behavioral issues - rude/disrespect, attention-seeking, violent behavior, tension, drinking/smoking/drugs; sub-par talent - I won’t list these out but it is enough to know there are long ass pages on Hoseok and that should tell you all you need to know about the others; and crimes of some sort. And it never stops at just the members, these antis manage to rope in their families as well. For certain members the hate is a bit peculiar, for Jimin, Namjoon and Yoongi for example, there are a lot of graphic sexual references. It’s not long before you find someone calling either one a sexual deviant, molester, rapist, predator, or creep or someone wishing those members were sexually assaulted in some way. I initially thought there was a farm somewhere churning out these accounts. Then I came across some people who I witnessed turn into antis of certain members, and talking to them last year made me arrive at my current conclusion: 

BTS is comprised of seven very different people who went through some of the most turbulent periods of their lives (late teens / early 20s) under a lot of pressure, in extremely close confines, with cameras in their faces. Even now, they fight, kiss, bicker, disagree, agree, like any other group of friends/co-workers and we see this happen from time to time (one thing they always emphasize is that they respect each other professionally, at the very least). Tangentially related, people often make their impressions within seconds of seeing or meeting someone, and those impressions are hard to shake off - studies show we often make these judgements based on pre-conceived notions of how people should relate to each other. Some people are triggered when they see or hear certain things, and it is my opinion that people who are anti certain members are those who have a fundamental dislike for who they perceive that member to be. 

It sounds like I just wrote a load of circular nonsense in that last sentence but please bear with me.

I’ve already said elsewhere that those who worship some members as perfect gods or hate them as vile snakes are mirrors of the same, and that those sentiments have very little to do with the members themselves, in my opinion. If it were x member who was the problem, I would not have to report lip syncing compilations 7 times over, or behavioral compilations 7 times over. etc etc. These people see things they don’t like, they pick up on cues that they identify negatively with, and run with it. Because BTS are seven very different people, these cues come in seven varieties. And that’s more than enough.

The more you engage with these people, the higher their hackles go up. Haters are already predisposed to certain cues and are then likely to interpret anything x member does through the lens of malice or incompetence: 

When Joon antis were calling him a misogynist and he addressed this directly at the UN interview, saying that in response to that criticism he engaged with a Women and Gender Studies professor to help review his lyrics, his antis then claimed his misogyny must’ve been so terrible he needed expert help or that he was saying that to grandstand.

When Namjoon asks Chris if he’d like him or Tae sing a part and Chris chooses Tae, it can’t be because Joon wants to clarify, it must be because Joon is greedy for lines, doesn’t really like Tae, and wants to center himself in this track with Coldplay.

The company hesitating to add Jimin to the group when they debuted couldn’t have been because he had the shortest training period in BHM’s history (to date). It has to be because Jimin is untalented (those who think they’re doing him a favor qualify that he is the ‘least talented’). You’d have to also ignore what both Taehyung and Yoongi said about Jimin at that time, but yeah, plausible.

When it comes to group dynamics, when you hate someone it becomes harder to believe the people you like, can like, much less love, that person. So some antis hate x member(s) but like the others, and so these antis begin to devalue their relationships as well. Any mildly negative glance is given outsized weight and any positive interaction is discounted. Now x member cannot just want to give x member a neck massage, it must be fan service.

When Jimin asks Yoongi if he’d like to share a room and Yoongi declines, it can’t simply be because Yoongi would like some personal space to work on his music which he brought equipment for, as he said. It must be because Yoongi secretly dislikes or hates Jimin, and is enforcing his boundaries because Jimin is a sexual predator, emotional manipulator etc etc.

When k-armys say they spotted Yoongi and Jimin at a cafe quite some distance from the hybe building, and when Hoseok mentions in his Vlive that Jimin and Yoongi often still shoot hoops, those must be one-offs or carefully crafted leads to create a false sense of friendship between yoonmin.

