[Misc] Thought Corner: Red Velvet Redmare

Red Velvet was one of the remaining groups from SM Entertainment that I haven't seen live, since my first Kpop concert back in 2011 was SM Town. This concert leaves only EXO and NCT on that list, though who knows when I'd have the opportunity for those squads. Anyway, I don't really know how I'm gonna format this post, so it'll mostly be a messy stream of consciousness just going by memory. Plus my past three concerts were of multiple groups so this was gonna be different by default. It's not meant to be lengthy and detailed (but I'm sure I'll ramble), only reactions and the general ilk.

In the grand scheme of girl groups, I consider Red Velvet a top-tier team. They rocketed up my Girl Group Power Rankings throughout 2017 and since 2018 started have been a perennial contender for being the best. Irene and Seulgi headlined my biases, while the rest of the gang made up in the variety aspects. Their addicting dance numbers were sure to get love - though I was dreading a couple of them. I was really hoping we'd get a live "One Of These Nights" because slower Red Velvet songs are my favorite but admittedly I wasn't counting on it.

[Misc] Red Velvet Power Rankings Revisited

They say after you see a group live, your opinions change. With Red Velvet, I can confidently say that statement is true. With being there in person, listening to them chat with us, and seeing their mannerisms has shaken up the list. The first edition of Red Velvet's bias ranking was a shared effort with Black Pink so it felt funny rearranging them so despite the position changes it still feels like a fresh ranking sort of.

#5. Yeri (--)
Sorry Yeri but you're unable to escape the last spot. Music-wise she didn't stand out (though she did have some surprising high note moments). And when it came to the choreography my eyes were definitely drawn to the other members but that isn't really her fault? Yeri did continue to do well in the non-music aspects of Red Velvet, and her English was especially strong despite sounding a little stiff at times.

[Review] LOONA - Butterfly

Life has taken some unpleasant turns for me, but that won't put me at a standstill. Red Velvet's concert post is incoming but I'm gonna let this take precedence because the new style of song reviews means more should be written. I know I've been giving all the girl groups love but I promise with the increase of reviews there will be boy group content too. Last year started to get more balanced and I'll look to bring that back for 2019. Anyways, what's been going on with Loona?

[Bonus] Best Of Love Songs

Happy Valentine's Day...? Introductions are overrated and especially so after a long shift at work. Here are some of my favorite love and lovely songs. There is no order, only selected via stream of consciousness. Whatever that's supposed to mean. I'll be heading to New York tomorrow in preparation for Red Velvet's concert in Newark so expect some RV content of sorts in the days after.

Red Velvet - Kingdom Come

As I've stated many times before on this blog, Red Velvet's softer ballad-loving side is my favorite. "Kingdom Come" is a beautiful take with mesmerizing harmonies that roll from start to finish. One of the reasons this style is made for Red Velvet is simply because of their voices. Have you heard Joy and Wendy? They are untouchable in this realm. Even Yeri and Irene (though limited in exposure) don't sound too far behind the rest of the gang. The lyrics were perfect when they mentioned "I won't wake from this dream."

[Bonus] The Late Report: January 2019

January in music is typically an extension of December, so there aren't many activities yet. But some of our favorite singers got 2019 started on the right foot. In this edition of The Late Report we'll visit three of them.

Cosmic Girls - La La Love

Cosmic Girls have been lost in the shuffle as far as the rising stars go, but they are embarking with "La La Love" on a journey of promise. This song is a continuation of their trademark sound - though admittedly with way more English and quips which make the overall audio worse. They also committed the sin where someone other than their only talented rapper had rap lines. But for this group I am willing to forgive because otherwise, there'd be a handful of girls with zero parts. "La La Love" isn't their best work, but it's not their worst either.

iKON - I'm OK

You know me, I keep it real. Props where props are due: iKON has been killing it lately. Every title song from 2018 was fantastic and "I'm OK" is a blend of some of the previous year's magic. This track has the melancholy despair of songs like "Goodbye Road" and Big Bang's "Loser" while maintaining a strong instrumental that is common to YG music. I don't pay as much attention to the chains of successful consecutive releases for boy groups, but iKON is definitely on their A-game right now and look to continue doing so in 2019.

Chungha - Gotta Go

Awkward title aside (there goes the English vs. Korean debate again), this is such a gorgeous song. Chungha's voice is so pleasant when she's in her lower range (and when not straining but hey that's pretty much anyone), it's why I prefer songs like this and "Roller Coaster" from her. That sequence of instrumental notes during the chorus is so damn hypnotizing, doubly so when combined with Chungha's elegant voice. And speaking of, that high note during the bridge? Perfection. In the post-Produce world, Chungha is clearly the leader of that pack.