#only one kpop song made it on my list this year

[bisonaari]

So I've mentionned wanting to do a list of weird music recs a while ago, and the idea hasn't left me so here it is!

If you enjoy weird music, come with me in the read more ohohoho I've got beautiful things to show ya

First I'd like to mention that my specialty is asian pop, especially japanese pop (I've been hosting a panel about weird jmusic at my local con for more than 10 years). So there's gonna be a lot of that stuff here hahaha

Golden Bomber

They're my absolute favourites they're incredible. First of all… THEY'RE NOT A REAL BAND. ONLY THE SINGER SINGS, THE OTHER MEMBERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY. Their music videos are always a delight because nothing makes sense

Other songs from them:

dance my generation

Yokubou no uta

Odoru na yo -do not dance-

Norazo

Norazo is this weird korean duo that I've been following for the last 15 years. Their videos are always the result of like if you could film someone's fever dream and it's DELIGHTFUL

Some other songs from them:

Your fortune

Wild Horse

Cider

P'tit Belliveau

I need to show off my country a little bit! P'tit Belliveau is an artist from Canada, singing in chiac. What is chiac? It's actually a variant form of canadian french, spoken in the east of the country. It's honestly pretty cool sounding, and sadly not valued enough. Anyway, his videos are very 80's/90's graphics inspired (with a lot of weird ass CGI lately hahaha) and he just seems really friendly I love him

Some other songs:

J'feel comme un alien

Cool When Yer Old

Téo Lavabo

I love this guy SO MUCH HAHAHA. So Téo Lavabo is from France. He's proudly lgbt and that's a recurring theme in his songs. His style can be described as… yodel/electro/pop??? I SWEAR I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP LOOK FOR YOURSELF

Other songs:

Vernini Vernana

Caresse ma salopette

TATI TATTOO

Little Big

Of course a lot of people here will know them, as they were selected for eurovision 2020 (I have been following them since like 2014 and I was HEARTBROKEN when esc 2020 was cancelled I wanted them to win so bad haha). They've started as a band that made music a lot heavier (still weird though), but they've mellowed down in the latest years. After the war, Ilya and Sonya moved to the USA.

Other songs:

Faradanza

Skibidi

MOUSTACHE (feat. Netta !!)

DJ OZMA

I have to speak about him because he's the person who started me on this weird music journey all the way back in 2009 (my mom HATES him for that HAHAHA I haven't been normal since). DJ Ozma was the pop side project of rock band Kishidan's lead singer, Ayanocozey Show. It lasted only for 3 years but oh boy what incredible 3 years they were. He was mostly doing japanese covers of kpop songs, with some original ones from time to time.

Other songs:

Spiderman

drinkin' boys

I RAVE U

Momoiro Clover Z

Momoiro Clover started as a fairly standard jpop idol group back in 2008 (I've been following them since then, it has been a while lol). In the following years, one of their members decided to leave to pursue an acting career instead. They switched the group name to Momoiro Clover Z and all the videos took such a turn, it was quite the whiplash. And it was for the BEST, they're aliens in the idol world, including the fact that some members are pushing 30 now! Their style is mostly back to normal nowadays, but they've still produced gems

Other songs:

Neo Stargate

PUSH

I think that's enough for today hahaha. If you want more or if you want to share some interesting artists, please don't hesitate!! I'm always in for new weird music hahaha. After ESC 2023 someone suggested Hooja and I absolutely LOVED it, and katinkulta has sent me some KAJ it was a delight. So please send all the weird stuff my way I need it like I need water

#music recs #music recommendation #I hope you'll like some of them! #Youtube

[xiaojuun]

2023 kpop recap ♡ tagged by @ambivartence !

Groups You Started Stanning?: well the big ones of course are wayv and nct (mostly 127 but i tune in for nct u of course of course ... loved golden age) ... i would say i also got really into triples this year musicwise, but i don't actually know the girls

New Ult Biases?: dejun ... my cringe bestie it was inevitable from the moment i saw him cleaning up poop on the puppy interview ...

Idol(s) Who Got The Most Of Your Simping?: idk you all tell me . i think i'm pretty normal KJSGJHBS but i'm sure we can make some arguments for mr. jaehyun and also my husband sehyoon who returned from war god bless

Most Streamed Group(s): cravity, treasure, enhypen, and purple kiss according to my spotify wrapped; nct and wayv definitely are my most streamed in the last couple of months though!

Most Streamed Soloist(s)?: woodz is the only one who made it into my wrapped report, but i'd guess probably also yena, yuri, and maybe eric nam

Top K-Pop Song(s) Of This Year (Opinion Or Streaming, You Choose): nct djj perfume is definitely my song of the year. others i think deserve soty shoutouts: save me kill me - cix, busted - woodz, rising - triples, fate - enhypen, agit - purple kiss, kick it 4 now - tnx, regret it - exo

Top Debut This Year: for the girls kiss of life with shhh ! for the boys ... dojaejung counts right ??

Choreographies You Learned: i don't learn choreo like on purpose HAHA but i can kind of dance along to groovy by cravity

Albums/Merchandise You Bought: too many albums per usual since cravity and treasure both had comebacks, and i just started buying for my new obsessions 🧍🏼‍♀��� i also got a tshirt at the omega x concert, and mary and i got the new truz crossbody bags which are actually so cute ... and we also got wayv seasons greetings to share which i think was a great decision

New Kpop Mutuals You Made?: my new nctuals i love u guys thanks for letting me in and treating me like a bestie even though i just got here 7 years late with my giant iced coffee in hand and sporadic posting around my insane work schedule. and for anyone else who started holding my hand this year, just know ... i don't let go easily or ever ! 😈

Tagging: gonna go through my follow list and tag my most recently made mutuals as inspired by that last question hehe no pressure though! also sorry if we haven't actually interacted before, in my mind we are best friends as soon as u follow me back . just fyi . <3 @minhyukie @bouncingback @neonsbian @irlvernon @lenteur @yutaslaugh @yunogf @baekhyunnybyun and bc i mentioned her in here @dongkwan teehee

#this was a fun one thank u siyuan !!

[leetaehwan]

kpop 2023 recap !

tagged by: @ambivartence and @lee-minhoe ty mel and siyuan beloveds !

Groups You Started Stanning?

hmm i think i've only collected a few this year .. vanner for sure, cravity, and ini, which is technically jpop but i'm still counting it hehe

New Ult Biases?

no new ult biases here lee know and dk have those spots locked down for now fdjkfj i have collected a couple new regular biases tho (hiii taehwan, masaya, and takeru <33)

Idol(s) Who Got The Most Of Your Simping?

dude is this even a question of course it's lee know fndjskgfskl it's been like two years and i have not known peace </3

Most Streamed Group(s)

stray kids, seventeen, nct 127, treasure, cravity

Most Streamed Soloist(s)?

woodz, key, taeyeon, yena, taeyong

Top K-Pop Song(s) Of This Year (Opinion Or Streaming, You Choose)

my most streamed song wasn't from this year (it was to you by seventeen) but i'll list my top 5 streamed songs from 2023: groovy / cravity, lunch / bss, perfume / nct dojaejung, fighting (ft. lee young ji) / bss, ruby / taeyong

Top Debut This Year

i haven't paid a ton of attention to debuts this year but i definitely love riize (shoutout sungtaro <3) i've been meaning to check them out more!

Choreographies You Learned

none really i WISH my area offered a kpop dance class or something but the closest one to me is like an hour away 😭 the closest i get to learning any choreos is like parts of the chorus that i end up doing while driving or sitting at a red light AHJFGHFGHS

Albums/Merchandise You Bought

oh gosh where to start i bought some nct albums, some skz albums, seventeen, treasure,,, it's a problem. i also bought a very nice very big pc holder book which now has all my photocards arranged quite nicely. oh and rachel very kindly gave me some of her trejo pcs so i have quite the collection going rn :)

New Kpop Mutuals You Made?

i think i've made a fair few this year! especially my skztuals i def have a bunch of u guys now <3 i even got to meet one this year as well (hiii rachel miss u 💕) ! new and old i love having all of u around thanks for being here with me 🥰

tagging (if u want!): @gnanii @chanrizard @changbeens @snug-gyu @yang-innie @lunetual @xiaojuun @jinniebit and anybody else who sees this consider this ur tag ! :)

#again i'm late to the game so sorry if u have already been tagged! #it's always fun to look back on the year like this #maybe this year i'll try to listen to more new groups i feel like i get stuck in the same like four groups sometimes lol #gotta go work on my recap sets i have so much narrowing down to do </3 #games

[lavandulacosmos]

K-Pop Recap Of 2023!