When J-Hope tells Jimin he can’t leave with him to go home because he wants to practice one more time cause he’s performing live, it can’t be just that. No, it must be J-Hope taking a snide dig at Jimin because Jimin never performs live, like he didn’t even perform Filter live, and that cannot be because Jimin had to pre-record the outfit change (so the latter part of the performance was pre-recorded, the rest live), it’s because he is fundamentally untalented or unable to sing and perform.

Pushing back only results in the hater finding more and more reasons to justify their hate, which only results in them further dehumanizing the person they hate. It grows from a dislike at how a certain member communicates, to that member actually being very rude all the time, to that member being violent and brutish, to that member actually being an animal. Before long this hate takes on a life of its own and everything x member does only further confirms why you hate them. You don’t even notice when you start presuming their internal motivations that you have no way of truly knowing at all. 

I’ve already seen edited clips from Coldplay’s raw acoustic performance suggesting JM did a lot of laughing to hide his inabilities and no singing for his parts, when just watching the original clip shows that yes he did in fact laugh at the members but he also sang. For an anti who’s already formed an opinion, that edited clip (on anti accounts) is seen and filed away as just one more confirmation, and often times, by the time they see the original clips it wouldn’t really matter.

The fact is, engaging with an anti will not make them hate less. Nobody changes their opinion on the internet unless they were predisposed to doing so anyway.

Do not at any time point out to an anti that neither you nor the anti actually knows this person they hate so much. Also do not point out they are determining a person’s aptitude and character based on hour-long edited compilations (at most) of 10-year relationships for seven very different people. There is nothing to be gained.

On not engaging the content:

The reason is simple: the content itself is repetitive and engaging with it has the opposite effect to what you intend because all it does is spread hate. *caveat at the end of this post.

People who say a certain member lip syncs are not lying. It’s true BTS members lip sync. *gasp* It is also true they sing and rap live. *gasp again* Please note the difference in the three sentences (italicized for emphasis). Again, BTS members do lip sync or have heavy backtrack playback, this happens sometimes in concerts (which I personally think is understandable), comeback shows, and some performances. They also sing live in many concert and off-concert performances. Like the MMA Dynamite performance when Jimin deliberately did not sing after the bridge to prove they weren’t lip syncing. Yoongi tends to do this a lot as well. Several of their performances this year have been live, a few have been synced or had heavy backing track playback, and this is not true for only one member, but several. The issue is these compilations exist to drive the narrative that x member(s) always lip syncs. It doesn’t take long before seeing a lot of this that you begin to believe it. 

Also, people who say a certain member acts rude are not always lying. It’s true BTS members are rude sometimes, far as I can tell. I mean at least we all watched Burn The Stage though there are more recent examples. They sometimes get on each other’s nerves. Surprise. But again, the story for the antis is that x member(s) is always or mostly disrespectful.

These sort of criticisms work for certain groups, but they don’t for BTS if you’re paying attention to all the members. I was dealing with lip sync compilations for Hoseok, Yoongi and Joon before I noticed the same compilations existed for the Vocal line. Please don’t bother engaging the content because these antis are not interested in seeing x member sing live or else they would have seen those examples already, they are interested in highlighting that only the member they hate is woefully deficient. When you point out that this is not unique to a certain member, the charge is to show proof. The problem is showing this only spreads and creates more hate, because now antis of other members have more material to discredit those members, and the antis of the original member are spurred on find more hate material.

One quick thing to note about many of these clips is that some of them are in fact manipulated. Gashara, the person mentioned in the screenshots above, is a person notorious in akgae spaces who specializes in doing just that. We came across this name several times in reporting ‘k-army’ anti posts. It’s also suspected they work with several people because they set up several youtube and video channels spreading their anti clips of certain members. 

Something that has changed recently on akgae networks is that this hate content also now involves who is doing the hating. Now, certain akgaes (even from other k-pop groups) cosplay as other akgaes and deliberately spread hate (sloppily of course), so the narrative includes that x member akgaes are the repeat offenders. This claim is then spread to wider armys who then make the association of their bias being harmed by fans of another member. I’ve already seen this used by Hobi, JK, and JM antis - the 1st time my friends and I noticed this was after the 3J performance this year. 

