[Misc] The Late Report: February 2021

I nearly forgot that February is a short month, so uh...anyways! Here's some stuff. Fuck you Blogger and your impossible-to-format bullshit. The inconsistency is driving me bonkers.

The Big Bully Blitz

February's Kpop news theme has been the plethora of bullying accusations being lobbed like candy. Some names include but are not limited to: Loona's Chuu, Seventeen's Mingyu, Stray Kids' Hyunjin, and Hyuna. All I have to say on the matter is a simple "yikes." Bullying is an entirely different beast in Asia so the only hope I have is that the truth comes to light.

Interesting Comeback Stage

Remember this track? "Black" was great and now many years later, we get a comeback performance of a different variety. Kpop's newest power couple has been born with Big Bang's G-Dragon and Black Pink's Jennie. I'd be lying if I said I remembered other famous Kpop couples, but this is definitely one of the strongest pairings to memory. Surprisingly, there's only a seven year age gap between the two. I guess it's more that I thought G-Dragon was older than 32 (turning 33 this August). Good for both of them.

SHINee - Don't Call Me

Don't. This song is awful. It sounds like the type of shit that EXO and NCT would do, and I honestly thought SHINee would be better than that. They had found their stride prior to military enlistment but seems like that's been lost as the younger groups in their company took control of everything. I just can't. More Minho rapping? Get the fuck outta here. Because they're veterans I gave them the respect of finishing the song but damn, I was not happy to do so. Swing a huge miss out of SHINee.

Collection of Miscellaneous Shit

And now a jumble blob of some other things that I noticed. Positive, negative, neutral, it's all fair game. Some German radio show host said racist shit to BTS, essentially calling them the same as coronavirus? I don't think I've ever written the words "career suicide" before but it's appropriate here. A stalker broke into T-ARA's Soyeon's house? That's fucking horrifying and I hope that creep goes to jail. Cherry Bullet and a few others have hosted AMA threads on reddit, which is cool. Luna sets up her own label, that's pretty good. Hopefully she'll see some success. Finally, some comeback news on the horizon, with the likes of Jessi, V, and DAY6 as headliners.

Late Rollin' to a #1 Spot

Brave Girls have had their EXID / Hani moment. Their song "Rollin'," which originally released in 2017, recently hit #1 on Bugs Chart, their first ever. Quite impressive considering that the throwbacks usually can't compete with their modern competitors. Great to see from them, though unfortunately I don't see a rise to superstardom in their future because the group is too unstable. Regardless, a win is a win and the song is quite good, despite the awkward pronunciation. Anyway that's all for today. Until next time, whenever that may be. Stay safe and healthy.

[Misc] Which Blogger Would...

Which version of Blogger would make me want to vomit? This one. This new one, that has been ungracefully forced upon my poor soul. I hate everything about it. As of writing I can't switch back, even though I managed to revert previous attempts. It's so...ugly. Everything looks very awkward and I'm simply not standing for it. Enjoy this video of Black Pink (Jisoo MVP) while I rage.

[Misc] The Late Report: September 2020

Another Late Report, yay! Hope you weren't used to the August edition and the extra credit there, because this month has slimmed down considerably and is more in line with other previous installments. Wonder what is in September's grab bag of goodies.

Presidential BTS

Really seems like BTS are doing some groundbreaking worth every month or so. Granted I haven't really listened to any of their recent music, but still. To get a letter from the president is pretty rad - doesn't matter if you follow, love, or hate them. They really are on another level by this point, and not even the worldwide pandemic has been able to slow them down in any capacity. Scary shit.

Choa - Girls Like You

Amidst all the depressing news revolving AOA (and the rest of the world), it's nice to have some good show up. Choa has been out of the spotlight for a while now and I'm glad she is back. Her voice is delightfully refreshing and this Maroon 5 cover does a great job of that. This should be a slow but steady return to at least singing in the public sphere for her. Welcome back, Choa.