Thanks for the tag @wifehwa 💜

Groups You Started Stanning?

Due to my tumblr/kpop hiatus, I only got to properly stan Stray Kids this year so I'm very much playing catchup with a lot of their content but they really didn't catch my attention back in 2018 so. Other notable mentions are Xdinary Heroes and IVE.

New Ult Biases?

There is nothing new about my ults, I'm set in my ways, mostly just a shift of focus onto the most active of them. But that one dude at the end has fought his way onto the list~

Idol(s) Who Got The Most Of Your Simping?

I can't even imagine who could that be- (gets dragged under by the crushing weight of reblogs)

Most Streamed Group(s)?

Ateez (based on spotify, which is a valid accusation)

Most Streamed Soloist(s)?

Too many but Sunmi, Yunho, DPR Ian and Taemin took the top that's for sure.

Top K-Pop Song(s) Of This Year (Opinion Or Streaming, You Choose)

Well my good old friend, Wrapped listed This World as No.1 followed by Halazia, Dune and Wake Up. I wouldn't dare fight this decision. Queen and the crown jewels at their rightful place.

Top Debut This Year

Monsta XXL Kiss of Life!

Choreographies You Learned

The chorus of Bouncy and Crazy Form in a very sedated manner, plus a few cute moves that came up in challenges.

Albums/Merchandise You Bought

I'm a serial album buyer, so one too many of those - especially since I'm still catching up on a few of my faves. But the most memorable was buying WILL in Thailand and getting this adorable pc for free from the kind girl at the store~ (Thanks again Nittaya, you are a saint of a shinestar)

New Kpop Mutuals You Made?

Hi there, Atinys~ ✨️💕

Tagging: @hongjoongpresent @hwangelbaby @irlkpop @rashfcrd @xuseokgyu @userwoosan @lgbtuan @lecknow @choienthusiast @yeofi if you want to, and anyone who wants to do this! 💖

#me #tag game #thanks ann!💚 #have fun and make your confession for the people of this hellsite

[maxsix]

Favourite KPOP Songs of 2023

So I am 3 days late posting this but I wanted to do it to keep up the tradition. It's fun looking back at old lists. My criteria isn't so much based on technical merit but rather the songs that I wanted to listen to over and over again for whatever reason.

Cupid by Fifty Fifty. No doubt, this is social media's song of the year. I have never seen a song that is actually good become so organically viral, only to be reduced to absolutely nothing because of abysmal management. Not even New Jeans was this widespread this year (to me). Cupid was playing at my local supermarket and even people who know nothing about kpop loved this song. It ranks low for me because I'm definitely sick of hearing it by now. Regardless, it is still a very well written pop song.

Ayo by NCT 127. Okay, hear me out: NCT is like durian. You either completely understand why it is called the King of Fruits or you think I should be put in jail for saying that. If you are a brave connoisseur who refuses to be confined by societal pressure, then know what it's like to open your third eye and consume NCT for what they are: completely weird but never boring. It's an experience. If you don't get it, I don't know what to tell you.

Tinnitus by TXT. Temptation is my least favourite TXT album from the last 3 years but I think that is mostly due to how much I hated Sugar Rush Ride. I've been re-listening to a lot of their material again and okay, I'll give this one a pass: it's a mood. Thanks Kang Taehyun. I don't know if it was very intentional but his voice is all I hear on the final version. Man, that dude's voice always gets me somehow, I don't know how he does it.

Rover by Kai. It's not even that good of a song and yet, it was everywhere and I was gaslit into liking it. The viral dance made it the hit it became but to be fair, much of this was really down to his star power and ability to make really good choices that suit his strengths (dance first, vocals second). This is EXO Kai we are talking about after all; when he delivers, he really delivers. New Gen boys can take some notes.

Drama by Aespa. This is like Asian Junk Food. It's objectively so terrible, full of empty calories, no nutritional value but they took the Terrible and sprinkled MSG on it, so now it's TastyTerrible. As someone who wants to learn film editing, the MV is excellent and an example of top tier editing without choppy cuts. I have not noticed editing this neat and time consuming since Seventeen's 'HOT'.

Back To Me by The Rose. A group with solid talent and well written songs. I wish every success for them to be honest. I am posting the live video because they are one of those groups who are better live and won't give you The Fear watching it. I wish I could've seen them because I genuinely just love their voices and sound. They've filled the void left behind by Day 6.

Hard by Shinee. It's just your typical weird and perfect Shinee pop song but with a distinctly 90s flavour in my opinion. They are just all so talented that it's virtually impossible to ignore them. SM production is always so slick but with Shinee it is something to gild the lily rather than hard carry the entire song and group. Onew vocals never takes a day off, he was flawless even in the raw recordings.

Kitsch by IVE. It's just so cute and comforting in the way a harmless little pop song can be. It's like a fresh breeze. There's no pressure to do anything but enjoy it. In the absence of Blackpink, they are definitely my favourite girl group at the moment.

This World by Ateez. I do actually prefer it to Bouncy because it has that dystopian and almost gothic feel to it. I don't think it would've made a good title track because it's not as explosive as Bouncy but it 100% would fit into a movie or montage sequence. It absolutely goes so hard in the car, especially at night.

Flower by Jisoo. I think this was just a very smart choice for her and her team. It did not have anything too complex or overly dramatic. It suits her elegance and brand perfectly. It was also very pleasant and kinda of prettily boring? The dance was very popular and cute without being obnoxious. She is very much a Great Gowns Beautiful Gowns and "Go on girl, give us nothing!" idol but I have a soft spot for her. I can't believe we live in a world where Jisoo has the best Blackpink solo song.

3D (Alternate Version) by Jungkook. I did not like it when it was released (with that awful rap feature) but the purely Jungkook and performance versions of it really improved everything. I am really happy that Golden is as good as it is, because I think most Jungkook stans from 2013 lived in fear he would only release Mid Tier pop songs. I think most features on the album are unnecessary. Jungkook has presence and star power on his own. Everything else diluted what we all came for.

Blue Blood by IVE. It's an unexpectedly more mature sound from them and I loved it. I think the driving backing track makes this one of the best driving songs. It has this dark eloquence to it, which I always vibe with. One of their best B sides for sure.

Off The Record by IVE. This was the best track off their album this year. That title track was heinous. OTR was so calm and comforting and there is something about it that reminded me of Gfriend and OhMyGirl where it's just a good song with any histrionics. I do not think IVE suit that bad girl crush concept at all. They always had this expensive High Teen aura and it really took at hit with Baddie imo.

Ring (Unplugged/Acoustic Version) by TXT. This isn't cheating, they released this one on a July 2023 album. Even if it was cheating, I would've still put it on here. It's well written, well produced, well paced and suits everyone in the group. But personally, I always saw this as a Kang Taehyun song (even though he didn't even write it). His aura is all over it. Controversial opinion but I think this has one of Yeonjun's best rap verses because the slower tempo works so much better for his voice and flow.

Crazy Form by Ateez. Ah the Male version of Junk Food with MSG. I don't think it's anywhere near their best song but it's a good fun time and after the tough year(s) we have all had, it's nice to jam to something silly. It's very SKZ adjacent but in my opinion, with much better production and editing because the team behind Ateez are better at it. I'm also including this because it made me really see Jeong Yunho. If you know you know.

Roll With Me by Hyungwon/Shownu. Technically The H/S version of Wildfire is my favourite from them this year but since it wasn't official, I'll go with my second favourite release. It once again proves that Hyungwon is my favourite man (musically) in Monsta X. I like his style, tastes and instincts. It's true that he is my overall favourite in MX but I'm mature now! It's not just the visuals, I truly put his musical output as the number 1 reason I like him.