This is also the reason armys who say “why does only x member gets this hate” are usually dismissed as diet solos, because it is simply not (always) true. If you think only one member is experiencing something, that only shows you’re in a siloed environment, which indicates you’re spending some time in solo-leaning spaces or focus mostly on your bias. But there are exceptions, I think.

(mood break)

Le document de réflexion - ending thoughts:

Personally, Yoongi is someone I relate a lot to. He is very close friends with Dan (the tablo guy in Exhibit A). Yoongi has talked a lot about people, behavior, and hate. He talks a lot about hate, actually. He seems to deal with a lot of it that comes from domestic quarters, and you really see this if you listen to his music. People are drawn to hate. It sticks out and arouses curiosity. Hate on any platform only inspires more of the same.

I’m stressing the domestic nature of this hate because some people seem to think because Koreans are the people highlighting something, therefore it is more legitimate. The people who started calling Tae an alien were Korean, the people criticizing Hobi, Joon, JM, Suga, JK and Tae for their weight and behaviors are Korean, the people criticizing JK, JM, Tae, and RM for their speech are Korean, the people who start these rumors are Korean. The people who hounded Dan to an absurd degree, are Korean.

Nobody is obligated to like every person they see. One thing I personally try to do with BTS, is give benefit of doubt in how they relate to each other when I see things I find unpleasant because we’re all human. Unrelatedly, when I see people I disagree with, I engage because debate is healthy, and it’s possible I might change my mind about something. The moment I realize these people are antis, I disengage because see all the above.

Originally posted: October 6th, 2021 12:20am

#kpop fandom #fandom behavior #bts army #bts fandom #repost #jimin #park jimin #fandom behaviour #kpop #BTS #Bangtan #yoongi

[on-the-shelves]

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 3 - summer (a.k.a. the finale)

And so it comes to an end. I handed in my Master's thesis (topic: Emancipatory Potential of Girl Teen Film) about a week ago, so now I'm just waiting for it to be graded and also I have to find a job or something now... The thing I have been dreading most for like 10 years...

ANYWAY so I was super busy this summer with the thesis and going to a Japanese film festival for a class (I mostly saw very emotional movies (oops) and one very good comedy (Mondays: See You 'This' Week)), going to concerts (Red Velvet!!! Odd Eye Circle!!! Twice!!), going on vacation but still spending at least 3 hours every day working on my thesis, keeping up with the BTS members, seeing literally every BTS/TXT/IU concert or documentary they showed in cinemas, etc. etc.

So here we go into the final list of albums/songs that soundtracked my studies (it's been almost exactly 6 years since my first post in this series!!):

The Jazz Hop Café: (anything with "jazzy lofi" in the title)

So this one's not really an album, I know, but I wanted to mention this YouTube channel and their compilations of lofi songs because on many days, playing one of their videos was the only way I could get focused on the work I had to do. Using a video was also much more helpful to me than that famous lo-fi livestream because it helped me track how many hours I had been working. Truly a life-saver. And the music just sounds great too. They found some real gems!

Agust D: D-Day (2023)

What a perfect finale to the Agust D trilogy. While all three albums, Agust D (2016), D-2 (2020) and now this one, deal with anger and fear, there's a clear maturation in how these subjects and emotions are approached. On D-Day, Agust D is speaking to the world and breaking free - in openly and honestly sharing his struggles, his pain, he hopes others can feel comforted. The album literally begins with the line "Future's gonna be okay" ("D-Day"). The theme continues throughout the album, most prominent in "Amygdala" and "Snooze", a beautifully cinematic track featuring the late Ryuichi Sakamoto that is dedicated especially to everyone working publically in the music industry and struggling. He has been there, he knows what it's like and he is sincerely cheering you on. In the last years, Yoongi has emphasised again and again how much he wants to help out others and this album showcases this desire the clearest out of all of his albums. He's also pushing himself to try out a variety of new styles without losing his identity: "People Pt. 2 (feat. IU)", "SDL" and "Life Goes On" showcase his warm singing voice, while "Snooze" is the grandest he's gone musically, filled with strings, guitars, piano, and so much emotion. "Haegeum" takes a leaf out of "Daechwita" from D-2's book by incorporating a traditional Korean instrument in a novel way, while using the lyrics to speak of the hypocrisies plaguing society today. The music video for that one is like a movie, too. All in all, the album is hopeful while being emotionally heavy - and in that way, it allows a feeling of catharsis. How desperately I wish I could've gone to a concert on the tour...