[Review] Black Pink & Selena Gomez - Ice Cream

It's bad. The end. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings XI: Summer 2020

So it's been a long time since the previous installment of Girl Group Power Rankings. As such, this probably won't be as polished as I'd like. Plus, my waning interest in the girl group landscape (especially for newer groups) makes it difficult to rank groups, even with subjective opinions. Regardless I will do my best because that's what this blog is all about. The next ranking will be out before 2020 ends at least so there's some continuity available.

Honorable Mention: Black Pink
* New Releases: How You Like That
God it pains me to keep putting Black Pink here. Not only because they keep putting out shitty music, but because none of the young blood has piqued my interest enough to justify putting them here in BP's place. That and my status as a Jennie and Jisoo fan are keeping enemy groups at bay. "How You Like That" was completely disappointing at best and absolutely atrocious at worst. Their first ever studio album (literally called "The Album") has been delayed to October in traditional YG fashion so we'll see what comes of that later.

[Review] Black Pink - How You Like That

Normally this late into the month, I'd reserve talking about a song I wrote a teaser bit for in the Late Report installment but this is something else. Black Pink are finally back so clearly they'll have something special lined up, right? Surely they wouldn't make fans wait so long just to drop another recycled turd on us, right? ...right?

[Review] Black Pink - How You Like That (Teaser)

Hoo boy, Black Pink and YG actually doing something in current year? What a timeline. "How You Like That" is the next comeback and audio-wise it sounds promising. Of course we've all been epic trolled before but it's been so long since I've paid attention to much less get invested in a new song that I'm willing to take the risk. Jisoo and Lisa walked away with both the best aesthetics and individual teasers of the bunch, while Rose isn't too far behind. Unfortunately for me they absolutely ruined Jennie, what the actual fuck. Holy shit the stylist team must have been pissed for some reason. Hopefully the rest of her outfits and designs are not this terrible, poor girl.

[Bonus] The Late Report: May 2020

I don't know what I'm gonna write here. There is...a lot going on in this world during 2020 and not much of it is pleasant. Music has not been as much of a getaway as it used to be and I default to gaming more often than not. Between Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem, it's got my bases covered. Anyway here's what was interesting in May.

DAY6 - Zombie

Man is it hard to avoid the music from this group when both my sisters only put their albums on repeat. Obviously it's still great music but I was never the type that could listen to the same thing over and over again. "Zombie" is the latest out of the band and it's another powerful piece. This coming off the heels of their break due to anxiety and other mental health concerns, is a proper and emotional track. There's also an English version of the song, which functions equally well.

[Bonus] The Late Report: March 2020

With the world suffering under the wrath of coronavirus, the social distancing and quarantine shenanigans are out in full force. I've had more time to write but also more time to sleep or play Animal Crossing or do absolutely nothing. Nonetheless, March comes to a close with a very basic Late Report to go over.

LOONA - Sorry Sorry

You cannot escape the power of Loona. They have an extremely impressive collection of high-quality dance covers under their belt. And with Lee Sooman participating in album production, perhaps something like this was inevitable. Loona display chemistry and class with a cover of "Sorry Sorry," and even though there's autotune you can't deny the girls sound good. The choreography is also clean (as expected) and Yves does fantastic work as the center. If LSM sees potential this group, then you know they're doing something right.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings X: Fall 2019

This is blog post #500(!) and I finally have another edition of Girl Group Power Rankings. I'd love to say this was all part of my grand scheme for delaying this for so damn long but we all know that's bullshit haha. It's been a while so this will serve as a refresher course for the Power Ranking posts. Group Power Rankings are all about what a team has done lately, what talents they bring to the table, and how consistent they are / could be. They're all subjective lists anyway but I like showing the criteria I use, if only to keep my own rankings consistent over time.

Even though it's been a while, I still reference the previous list which was nearly one year ago (yikes), but also treat 2019 almost like a brand new year. Older groups that previously were on the list due to legacy but have since disbanded or "gone on hiatus" will not be making an appearance, so you won't see names like Girls' Generation, EXID, or Girls' Day on here. Though it should be mentioned that Brown Eyed Girls is having a comeback soon but their veteran status is so lofty it wouldn't feel right putting them here with these youngsters. In a similar vein, shoutouts to AOA for their participation in Queendom. They've handled well as a group of five.