Standing Next To You by Jungkook. Listen, listen, listen.....I have been following this dude since 2013. I always KNEW he could give more and be more. Even though SNTY isn't even 100% of what I think he can do, it was enough for me to feel all these 10 years were not wasted lol. This deserved this stop purely for the instrumentation and production value alone. Granted, it is very westernised but good music is good music. This is the only time where a feature (remix) actually added something.

Silver Light by Ateez. The sister to Cyberpunk. It is really like its title: a sparkling God Ray of light that cuts through the darkness. It's mysterious but also so hopeful and comforting. They just scraped in with this at the last minute but it is already one of my absolutely favourite Ateez songs. Instant love from 1st listen. The type of song I wish I was more conscious and present for so I could go back to experience it again for the first time. Park Seonghwa supremacy because this is now a song I associate with him. He's not even my Ateez bias but he is my favourite and the most important Ateez member to me. How that works, I do not know.

My favourite song of 2023:

Chasing That Feeling by TXT. They achieved the trifecta in 2023 for me: favourite song, favourite lyric, favourite choreography. I'm not even going to link to the official MV because the choreography needs to be seen unobstructed and undiluted. This is the type of song that I barely have any critiques on (and if I did, they would all be minor). The type of song that I would put as my bio. The type of song I want my best friend to play at my funeral. This era was also the one that pushed Choi Soobin into my life when he knew damm well that my heart has been closed for business for the last 12 months. The power this song had on me was all consuming and cannot be overstated, ok?

#favourite songs of the year #top 2023 kpop songs #there are a lot of songs i liked but don't listen to a lot #i don't think any of this is a surprise #i'm a nice friendly pop girl now i promise #ateez #txt #tomorrow x together #exo kai #aespa #nct #5050 #jungkook #ive #monsta x

[baekhyunnybyun]

K-Pop Recap Of 2023!

Tagged by @xiaojuun @jaebeomtual @onmywayv @kihyunsgf (ty beloveds 💜)

Groups You Started Stanning?: ateez, sf9 & a.c.e. I knew some ateez & sf9 music and had seen an mv or two for both, but I didn't really stan either group before 2023. ateez happened in like January tho bc I loved halazia and one of my friends kept putting them on the dash. sf9 happened after watching doom at your service (hi dawon ily). a.c.e was completely new in every way to me. I found them weeks before sehyoon was freed and realized I had heard their 5sos youngblood cover before and quickly became OBSESSED. I also started listening to purple kiss for the first time in 2023 but idk the members 🤷‍♀️ oh and txt was new to me (tinnitus ily) but idk that I would say I stan them perse...

New Ult Biases?: believe it or not moon taeil 🤭 he was my number one nct boy before last year but I finally accepted that he was an ult like EARLY in the year

Idol(s) Who Got The Most Of Your Simping?: baekhyun & taeil with kun coming in at a firm 3rd place 😅 taeil may have even taken top spot but who's to say

Most Streamed Group(s): according to spotify wrapped: exo, a.c.e, svt, ateez, sf9, wayv, nct 127 and red velvet

Most Streamed Soloist(s)?: baekhyun, d.o, chanyeol, kai (tell me ur and exol without telling me), woodz, b.i, dpr ian, tabber, onew

Top K-Pop Song(s) Of This Year (Opinion Or Streaming, You Choose): I'm working on creating a top ten list based off opinions so we will have to go with spotify wrapped for this one so i don't sit here and agonize over this for hours. But my top 5 streamed kpop songs *FROM 2023* (betcha by bbh made my top 5) were: 1. Hear Me Out by EXO, 2. Let Me In by EXO, 3. Somebody by D.O, 4. Circle by Onew, 5. Cream Soda by EXO. But also omy the album by wayv ily 🫶🏻

Top Debut This Year: the only debuts i even tuned in for were kiss of life & riize (ty my best friends sungtaro)

Choreographies You Learned: I don't learn choreo. I instead dance like an idiot for fun lmao

Albums/Merchandise You Bought: exo, shinee, svt, ateez, kai but no wayv bc no money 😭

New Kpop Mutuals You Made?: ummmm like 99% of my mutuals were made in 2023 so hello ily all 🫂💜

Tagging (no pressure ofc <3): @jwooyoung @sunminshine @lee-minhoe & some newer mutuals @ninqz @jsuh @nfly5 @dongkwan @talksaxy @wifehwa +anyone who sees this and wants to do it just say I tagged you!

#tag games

[hotasfahrenheit]

So you wanna get into NCT, eh?

Part 2 - NCT 127 - Introduction and MVs

I promised I would do more of this and the holidays are done and today is the first of the year so that seems like a great time to get to it!

Tumblr has a 10 video limit so I'll actually make a second 127 post tomorrow(?) with some more MVs, but these are my personal picks for 10 most crucial 127 MVs so that's what we're starting with.

I mentioned in my intro post to NCT that NCT 127 debuted in July 2016, on the 7th, after the larger whole group of NCT had debuted in April of that year. 127 is the longitude of Seoul, and with the original intent of NCT to have a multitude of subgroups focused on different parts of the world, 127 were established as the first of these groups with a focus on Seoul and South Korea.

NCT 127 debuted with seven members:

Taeil, Taeyong, Yuta

Jaehyun, Winwin

Mark, Haechan

In December of 2016, two ungrouped, already debuted members of NCT were added to 127, Johnny and Doyoung, and then the final member, Jungwoo, was added in September of 2018 after he joined NCT earlier that year.

Johnny, Doyoung, Jungwoo

(All pictures taken from the NCT official Facebook page from the Golden Era promo posts, so these photos are all from summer 2023 and I'll use the same set of photos for the other subgroup posts to be consistent)

If you're interested in putting in the effort to learn the members and looking at this single set of photos isn't going to get you there (how could it?) my pro tip for learning kpop group members for ANY group is to pull off a split screen or makeshift split screen and make use of the many many fan-made lyric videos on Youtube. If you have a computer, have two windows open on Youtube with one having the official MV and the other a lyric video (you can find these by typing in the group name, song name, and "lyric video" and trust me, you'll find plenty). Mute one, compare the video lengths, then time them to coincide- the lyric videos will typically light up a picture of the member singing as well as have their name at the bottom of the video with the lyrics, so you can have a constant guide to who is singing what throughout. Makeshift split screening can be done by watching the MV on your TV while watching the lyric video on your phone at the same time. I've done both of these and it's helped me a lot!

Okay, back to 127 members specifically- despite the focus on Seoul, 127 is an international group member-wise, with Winwin coming from China, Yuta being the first SM artist to come from Japan, and members Mark coming from Canada and Johnny from America. Jaehyun also lived in America for four years growing up, so they started out with a pretty solid English speaking base.

They debuted with Fire Truck (소방차) in July 2006 as we've already covered, and their first EP which was just titled NCT #127 - The First Mini Album. They've released a whole pile of albums, mini albums, various singles, special releases, and several Japanese albums over the years so there's quite a big pile of songs and material to go through.

Now a factual, historical way to get into discussing them here would be to list songs in order of how they were released and talk about how successful songs and albums were and etc, but I don't really feel like doing things that way so I'm just going to follow my heart and list them in the way that feels right to me to talk about them. These posts are a formalized version of the spam of messages that friends of mine have gotten when they dare tell me they want to get into a kpop group, so I'm going to follow more of that kind of format where I'm going to post the songs that I think will hook you with only a few bits of info between most of them so you can just get into the music. If you really want info about album successes and statistics, Wikipedia and other websites have got you. I got you for the music videos and fun facts instead.

HERE WE GO.

Kick It (Mar 4, 2020) reigns supreme as NCT 127's most viewed song on Youtube, and is one of NCT's top viewed MVs overall out of all releases. This song has a grip on everyone after almost 4 years and it's not letting go anytime soon. They've performed it live at all kinds of big awards shows and music festivals and still do, including a few days ago at the big SBS Gayo Daejeon festival, and Taeyong is famous for complaining about his older sister watching one of their award show performances and him discovering later that all the screenshots she took were of shirtless Johnny and none of him or anyone else dancing or singing.