fav: Life Goes On; People Pt. 2

Jimin: Face (2023)

So this was not at all what I would have expected from Jimin's first solo EP, considering the types of songs he had released before. Especially the first single, "Set Me Free, Pt. 2" came busting down the doors and demolishing all those preconceived expectations with it's assured declaration of wanting to break free from them. The other tracks are more intimate but just as interesting. The album opens with clown-like music before morphing into a very different sound and the opening line "All right, I guess the blame is on me" - brilliant. The album feels very visual to me because it's full of this kind of 'sound painting', like the clown music or "Interlude : Dive", which tells a whole story of Jimin reminiscing about the BTS concert days and the frustration and sadness of not being able to do that right now. Jimin has said he worked through his feelings from the most difficult times of the pandemic in these songs and you can feel that frustration all over these tracks. For example: Lead single "Like Crazy" really makes you feel like you're not fully sober, just trying to ignore all the bad feelings but struggling to do so. Jimin uses his already unique voice in a variety of new ways throughout the tracks. And added to that, there are quite a few interesting moments on all these songs - like the long-ish musical interlude after "Like Crazy"'s first chorus or the way the music stutters after the "Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie" line in "Alone". An added bonus, lovely moment is the hidden track on the physical album, which is more like what I'd have expected from Jimin, and is a beautiful guitar ballad for ARMY.

fav: Face-off

V: Layover (2023)

After years and years of V promising that his mixtape/album would come out soon, just for him to reveal that he's scrapped everything and started over, it's finally here and it's everything I could have ever hoped. One of the first BTS songs I heard that made me fall into the rabbit hole was his "Singularity". The R&B, more laid-back sound suits his vocal tone so perfectly, and that's exactly what runs through all of these new songs. One thing that stands out is how much room is given to the instrumentals: "Slow Dancing"'s second half is just a flute/piano solo with no vocals. It really boosts that laid-back, dreamy feeling that runs throughout the EP. Lyrically, all the songs are about missing someone and wanting them back, which V conveys very convincingly. The music emphasises this feeling in different ways - from the slightly off-key (?) moments in "Rainy Days", to the jazz and soul inspired free-ness of "Slow Dancing", to the key change via pitched-up vocals in "For Us". Generally the sound also fit in perfectly with all of that jazzy lofi I'd been listening to while writing, which made it feel instantly familiar and cozy. My favourite part of the promotions were all the live band sessions that really added so much to these songs.

fav: Rainy Days; Blue

Jung Kook: "Seven" (2023)

Song of the Summer!! I literally couldn't stop listening to this song all summer, seven days a week (ha). To be honest, I was shocked when I heard the lyrics the first time because Jung Kook just had a much more innocent (?) image, but actually this vibe suits him perfectly. He is such a quintessential pop star - vocals, dance, looks, charisma: he has it all in abundance. And on top of that, he lacks the cheesy insincerity or even low-key misogyny that I get from a lot of the pop boys historically. The lyrics to "Seven" are sexy, especially because of how loving they seem: "I kiss your waist and ease your mind"! "I must be favored to know ya"!! It's just so very Jung Kook. And I really enjoyed the remixes of the song, too, in a way I haven't enjoyed remixes since BTS' "Dynamite". Especially the "Island Remix" was fun for me, since I was on holiday on an island when it was released (Mallorca - the same island where V also shot some videos for his album this year!!).