Previous installments have included a "new releases" tab where I showcase some of their work between ranking posts and that trend will continue. No auxiliary releases though: only main Korean comebacks and other noteworthy efforts - there will be no OST work or Japanese promotions. Is that enough rambling? Alright, onto the list!

Honorable Mention: Black Pink
* New Releases: Kill This Love
In a company battle reminiscent of the late 2000's, YG's Black Pink barely edges out JYP's Itzy for the last honorable mention. They're contrasts to each other in many ways: BP has better rappers, Itzy has better singers, and both groups are known for their choreography. Itzy is a newcomer with a pair of meh tracks to their name so far, while Black Pink has been around with enough inactivity to kill a cow. Speaking of killing, "Kill This Love" was touted as the worst Black Pink release during my review back in April. While that statement still stands true I have thought better of it upon scarce listens since, plus it eases expectations for their next comeback in the year 2021.

[Bonus] The Late Report: August 2019

The funny thing I realized is that even though I feel post production has been slow this year, I'm still on pace for the second most posts in a year on the history of my blog. Of course now that I've said that, everything will self-destruct during the fall and that won't happen but I digress.

Rocket Punch - Bim Bam Bum

Woollim has a new girl group in town. Rocket Punch's "Bim Bam Bum" is your average summery dance track with blips of English here and there, and a generic music video to boot. Truth be told there isn't anything particularly interesting to glean about Rocket Punch to start, but they are coming out of a respectable label so I figure they were worth mentioning here. They do have a neat logo, which I'll use in future posts that need them. They're obviously going in a different direction from Lovelyz, so it'll be interesting to see how they progress with more comebacks.

[Review] Black Pink - Kill This Love

Someone pinch me. Not only is this the third consecutive song review, but Black Pink is doing something too?! In reality this is YG trying to distract everyone from the burning shitshow that Seungri started. Anyway Black Pink has fallen behind the competition as Red Velvet and Twice have dominated in all the realms. This early 2019 comeback could be the start of their climb back into the race. Unlike KARD, I did not listen to or view teasers for "Kill This Love." Praying that this is for good reason.

[Misc] Red Velvet & Black Pink Power Ranking

Since I haven't done Power Rankings for Red Velvet or Black Pink, why not combine the two? Originally I had two separate ranks for each group, but thought it'd be more interesting to see them mashed together. With Twice's Power Ranking already out there, maybe there'll be another installment with all three groups.

#9. Yeri
It's a shame I almost always start these lists from the bottom because I knew who would be dead last right away. Yeri's inclusion to Red Velvet was met with neutral reactions from yours truly so it's not that. She just doesn't strike me as interesting in any facet of Red Velvet's music. And while I do appreciate her savagery, that's a gem for the variety world. Plus lately she started stealing Irene's rapping lines. Not that Irene would've been amazing with those lines but still.

#8. Rose
Yeah I'm not gonna add the accent on her letter, sue me. Usually the primary vocalist draws me to a group but that wasn't the case for Rose and Black Pink. She immediately reminded me of her senior Park Bom which carries both positive and negative connotations. Personality-wise, she's my least favorite of the Black Pink members. Oh well. The good thing about any list is that there's opportunities to turn it around.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VIII: Summer 2018

It's time for another round of Girl Group Power Rankings! There's only been four months since the last episode but the summer has been bountiful and thus more shuffling of the girl group ladder had to commence. Minor switches more often is better than major switches less often, especially on a list that only has ten ranked groups. Here's who's hotest during the summer of 2018.

Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Like I said, inactivity will have to be a more serious offence. Girl's Day have done nothing since late March 2017 and have been focusing on individual non-music activities. Therefore they'll drop out into Honorable Mentions, but not entirely off the chart. Despite the lack of promotions, they are still one of the best groups in recent years. While you could say the same for Girls' Generation, the fractured group structure prevents them from getting to the same level as Girl's Day.