Listen, I wasn't going to include songs I put in the intro post, but Fact Check (Oct 6, 2023) made it into my top 5 Spotify songs of the year in barely over a month so like I had to include it anyway, and I figure some people will see this post first without seeing that one or whatever. This song feels triumphant and bombastic and the number of times I've blasted this while cruising down the highway recently is HIGH so you get it again. A fun fact I didn't include in the other post is that Taeyong did some of the choreography for the song, so uhhh yeah that can justify me posting it again I guess.

Ahhh Superhuman, my criminally underrated beloved. I'm constantly waffling on what my favourite NCT 127 track is, but Superhuman is definitely one of the top contenders. It's such a gem and I managed to miss it when it originally came out since I wasn't super into NCT yet at the time, which is a shame since it came out the day after my birthday (May 24, 2019) so it was a birthday gift I didn't even realise I was getting. The MVs always cover a decent amount of the choreo up with other things happening but it has some of my absolute FAVOURITE choreo that 127 has ever done which thankfully someone preserved the dance practice video of so you can appreciate it fully. Stellar song, stellar vibes, stellar choreo, it's perfect, thank you.

If you're newer to kpop and you haven't learned about repackage albums yet, it's something that happens where a second version of an album will be released usually a month or two after the initial release. A few songs will be added, a new lead single MV will be released, and a new theme will go with the whole thing. Punch (May 19, 2020) was the new lead single on the repackage for the album that Kick It was the lead single off of (Neo Zone) and is one of the many NCT 127 songs that a lot of people have lumped into being so-called "noise music" since it has some less traditional sounds with the electronic, synthy bits in it but it's honestly amazing with layered sounds and textures and very much worth taking the time to give it the chance it deserves.

The benefit of coming to a post like this instead of only listening to released albums is you get the overlooked masterpieces like Save (June 4 2021) thrown at you! Save was a special collab with Amoeba Culture, an independent record label in South Korea, so it didn't get regular promotion and it's not on any of 127's albums but it is SO CATCHY and such a treat. It's got heavy dance beats and it's so hard to not move while listening to it. I DARE YOU TO TRY.

Cherry Bomb (Jun 14, 2017) is close behind Kick It as 127's second most viewed MV and is an absolute classic from the song itself to the iconic choreo. You'll understand why the choreo is iconic after you watch it, trust me. They've ripped a lot of pants for this song over the years. Mark has an epic rap break, Winwin was still around, Taeil hangs from a giant hook in the middle of a warehouse, Johnny gets dragged around on a couch, there's a lot going on.

Simon Says (Nov 22, 2018) is another repackage album song (from the repackage of Regular-Irregular, Regulate) and is from the brief, sweet spot where 127 had all ten members active, making it one of only two MVs with everyone before Winwin debuted as part of WayV and became inactive in 127. Haechan and Taeil always crush high notes but something about their section that starts with Haechan at 2:53 and has Taeil right at 3:00 always gives me goosebumps.

The original version of Highway to Heaven was released on the Superhuman album, but the English version got an MV (Jul 22, 2019) so that's the one you're getting here. Just 127 playing around in the American desert with a sparkly jangly feel good song with immaculate vibes, what more could you want?

Limitless (Jan 4, 2017) has some truly tragic hair and was one of the worst eras for 127's hair health, and this MV is a really weird assortment of incredibly random nonsense (what is even GOING ON in this entire video) but the song itself is another one of my favourites so I usually just try to pretend the MVs don't exist (yeah there's multiple) and appreciate the song itself for what it is and try to forget Mark's ramen hair and Winwin's dreads (that I think are mainly only in the second MV) and Jaehyun's icicle hair and whatever it was that they did to Taeyong.

READY TO GET DIVISIVE? Either you're going to love Sticker (Sep 16, 2021) or hate Sticker, there is no middle ground. This song SPLIT the fandom and general public, but according to Wikipedia, the album sold "a combined 3.58 million copies [and] broke the record for the best-selling album of all time by an act under SM Entertainment and earned the group the Daesang award at the 31st Seoul Music Awards". Internationally, it "debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming the longest and highest-charting K-pop album in the US in 2021", so obviously some people loved it (it's me, I'm people). This is peak 127 being weird and experimental and there's viral memes of the boys reacting to the demo of the song before recording their version of it that are hilarious. I think it's great. You might not. That's okay.

Okay that's the 10 song limit so you'll have to come back for more MVs hopefully tomorrow. The next post is going to include some more divisive stuff, some softer things, and some Japanese releases so stick around for that! (haha get it, stick around, since I just posted Sticker, see what I did there?)

This post is the second in a series of posts introducing new fans to NCT in a way that makes sense, by getting familiar with one subgroup at a time before moving on to the next. Linked down at the bottom is the intro post, and the rest will be linked as they're added.

Still to come about 127? More MVs, then a guide to some of the fun stuff like their extra content they post on Youtube, before we move on to NCT Dream!

Dedicated as ever to @catatonicrainbow and @poetry-protest-pornography 💖

[So you wanna get into NCT eh? 1 | 2 | 3]

#so you wanna get into nct eh #nct basics #how to get into nct #nct info posts #nct info #nct #nct 127 #mia talks about kpop things #mia talks about nct things

[mins-fins]

some of isa's favorite kpop bsides ! not in any specific order (¬_¬)

y si fuera ella ( shinee ) - one of the best covers of this song wbk!! and okay maybe its not originally a kpop song but god does it slap!! have cried to this song sm times you may as well make it a drinking game 😊👍 (guess how many times isa has cried to y si fuera ella shinee cover ver) (don't) (you'll get alcohol poisoning)

cool with you ( newjeans ) - every song on this album is a 10/10 tbh (ESPECIALLY GET UP LIKE COME ON) but im going to be honest this song just makes me very smiley 😊 everything abt it makes me feel insanely joyous i LOVE newjeans my bffs 🙏

i'll make you cry ( aespa ) - I'LL MAKE YOU CRYYYYYYYY, queens!!! making people sob and sounding good doing it 🙏 every time winter sang i started glitching in real time not fake 🙁 imyc better than lucid dream real!!!

round and around ( jo yuri ) - she knew this song wouldve lead to my death thats why she only made it one minute 😢 oh im so DIZZYYYYY 😖 would sell half of my right leg for a full round and around pls yuri ik its hiding somewhere in the studio 😞

love o'clock ( wjsn ) - ITS SO FUN!! ITS JUST SO FUN!! only ot13 wjsn song in my playlist shameful 🙁 but anyways my girl yeonjung did what she had to do and thank god she did!! they just all sound so joyful i love when women are happy 😠!!!

make me go ( twice ) - love me love me now love me love me good.. AHSGSHSSHA 🙁 the whole more&more album is SOO UNDERRATED YET SO GOOD GIVE IT MORE LOVE?!-&1?-?-?? mina's voice throughout the whole song 🤭 my wife did so well……

oxygen ( twice ) - ANOTHER MORE&MORE SONG YES!!!!! i really really really really want 😢… this song put me through the whole of 2021 easily my most depressed year and i just heard that lalalalalalala at the beginning and i was 😊

sweet talking baby ( girls generation ) - YES YES GIRLS GENERATION!!! literally one of the best songs on the album (boys & girls comes as a close second 😒) one of their most underrated songs fr more sweet talking baby appreciation dyk how much this song has got me through 😡!?-?-&—???? (lying)

salty ( the boyz ) - truly couldnt make a list without this song 🙏 there's a reason no person in the deobi fandom hates this song, it's literally so yummy like i need to CONSUME this song

will i ever see you again? ( red velvet ) - this one is kinda funny bc i didnt really like it when i first listened to it……. BUT I LITERALLY CANNOT HATE ANY RV RELEASES LIKE COME ON?? IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN 🙁 isa #1 will i ever see you again fan real

melting point ( zerobaseone ) - TOUCH TOUCH 심장이 BLUSH BLUSH 두 볼이 RUSH RUSH LIKE DO YOU HEAR THOSE BARS 🫨???? zb1 actually made this song for me guys gunwook and taerae were thinking of me in the studio when they were both FUCKING IT UP IN THERE!!! cutest song ever hello i listen to it almost everyday and im not ashamed 🫢

#uh huh 👍 #🌠 isa's mutterings .!