Kep1er: LOVESTRUCK! (2023); Magic Hour (2023)

Both Kep1er EPs this year have had some of their best non-single tracks so far, with generally better line distribution among the members than their lead singles/title tracks. They have been leaning more into a groovy, light sound, and allowing more space for individual vocals and harmonies. By Magic Hour, it feels like they are starting to find a good niche for themselves, musically. "Galileo" is my favourite title track of theirs since "Up" (2022) and this might be the first time I truly like every song on an EP. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be their last album, since they're a project group with a limited contract which is supposed to be up after two years (meaning end of this year)... They're only just starting to find their feet as a group! What a strange system...

fav: Back To The City; Why; Galileo; The Door

Odd Eye Circle: &lt;Version Up> (2023)

After the chaos on Loona island that started at the end of last year, all the members got out of their contract this year!! And then went on to several different new agencies. They do keep mentioning that Loona is not broken up, so there is still hope for an OT12 reunion at some point. For now, the first group to have released new music is the second Loona sub-unit Odd Eye Circle, who just so happens to be my favourite sub-unit. And they truly delivered once again. Maybe it helped that they're working with their original producer again, but they really do showcase an upgraded version of themselves on this new album. Every song is such an earworm, but not annoying in any way. And I really enjoy the little references to the Loona discography and first OEC EP - the introduction track often brings a little tear to my eye. I have barely listened to Loona in the past year because of the ongoing boycott and this EP filled that void a little. Plus the girls were AMAZING in concert, I literally cannot believe I saw them live in a tiny venue in Berlin and got to see all of their solo songs, duets, and of course OEC songs. And even "Hi High"!

fav: Je Ne Sais Quoi; Love Me Like

Loossemble: Loossemble (2023)

Speaking of Loona: The five members who went to a different label recently released their own EP under the name Loossemble, which stands for Loona Assemble (so cute). Even though this was literally only released two weeks ago, I've been listening to it constantly. First of all, we finally get to hear the five members who usually get the least amount of lines in OT12 songs - and they sound so good! I especially love all of the harmonies on the album. This EP also really still feels like a Loona (sub-unit) album, especially from the fan-favourite earlier days, not straying too far into unknown territory (yet?) but not boring in any way because they do get to showcase new things, like ViVi's lower register on "Sensitive". I also find it very cool that all of the members have at least one writing/composing credit on the EP, which is something they've never gotten to do before but are really good at! And "Strawberry Soda" was even written for them by fellow Loona (but not Loossemble) member Yves! They're really still carrying the OT12 agenda. Fingers crossed Loossemble also decides to tour in Europe at some point!

fav: Strawberry Soda; Sensitive

NewJeans: Get Up (2023)

It's really amazing how NewJeans keep upping their game with every release. This EP is more summery again, but again in a way that's very atypical for K-Pop, drawing on various styles of dance music as well as R&B. It's varied and fun and has quite a few interesting elements, such as the unusual sparse sound of "ASAP" and the horns in "ETA".

fav: Super Shy; Get Up

BTS: "Take Two" (2023)

Of course they recorded a song to be released around their 10-year anniversary when they weren't all able to celebrate together. Of course they did. And of course it's such a warm, embracing hug of a song. 2025 can't come soon enough.

And here are some more albums I enjoyed:

Colde: Love Part 2 (2023)

Twice: Ready To Be (2023)

Fifty Fifty: The Fifty (2022)

Fall Out Boy: So Much (for) Stardust (2023)

j-hope: Jack In The Box (HOPE Edition) (2023)

STAYC: Teenfresh (2023)

Le Sserafim: Unforgiven (2023)

Viviz: VarioUS (2023)

Itzy: Cheshire (2022)

the BTS discography remains on repeat as well, of course

---------------------------------------------

A final note: I'm really proud of myself for keeping this series going all this time. I already sometimes look back on older posts and it's so interesting to see how my taste in music and my way of writing changed through the years. Sometimes the music you listened to at a certain time in your life will always remain connected to that time for you but sometimes that connection weakens. So having these posts to look back on is like having all these little time capsules, which is nice. I don't know if I'll keep doing something similar now that I'm out of school, but it could be nice... We'll see what happens next (I have 0 plans for my future :D)!

#on my shelf #soundtrack to university #bts #agust d #jimin #v #jungkook #newjeans #loona #odd eye circle #loossemble #kep1er