[Review] CLC - No

The world of Cube Entertainment has changed ever since the Fire Nation attacked Hyuna and E'Dawn revealed their relationship, and now CLC are in a position to become the primary attraction (if their junior girl group hasn't snatched that up already). Teasers for "No" were extensive and the audio snippets showed a lot of promise. The members looked and sounded great - so this could be a breakthrough moment. For some reason in 2019 I'm paying attention to teasers more. We'll see if that is a positive or negative thing in due time.

[Review] Itzy (Teaser)

Didn't think a Thought Corner post for this would be appropriate so here we are. Itzy is the new girl group that will be the headliner for JYP and the rest of Kpop in early 2019. Their group name is...questionable at best. While it's nothing terrible, they certainly won't be winning any awards, and especially not for creativity. There will certainly be "itsy bitsy spider" jokes but things could always be worse. In Korean it makes more sense since it's like "got it" and the title of the prologue video proves that.

Kinda crazy that it's already been three years since Twice debuted. They've definitely accomplished a fuckton since 2015 and with Stray Kids taking flight last year, it's time for another girl group to add to the roster. Itzy will be to Twice what miss A were to Wonder Girls, though hopefully with better treatment (and success). The only thing I know about this group is Ryujin because she was hailed as the next group star - and was supposed to be a lethal combo with Somi before she left for greener pastures. Other members may have Produce roots?

As with any new group, one immediately makes visual comparisons and connections. Lia to Jenny, Yeji to Yeeun, etc. Ryujin makes the most impact off a first glance, she seemed the most confident and comfortable but the others weren't bad either. If the audio is any indication, Itzy should bring a more serious and girl crush-esque sound which is the logical choice given Twice's monopoly on the cutesy dance pop style. Rather than shake up the Twice formula, give a new formula to the new girl group instead. Consider me intrigued, but that usually means I'm set for disappointment. Perhaps Itzy will receive enough JYP magic so they can keep the early strong start of Kpop in 2019 going.

[Review] Apink - %%

Apink grace us as the first song review of 2019. While it's only the third review under the new season, expect some increase in these posts now that I gave myself the freedom to write as much or little as I find appropriate. This comeback is important coming off the heels of "I'm So Sick" which was a revolutionary change of pace for the usually bubblegum pop group. Teasers showed that we'd likely return to the mature concept and that got my hopes up. Usually that sets me up for disappointment so we'll see if "%%" can deliver.

[Bonus] 2018 Kpop Awards

Another year, another edition of the prestigious Kpop Awards. There's a slate of nine exciting awards that will be handed out to this year's very best. Who will take home the wonderful prizes? Who will have to wait until next time? Let's find out with the 2018 Kpop Awards.

Best Girl Group: Mamamoo

After the battles between Red Velvet and Twice (sorry Black Pink), Mamamoo come out on top of the girl group ladder. To call 2018 "the year of Mamamoo" is an understatement. Whatever you wanted from them, you got. Group comeback? How about the diverse tastes of "Starry Knight," "Egotistic," and "Wind Flower." Solo efforts? Solar continued to release soft ballads while Moonbyul and Wheein had strong debuts with "Selfish" and "Easy." Even though I predict they'll slow down a bit in 2019, their incredible 2018 campaign lands them as the best girl group of the year.

Best Boy Group: BTS

Goodness, BTS have won this award for four consecutive years. From this series' inception in 2015, no other boy group has been as dominant and as consistent as BTS. This was another year full of production from the squad. The R&B-infused "Fake Love" started their year while "Idol" was full of psychedelic elements in both song and video. So trippy in fact that there was a version with Nicki Minaj guesting. Individual stages were also plentiful, just check out the end of the year performances for proof. Huh, they're finishing up another album? Are we sure these dudes are human?

[Bonus] The Late Report: December 2018

December is always a weird month for Kpop in my mind. There's not too much activity due to the holidays and end of the year shows and performances. Plus most of the new music usually follows the Christmas spirit and theme. Personally I don't care for it, but that also means I don't pay much attention to the Christmas songs. Here are three short selections from the last month-ish that are worth checking out.

Younha - Snail Mail

When does Younha disappoint? Never. "Snail Mail" is yet another beautiful ballad from the established veteran. I tend to get sentimental (read: at a loss for words) when it comes to Younha since she was the artist that got me started on my Kpop journey, and her music is always emotional yet powerful. Damn, her lyrics got me feeling mellow early in 2019.

Yubin - Thank U Soooo Much

Despite the cringeworthy title format, Yubin discreetly dropped a sick retro track at the end of November. Wonder Girls have gone but Yubin carries their legacy with the retro domination. You can easily hear how the whole gang would've sang this track (which is both good and bad). While I wish she could've had a smooth rap, she makes up for it with her surprisingly clear voice. Really makes you wonder why it was never utilized during her Wonder Girls tenure, right JYP?! Like the song title, some of the English is suspect, and there should always be a higher standard of English in JYP Entertainment but I guess the old dog does the same tricks still.

EXO - Tempo

Chen continues to kill it. Dude was made to sing anything and everything. EXO are known for their insane bridges but the opening of "Tempo" might be one of the greatest I've ever heard. There are some old EXO classics - killer instrumental, vocal artistry, along with some new wrinkles - extended rap sequences, demonic intermission which make "Tempo" appear more experimental at first listen. Then again, as someone who isn't too privy on EXO's full discography this could be an incorrect assumption. I didn't have the balls to predict this in Kpop Hopes but I think Lay is done with EXO. Maybe not this year, but after the main Chinese promotions wrap up and he's settled a foundation back in his homeland. Sooner or later, pressure will get to him and I think he'll complete the Chinese desertion project. Goodness, this took a dark turn. Happy Saturday!

[Misc] Thought Corner: Kpop Hopes In 2019

Welcome to 2019. Kpop Hopes takes over as the first post of the year, and I'll begin to reclassify some of the older blog posts as Thought Corner posts. Kpop Awards are coming, but first let's look at predictions from the past and for the future. It's always hilarious to look back and see exactly how dumb I can be. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill. We're going hard or going home. Before we look ahead, we'll take a look backwards at my 2018 predictions.