[randomobsessionsofa30something]

My top 15 kpop albums of 2023

It's been a year since I posted something. At this point, I feel I'm only writting to keep a record for myself of my favorites of the year. Still, if anyone cares to read this, know I've posted my favorite korean music and dramas of the year every year since 2016. First up, my favorite albums of 2023.

15. Heize-Last winter. I've honestly been in a Heize break for almost two years because I felt her songs started to sound too much alike but this album got me excited for her music once again. It has bearly been a week since it came out so I did hesitate including it but I think it portrays my favorite style of hers so at the end I was like "yeah, it deserves a spot". Forget me not feauturing BIG NAUGHTY's beautiful vocals is my favorite song of the album. However her title, a collab with 10 cm, is a close second. Picnic of the Night gives us a more uptempo beat and Chan's sweet vocals are so relaxing. I think I will be listening this album a lot in the next few months.

14. PENOMECO-Rorschach (Part 1). Ever since Penomeco entered my radar I have loved pretty much everything he has released. I do prefer his more chill music but this year he brought us more of his hip hop side and released two mini albums called Rorschach, both could have easily made my list but I think at the end of the day I like the album he released in april a bit more, and he does have two songs with Zico in this one, which did tip the balance for me. As I said, I do like his more layback music so my favorite song is Margiela feauturing Paul Blanco. The album starts with strong beats with Boy Pablo (2019) and stays on track with his title song Rindaman feauturing Zico. His other collab with Zico: Pew! is also a fiery song. As is Bubble. He slows down for his other three songs and they all are such a great listen.

13. TREASURE-Reboot. I think TREASURE has had really bad luck, from their delayed debut to the ups and downs lately. The thing is I've always prefered those groups I actually feel excited to listen to their whole albums and TREASURE has really delivered in all of them as far as I'm concerned. People keep saying YG is holding them back by making them have the typical YG songs like BONA BONA or STUPID on this album but since I'm a fan of those kind of songs so I really look forward to it. However it was the songs by their subunits I actually liked the most MOVE is just such an exciting song and THE WAY TO by the vocal unit is just my kind of ballad. To be fair listening to Jungwoo and Jihoon sing is such highlight for me on all of their songs. I just love their tones.

12. Taeyeon-To. X. 2023 was a year where I really got into Taeyeon's discography. So I was really excited for this comeback. The title To. X is a fun midtempo break up song. I would have liked Melt Away more as the title but I did love both songs. This is also a recent release so I moved it up and down in my list a lot. I'm also having a hard time picking a favorite song. I also enjoy listening to Fabolous with the quorky beat and witty lyrics but I think I actually liked all the tracks equally.

11. VIXX-CONTINUUM. VIXX has changed a lot over the last few years but somehow this album with only Leo, Ken and Hyuk sounds very much like VIXX used to sound in 2015. They really stand on their own and all of their voices are amazing. However I've always had a soft spot for Leo and his vocals in Lilac are just heavenly. Probably why I love that ballad so much. I was actually surprised with Hyuk's low vocals that give a needed twist to Leo and Ken's power vocals. All five songs in this mini album are so good. The title is Amnesia and the MV aesthetic is obviously inspired by the movie Dune.

10. NCT DOJAEJUNG-Perfume. This release kind of blind sighted me. I never thought Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo would come together in a subunit so in that sense they reminded me of the time I heard EXO CBX was debuting. I really love the title Perfume. It's one of those rare times the title is actually my favorite song of the album. I thought they would do a ballad for their title but the fact it was an upbeat sexy song was unexpectedly right. Doyoung is my favorite NCT vocalist so listening to him this whole album was such a joy. Jaehyun's vocals can be a bit overlooked in NCT127 just because Douyoung and Taeil are so amazing. Listening to him have more time in this album to shine was exactly what I wanted. I love Jungwoo's personality and honestly I was afraid he would get a bit lost in this album but my worries were unnecessary. Often I found his low notes were that little bit of spice the songs needed in this album. I loved all the bsides but Dive and Strawberry Sunday were specially a fun listen. And of course they had to do a traditional SM ballad (Ordinary) which is just beautiful.

9. D.O.- Expectation. I'll never stop wishing for EXO's Kyungsoo to do an r&b album but his heart is in easy listening heartfelt songs so I can't complain. I'm just happy to get anything from him as a solo artist. This mini album has so many pretty songs. I do is my favorite hands down and one of my most played songs of the year but Lost (both the acoustic and the regular version) is such a fun song to listen to and could have easily become the title. The vocals and the melody are so powerful. Ordinary days and The view also have a fun melody. The title Somebody is really catchy and the MV is so sweet.

8. TXT- The name chapter: Freefall. I have to confess I haven't gotten into TXT's content. I just came to like them gradually in the last couple of years and there was so much to catch up on that I haven't really get to know the members at all but the albums are a different story. Deep down is my favorite of the album but Happily Ever After is also a highlight. The title Chasing the Feeling gave us a fun retro beat and the chorus was really addicting. I also found Skipping Stones to be an interesting song. Love the guitar and bass on that one and the vocals by Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huaningkai are just heavenly. And of course the collab with The Jonas Brothers was a bit unexpected yet exactly what I didn't know I wanted.

7. Zion.T-Zip. This was almost out of my list because I just listened to it a week ago, but I had to add it. Zion. T is just so unique and entertaining to listen to. His collab with AKMU called V is my favorite. But as expected, this is a no skip songs with great use of instruments, beats, vocals and occasional rapping. He even released three MVs for this comeback (Stranger, V and Unlove). The album is 10 tracks long yet only sums up 26 minutes. Thank u featuring Yun Seokcheol is also a highlight.

6. V-Layover. To be honest, I was not excited for V's solo stuff. I was expecting a lot from Jungkook and Jimin but not from him. I don't know why. So it was so surprising when I actually wasn't excited with the songs they released but I really loved V's album. It's my fault really because I do tend to overlook Taehyun's vocals when listening to BTS. The sound he went for it's exactly my kind of music. Layover just feels sophisticated. Blue is definitely my go to song with its fancy r&b sound and Love me again has my favorite beat of the album. Slow Dancing is so sweet and For us takes you in a journey. The album is only 5 songs but from the first listen I knew it would make my top 10 of the year.

5. NCT 127-Fact Check. For me, this is the first NCT127 no skip album. I liked LIMITLESS a lot but even that one has a couple of songs that are just not for me. NCT 127's titles are either a huge hit with me or they rub me off, this time around I found Fact Check so addicting. I love Space's melody but Misty is my favorite overall. Everyone's vocals are on point but Taeil is such a wonder to listen to on that one. Love is a beauty is also a great ballad. Parade might be a hiphop heavy song but Doyoung's beautiful vocals really stand out to me. And Angel Eyes gave me a bit of NCT U's With you vibes. I love Mark's parts in Je ne sais quoi then again everyone sounds so good in that song.

4. Taeyang-Down to Earth. Taeyang came back with a bang. Every song on the album feels so big. I wasn't a fan of the title VIBE featuring BTS's Jimin on the first listen, but it really grew on me. The chorus just pops in my head from time to time out of nowhere. Shoong featuring Blackpink's Lisa is amazing, and the performance video is crazy good. Seed is the power ballad of the album. Nightfall featuring Bryan Chase is also a highlight with its retro pop beat and beautiful vocals.

3. Taemin-Guilty. The void Taemin left while he was in the military could not really be fulled by anyone else. He's just different. And yes, a lot of it is the performance but the music always comes first. This album is only six songs but they all are so good. Not gonna lie, the first time I heard The Rizzness I was confused because the strong beat and rapping surprised me. I didn't know if I liked it but it really grew on me after hearing it a couple of times. I'm obsessed with She loves me she loves me not and its playful melody plus it's definitely my most played track of the album. Not over you and Blue takes us in a dreamlike journey.

2. Red Velvet-Chill Kill. I was surprised to realize this is the only album from a girlgroup I liked this year. I even forced myself to listen to some albums of the most popular girlgroups right now but it's just not my kind of music. However this album is straight up my alley. A Velvet R&B album. I hadn't enjoyed a Red Velvet album so much since The Perfect Red Velvet. My favorite Red Velvet comebacks are always the one with a creepy twist so Chill Kill was on point with that strong beat paired with a sweet chorus. Knock knock (who's there) is a seemless follow up to Chill Kill. Underwater is one of my favorites for sure but these days I keep going back to Nightmare. Iced coffee and One Kiss have catchy chorus while Wings is uplifting with beautiful vocals.

1. EXO-EXIST. My Spotify Wrapped top 5 songs belong all to this album. It's actually the first time it happens. Despite me being an EXO-L, some pop or indie songs are usually in the mix, but I guess I missed EXO. They just did all the things I love in an EXO album: r&b, beautiful harmonies, and fun beats. I keep changing my favorite song of the album. At first, it was Regret it just because the production is so great. Then I was like, actually, all the falsetto and runs in Cinderella makes it my favorite. Yet I kept feeling No makeup was the perfect r&b EXO song, so I thought: that one for sure! But of course, the title Cream Soda is so catchy, and the chorus is expectacular, so obviously, that's the one. Nevertheless, Love fool is so much fun to listen to, and I do love Sehun and Chanyeol's verses in Another Day. Then why is my most played song of the year Let me In? And what about Hear me out that makes me happy every time I listen to it? Don't even get me started on Private Party's lyrics! Anyway, you get the idea, so just do yourself a favor and check out this album.

#kpop #exo #shinee #penomeco #khiphop #taeyeon #zico #snsd #nct dojaejung #doyoung #junwoo #jaehyun #bts #v #red velvet #kdrama #bigbang #taeyang #taemin #treasure #the black label #sm entertainment #hybe #zion.t #txt #nct #nct127

[visualtaehyun]

Tagged by @thegalwhorants here, thank you dear ✨ I love musical tag games but this might be the first time I've answered one where the results are extremely telling about me lmao

Shuffle your On Repeat playlist and then list the first ten songs!

Next Love by BADMIXY

P'Mix's MVs are always super fun and unapologetically queer and I love her as a songwriter! This song is actually over two years old but I first listened to it after ฟ้ารักพ่อ (DILF) went viral and she came out with her debut album that included this song. But I'm pretty sure I became properly obsessed with it after hearing the RnB arrangement that (surprise surprise 🤡) ZeeNuNew performed during the DMDLand2 concert. Also wanna shoutout that time New and P'Erk Chrrissa covered it together during a live session because it made me hope P'Mix might one day write a song for New!

ไหล่เธอ (You've Got Ma Back) by Fourth Nattawat, Ford Arun, Satang Kittiphop, Winny Thanawin

I love this show and the entire OST! Could I have just linked the official MV? Why yes of course, but that wouldn't showcase the chaotic energy of the MSP gang as well lol (if the video doesn't start at the timestamp, it begins at 8:45!)

Get A Guitar by RIIZE

Now this one's a real wildcard lmao It is literally the only song on my On Repeat that isn't written or performed by a Thai artist! I came across it through a KPop random dance vid so obviously I had to link the Studio Choom performance. The choreo is so fun and, to this day, some of my favorite KPop songs are funky just like this one. I don't know who this group is btw (like I literally only found out through this tag game that they're an SM group lol) since I stopped following KPop artists and trends when I fell into my lil Thai and QL corner here so sorry if I sound like your typical clueless local now 😂

รักแท้ (True Love) by NuNew

He's performed this song countless times by now but I chose this one in particular because it was such a huge stage and opportunity for New 🥹 The official MV currently sits at 68 million views btw

ภาพสุดท้าย (Last Twilight) by William Jakrapatr

Y'all. I was so obsessed with this song. Like I literally know the entire lyrics by heart. Since Pal reminded me of Piano & i, I had to go with this performance! :) I'm really looking forward to William's upcoming series - I love LYKN and Est Supha and am sure the OST is gonna be incredible.

꽃이 피는데 필요한 몇 가지 (Blooming Just For You) by NuNew, Paul Kim

The first time he performed this song live 💕

How You Feel by NuNew

Have I mentioned NuNew is my favorite artist 555 This is the song that did me in - it's the first song by a Thai artist that I added on Spotify after getting into QL via KPop -> DKZ -> Semantic Error -> other KBLs -> "Oh, let's watch another popular BL on Viki"... and now I'm here waffling on about Thai language and music lol

ใจรัก by Zee Pruk

P'Zee recently said he didn't enjoy singing before he met New but that he's found joy in it after singing with him a lot. And he's improved so much! My favorite will always be when he sings ballads and love songs like this one though. (fyi this song is like 40 years old so you might have heard it covered by other artists before)

ประตูวิเศษ (Better Days) by Jimmy Jitaraphol, Sea Tawinan

Aaaand check for another song off the Last Twilight soundtrack that I was obsessed with! What can I say, I'm a P'Amp fangirl lol The lyrics are lovely, it's easy listening, and this show occupied my brain for months.

ก้อนหินกับดวงดาว (Rock & Star) by Fourth Nattawat

Love this scene, love Chinzhilla, love these lyrics, I'm repeating myself lol you get the gist, it's a banger!

___

To sum up- 7/10 are OSTs, 5/10 were written by Amp Achariya, and 3/10 are by NuNew (+2 more made me talk about him). So now that I've been publicly clowned by my own Spotify, I'm tagging (no pressure ofc): @zimmbzon @pharawee @airenyah @telomeke @rocketturtle4 and whoever sees this and goes Oh hell yeh an excuse to talk about my fav music!

#tag game #thai music #badmixy #nunew chawarin #zee pruk #william jakrapatr #bella and the blorbos

[rocketturtle4]

5 Songs Tag - QL Edition

Credit to @troubled-mind. Her original post is linked here. Thank you @plantsarepeopletoo for the tag.

Here are the rules

When you get this, list 5 songs from the Asian QL shows that you actually listen to.

🎶They do not have to be custom-made for the series.

🎶Non-western tracks only. Let's support Asian music and languages!

🎶Feel free to tag anyone who may be interested in participating.

🎶Add #5qls tag to your post for others to find the new favourites!

I have put this off for one very specific reason, I don't update my playlists with any regularity. I maybe add songs twice a year or less, I am a chronic re-listener and while my playlists absolutely includes asian music (and not just kpop) I could only think of 1 song on any of my playlists that came from QL, I needed to find time to scour my playlists and see if I had any others...

Turns out I have a grand total of 2

Our Song (From Bad Buddy)

and

2. Rainbow from Love Tractor, I only grabbed this one because it caught my attention on one of @absolutebl's weekly roundups

I want to be clear, I like music and I like music in these shows, I just am really bad at noticing songs and choosing to add them to my playlists, I will be scouring this tag next week to add a bunch of songs and checkout the playlists people have made.

If anyone who hasn't already been tagged sees this and wants to do it please do and tag me!

#5qls #although in this case its 2 lol #my shame has been posted for all to see #I'M SORRY #I'm also laughing don't worry #rturts is wondering #tag game #Youtube

[freshlybakedspiderbread]

i've actually been tagged/asked to "put 5 songs you actually listen to, then tag 10 people!!" by more than one person :0 and after just the first one i was like 'eeeh i dunno', but now its like gosh i guess people are curious!

i knew it'd be something i'd have to think or be kinda insincerely selective about because even if I make sure not to list any touhou arranges (which is like 60-70% of all music i listen to lately >_>), i'd feel compelled to have a varied enough selection so i dont look like as huge a nerd as i am -_- But i probably won't be able to avoid that even now so whatever!! Here Goes, straight from either my phone, my spotify bookmarks, or youtube favourites 👂

Ghostboy - Robotaki · Claire Ridgely I heard this song once on a tumblr's autoplay like back 2016 and it just immediately captivated me since and has become a semi-regular thing i listen to. A surprising lot of these kind of bubbly low-energy songs i latched onto during that year or around there that i could probably just list five songs exactly like it

In Sympathy - Depeche Mode Not on any blog's autoplay but it was just linked there by chance on a blog i frequented in 2018ish and also latched onto this one... Compared to the one right above, this one has been less of a 'listen to in bed' song and more of a 'listen to on bus trips while staring mindlessly at the streets'. There is a distinction and it is arbitrary which songs feel more suited to which 😌

ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION - GANASIA its the JP opening of Mega Man 8! 🤓 But i actually heard this song completely without that context first somehow and only found out later where it came from. Also not actually related but i think mm8 is fun and charming even if its apparently something of a black sheep among mega man games? Anyway the song is nice and also fills the exact same spot in my head as like, the first two initial D anime OPs as high energy 90s jpop that makes me nostalgic for a time even though i was a baby then

I FEEL LOVE - YUKIKA (im not yelling but i think full caps is how all these are meant to be spelled) i basically routinely switch between soul lady or feel special when im in the mood to let a whole kpop album play but im listing i feel love because i listened to it and the whole soul lady album just a little while ago as my aching body healed up and it filled me with energy and desire to go out and find joy (This would have been a bad idea because it hurt to move 😌)

and okay, one touhou arrange.

カフカなる群青へ (Into the ultramarine of Kafka) - Yuuhei Satellite even though its from 2012 i actually only first listened to it like last year as i was slowly made my way through this circle's older albums, but it kinda instantly and retroactively became a classic in my head and is prooooobably the wonderful heaven arrange i listen to most often now, competing with a bunch of sound holic/swing holic tracks.

i don't wanna tag anyone but im always kinda curious about what people might be listening to so... do whatever 🤪

#apologies for my cowardice because this could easily have just been entirely touhou or general weeb stuff 🧛‍♀️

[fillinforlater]

One year in the rearview mirror

On September 12th 2021 I posted my very first k-pop fic. With the encouragement and editing help of my favorite writer @worldsover “Castle of A Thousand Spiders” became the start of my official Tumblr writing career. A journey which has been an absolute blast from the start and my chance to meet lot’s of talented, like-minded k-pop fans. 

Let’s take a short look back (I promise I won’t make this as long as I had planned out in my head. You all have other things to do in your lives xD)

Okay, to be honest, you now tapped the “Read more” line and I, uhm, have no clue what to do now. Like, do I just talk about my accomplishments? My development? Numbers and stats? All those amazing writers, editors, friends I met and made along the way? Do I just give big shout outs to you, the reader, who made this possible? Do I just post the BIG fic I have (almost) ready for you?

Dude, I have no idea xD I’d feel bad to leave out someone, to not mention something big and important or not praise all the amazing fics others have written over this one year span and way before that. I’m basically scrambling to find an idea. Hmmmmm.

I have something. I’ll just do a collection of Top 5′s for certain topics I like and maybe you will enjoy that. This is gonna be fanfic and k-pop focused as fuck and some lists are outdated, but whatever. Let’s get started!

Top 5 favorite K-Pop Songs of all Time

Damn, I love kpop. Of the 2079 Songs in my kpop playlist, hundred are deeply burned into my heart. Luckily, I regularly do lists to rank them and the current one is as follows.

5. Pray (I’ll Be Your Man) - BTOB

4. OPEN YOUR EYES - IZ*ONE

3. Answer - ATEEZ

2. LOVE DIVE - IVE

1. We are Bulletproof: the Eternal - BTS

I fucking LOVE all these songs! Literally my favorites ever!

Next one:

Top 5 favorite K-Pop Groups

Disclaimer: this list is old. I will redo it in the (very) near future, so take it with a big grain of salt. This ranking will definitely change, but as of... 9 months ago... this is my Top 5:

5. NCT

4. Dreamcatcher

3. TWICE

2. IZ*ONE

1. BTS

Up to the next:

Top 5 favorite K-Pop Idols

Those that know me as just the girl group smut writer, seeing BTS at No. 1 twice was probably kinda surprising. This will change now. No male idols in my Top 5! This does not make it easier to rank them... it’s impossible, I just adore them so much:

5. Kim Gaeul - IVE

4. Kwon Eunbi - IZ*ONE

3. Kim Dahyun - TWICE

2. Ahn Yujin - IVE

1. Kim Minju - IZ*ONE

(But that’s basically just two groups---yeah I don’t care lol)

Top 5 favorite Fanfics of myself

It’s kinda fun to ask myself this question and to compare how my own favorites stack up to my most popular pieces. Let’s take a look!

5. You asked for it ft. Yeojin (830 Notes! One of my most popular fics!)

4. Legendary Cookies ft. Yuri, Sakura, Eunbi, Hyewon, Minju (636 Notes! Nice!)

3. Blonde: Chapter I ft. Gaeul (female reader fluff) (155 Notes. Expected, but I really appreciate that there is people who like this :D)

2. Loathing Love: Lucky Loser ft. Eunbi, Hyewon (706 Notes! Insane!)

1. Classmating ft. Minju (689 Notes! Amazing!)

Top 5 favorite Fanfics of other writers

Yeah, no, that’s just impossible. Do not take this list as my ultimate statement on my favorite fics, I’ll just list 5 incredible fics y’all should read.

5. Crybaby by @iznsfw

4. Scoring Position by @writerpeach

3. Movie Night by @existslikepristin

2. Cherry Blossom Blooming and Aegyo Avoidance by @ggidolsmuts

1. Upper Floor Lower by @worldsover​

(ey, those are six---I could’ve only put Levi here, okay?!)

Dammit, it’s after midnight. I missed my own writer birthday hard lmao.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. From 0 to 3360 in 365 days with one fic over 900 Notes! That’s just unbelievable. Thank you.

No wait.

THANK YOU! <3 <3 <3

I love you all. Stay awesome. 

#anniversary #kpop smut

[chuuuvi]

Chuang Asia Thailand Episode 1!

It’s been too long since I got into a survival show lol. I mean my last one was Girls Planet 999 and that was 2 years ago! So anyway I’ll be taking you all with me on this journey by posting the notes I took while watching the episode plus my current top 9. Spoilers ahead!!

•First off before you ask where I’m watching: it’s on the Tencent Video app and it’s free. Ooh and if you’re also watching pls let me know so we can talk about it together!

•I’m happy to see Nene as a mentor! I loved her when I watched Chuang 2020

•This is produced by Jackson Wang? They’ve got TEN??? Okay Chuang Asia I’m interested.

•Looking at the contestant list and of course there are 14 year olds. Don’t vote for the 14 year olds you guys. My personal age minimum for voting is gonna be 17 so I won’t consider anyone younger than that. Contestants that are over 18 get my preference though. The idol industry is bad enough for adults, I’d prefer if we didn’t debut minors as well. I know ironic coming from someone who ults Yeseo lol. (She was the youngest active kpop idol when she debuted in Busters.)

•Also they're really going hard with this being international. This makes Mnet look pathetic for what they did in Girls Planet lol.

•Oh the flirting part with Jasmine was so akwarrrrrrd. 100% secondhand embarrassment.

•I felt bad for Elyn when she was crying and said “No Filming!” But they proceeded to just zoom in on her crying face :( TURN THE CAMERA AWAY FROM HER!

•The trip.com ads are so funny to me because these survival show ads where they pretend to use a product are usually for stuff like snacks or beverages or makeup. But they’ve got these girls pretending to casually book a flight lmao

•The barbie group having only one member thats older than 16 and then proceeding to perform Barbie World where they say stuff like “that pussy so cold” and “he spank me when I get bad” -_- Someone should have made them pick another song.

•OOOH the Avex group’s performance of Left Right was great. Maybe the best of the episode although Mindy was really impressive too.

•Ilene’s little fan moment with Jackson was adorable!

•They announced the first top 9 but I feel like we’re still missing some performances?? Is that an editing thing to get that ranking in the first episode and we ares still going to get more next episode or did they just skip some people? Like I don’t think we saw Ruan and I was waiting for her. I could have sworn there were some CSR members too and I haven’t seen them perform either. I guess we’ll see.

• I watched the theme song on YouTube and it’s so cute!! Weird that it’s all about summer when this is airing in winter though. Is it summer in Thailand?? I thought they were above the equator. Okay yeah they are so idk why they’re singing a song about it being summer. Also I got spoiled for Ruan center! Now I know they wouldn’t just skip her. There’s got to be more intro round performances next episode.

•Okay so my Top 9 picks will be based on who performed in this first episode only so I’m sure it’ll change a lot after ep. 2.

1. R-Jing - She blew me away in the extra performance. Her singing was so pretty! She’s so cute too and apparently trained at SM?? I always latch onto a girl first episode and this is my girl!

2. Akina - Maybe it’s bc of her experience in her past group but she seems really comfortable on stage. I like her vibe and she’s clearly very talented. She seems really nice and down to earth.

3. Rinka - I looked back at her gp999 performances and I can see why I didn’t remember her. She seems to have improved so much though! Her voice stood out positively and she’s got some star power I didn’t see in her old performances. I’m excited to see more of this new Rinka!

4. Lissa - I don’t know how to feel about her strange vibe but I liked her performance. Lots of energy and a nice voice. I’m very intrigued by her at this point.

5. MingMing- such a clear and pretty voice!!! Her and Pangjang together were both the vocal highlights of their team’s performance but MingMing is the only one of the two thats over my voting age limit.

6. Mamcú - Really interesting and beautiful voice. Apparently she competed on the Voice?? We’ll need to wait and see how she does with dancing but she seems really earnest about her desire to he an idol not just a singer so I’ll put my faith in her!

7. Shye - We barely got to see her performance but I was intrigued by what we saw. I don’t know if she can dance yet but I’ll find out soon enough. And lets be real, I have a lil crush on her and thats enough to get you in the top 9 at this point in the game. I mean look at her in her leather jacket!

8. Emma - Her dancing was great and she choreographs her own stuff too! I was really impressed by her dance skills both in her extra performance and the dance battle!

9. Tegan - gorgeous gorgeous deep voice! She’s so pretty too! I really liked her but I have no idea if she can dance. I feel like if she could she would have shown it since she got two performances so I’m hesitant.

Honorable Mentions:

Krista Shim - I’m not voting for Krista because she’s under the age I decided on being my voting limit but honestly I’d put money on her making it to the final group. You can just tell with these shows. It's in the way they edit it.

Mao Xiu Ling & Mao Xiu Ting - Of course we have a pair of twins! I’ve always loved this survival show gimmick. I love their look and their dance together was really cool! 

Kaylen - The other half of the Hawaiian Duo! Kaylen pulling Jackson Wang up to the stage with her was such a power move. I didn’t like her solo performance as much as her partner Tegan’s though

Praew- I liked her energy when she introduced herself and then her dancing was insane! I will not be voting for her because she’s 15. She's just a baby.

#cyn talking #tpop #survival show #Chuang asia #chuang asia thailand #watch along #long post #someone talk about this show with me! #come on nct mutuals Ten is a mentor!!

[cavewretch]

nostalgic absurdism, a media (crit?) list

this black eyed peas music video that came out in 2023 is my thesis statement for this entire concept please watch it i could write a whole paper just about this video. the dead eyed stares of every performer. the star wars font. the lyrics dripping in so much party language it hurts. the "i feel so alive" delivered so incredibly lifelessly. the chorus being "dont worry about a thing, because everything's gonna be alright". it's black eyed peas, shakira, and david guetta giving you the shallowest most haunting memory of 2014 you could imagine. it's phenomenal. oh and aliens. shakira suddenly becomes the leader of the alien dance team but now she has blue eyes. the black eyed peas are abducted at the end. please watch it i beg

ok anyway on to the list (ongoing so this post will continue to be updated) (feel free to send suggestions 🫶)

i have two spotify playlists for this that i made a couple years ago. i stopped using spotify last year so they aren't updated but here is RECE$$10N and Pandemic Era - Nostalgic Absurdism .

song special mentions from those playlists:

save by nct127 - the samsung memory card ad campaign sponsored futuristic-with-some-plants-music-video kpop party song

bo burnham's inside (i am not talking about him as the media-criticizer, i am arguing his special is of this era? moment? itself. im putting him here as a critique)

any song that goes viral on tiktok

most musicians that come out of tiktok

any official sped-up version release (not youtube nightcore)

any covid-themed special release (songs with titles like socialdistancing, new normal, lockdown, etc) . i believe that we will win by pitbull which takes the american government's approach of "viruses are an entity capable of morality and this evil enemy is combatable" . other insane songs: you are the champions (queen/adam lambert, for Health Workers), masks, gloves, soap, scrubs (todrick hall, also for Health Workers)

old groups coming together to make new music in the face of "these trying times" aka jonas brothers, big time rush, abba, etc

hear me out. the 2022 minions sequel soundtrack especially turn up the sunshine diana ross/tame impala

non-music:

fashion trends (90s 80s 2000s 2010s)

every remake reboot sequel prequel of the last 10 years (star wars etc)

marvel movies

streaming services for everything

shows/movies being filmed for clipability and vertical phone screens

stranger things

minions meme resurgence (this was happening in 2022 on twitter)

old meme resurgence in general (i saw a troll face one recently) (sure it's done in the post-post-post ironic way but it still has trollface)

d&d resurgence (something something methods of theater/storytelling adapting to the social climate)

playlist updates (since i stopped using spotify)

3d country by geese

ogoin & linguini: tv show (this is brasil specific i don't get all the references myself but it's fun to listen to)

only god was above us by vampire weekend

raw data feel & mountainhead by everything everything

january never dies by balming tiger

two night by tierra whack

gangsta by free nationals, asap rocky, & anderson .paak

mos thoser by food house,

>something something nostalgia as a tool / umberto eco ur-fascism

growing up online a neighbor to this line of thought

#wretched text #culture melt

[ssamja-trash]

i've been tagged in three tag games so i'm putting them all in one post

i've been putting off doing these but i'm finally doing 'em now! :D i was tagged by @micdrophobi for all of these. thank you so much for tagging me ily! 💜😊

Tag Game - Questions to Get to Know Me Better

Last Song: Red Pill (Born from the Blue Pt. II) by JUSTHIS (produced by Code Kunst ;D).

Favorite Color: Purple!

Last Film / Last Show: One Piece (the anime).

Sweet or Savory or Spicy? Savory, but sweet comes very close

Last Thing I Googled: I googled a Skyrim in-game book series lmao.

Relationship Status: Single

Current Obsessions: Skyrim (got back into it recently) and One Piece probably.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kpop Tag meme

who is your favorite kpop group?

Super Junior and Stray Kids. I'll do this for Stray Kids since I've done something similar with suju already I think.

which member sparked your interest first?

Changbin and Han with their insane rapping.

who was your first bias?

Changbin and Han :D

who is your current bias?

Lee Know is my ult in Stray Kids but I also still consider Changbin a bias.

what makes them your current bias?

The main reason I love Lino is his weirdness :) But there's a lot to love. He's just a very fun and kind guy. I'd like to be his friend. Changbin I like because of his rapping but more importantly because of his personality. He's funny and cute and silly when he wants to be but he's also mature and a good listener. I'd like to be his friend too.

who is your bias wrecker?

Seungmin, my son ☺️

which members are you currently obsessing over that aren't your bias/bias wrecker?

Hmm... I don't really obsess over individual members aside from the three already mentioned 🤔

when did you first discover this group?

Predebut, after the survival show had already come out.

have you ever been to one of their concerts?

No. I'd love to go but tickets are fucking expensive and I'd have to travel abroad cuz who the fuck comes to Finland 😭

what are some of your favorite songs by the group?

Oof, now that's a hard question to answer without making a loooooooong list. I made a top ten b-sides gifset before and you can find it here, but that was a few years ago. So I'll list only a few newer songs by them (idk if these are my absolute favourites of their newer songs but I don't have the energy to think too hard about that now lol): DOMINO, SSICK, VENOM, Muddy Water, Streetlight, MEGAVERSE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and list the first 10 songs that play, then tag 10 people

Rainbow by Kyuhyun

Che Guevara by Happoradio

Joutsenet by PMMP

Restart by Kyuhyun

WE KNOW by ATEEZ

Shadow by TEN

Crazy Form by ATEEZ

The Story Behind by Kyuhyun

Quarter Life by TOMORROW X TOGETHER

BAD BAD (Feat. Tabber, Jay Park) by CODE KUNST

#i'm not tagging people lol anyone who wants to can do it and tag me in the post if you want :) #no one cares iina