Honorable Mention: Loona (NEW)
* New Releases: Egoist (Olivia), love4eva (yyxy)
Man, Loona has got things going. There's plenty of hype surrounding this group. Their official debut will either be one of the greatest in the current era of Kpop or completely underwhelm and bust. Given their extensive track record of solid "predebut" songs though, they should at least do admirably. My favorites so far have been Jinsoul's "Singing In The Rain," Kim Lip's "Eclipse," and Olivia Hye's "Egoist." With so many different styles showcased by their members, who knows what genre they'll debut with.

#10. Black Pink (--)
* New Releases: Ddu-du Ddu-du
Given how much I disliked their comeback, Loona ranking above Black Pink was a real possibility. But their performance numbers-wise is very impressive. I suppose that's what happens when a fandom is so starved. Being the fastest group MV to reach 200 million views counts for something. Jennie was hilarious on Running Man and their Instagram have been popping off. Regardless, I'm going to keep ranking them low until they either get out of the dungeon more or comeback with a bomb track.

[Review] Black Pink - Ddu-du Ddu-du (Blitz)

Black Pink is lucky I'm only doing a Blitz, for their sake. I can't rip them too hard for this comeback knowing there's a word limit. First off the title of the song is poorly formatted and looks dumb. It rivals Cube's new girl group's name in terms of how awful it is on the eyes, I won't refer to it at all. This song itself is so mediocre I can't believe I got hyped over their return after an entire year. It's really just...the sequel to "As If It's Your Last" in how each member's lines act as independent sections and barely string together at all. We do get to hear Jisoo improve on her vocals and that's good. Opposite her, Rose continues to struggle and I'm convinced she'll simply end up as Bom's successor in the singing department with the constant straining. Jennie's return to rapping "saves" the song and like Lisa in  "AIIWYL" is the only good part - if this track makes it to my library it will be thanks to fierce Jennie. The chorus' beat is utterly wasted by the lack of energy or emotion in the choreography and it's almost insulting to think all that time waiting was for this weak of a dance. They are Black Pink and I'm happy for their current success with this song but I'm still pissed. They deserve better. Fuck YG.

Word Count: 232

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VII: Spring 2018

This was actually a difficult piece to write. Outside of an obvious top 3-4 groups, the rest of the rankings were murky for a long time. I tried using some "sophisticated algorithms" to help look at each group from a music and activity perspective but even then I still changed the final list like five times at least. In any case, these are the best girl groups right now based on their lineup, recent showings, and where they're headed, with some legacy points tacked on. Also a reminder that "new releases" covers anything that was released since the last ranking, and that even goes for groups that are appearing on the list for the first time.

Honorable Mention: Sonamoo
* New Releases: I (Knew It)
After flailing around in concept inconsistency Sonamoo have appeared to settle down in a zone. "Friday Night" and "I (Knew It)" are solid tracks that deviated from the much less enjoyable bubblegum dance pop they had throughout 2016 and early 2017. Currently the group is watching Euijin take center stage with UNI.T which could be a turning point in their group's career path. This will either give them a jolt of life or be the beginning of the end. Considering their label is TS Entertainment, I'm keeping them on my radar but not trusting their label until they prove otherwise.

Honorable Mention: CLC
* New Releases: Black Dress
Similar to Sonamoo, I can't trust CLC because of Cube. They're already planning another girl group despite CLC not yet having a stable foothold in the industry yet. "Black Dress" was a great track but last time we were treated to a tougher, girl crush concept they immediately heel turned into "Where Are You?" which was the exact opposite. With both label and genre uncertainty, I'll place them in the Honorable Mentions for now. Fun fact: three out of five groups that started in Honorable Mentions went on to join the official list so maybe there's hope for them yet (and Sonamoo).

#10. Black Pink (-6)
* New Releases: N/A
Live footage of Yang Hyunsuk working on Black Pink. Seriously, what a joke. They are the least active high-profile girl group and it's not even close. Even 2NE1 out the gate was not this pathetic discography-wise. What's that? Black Pink has an album coming up soon? Nice! Oh, it's merely their prior five songs in Japanese. Fuck off outta here YG, this is some bullshit. The only reason they're not in Honorable Mentions (or off the list entirely) is that their worst song is still better than CLC and Sonamoo's best song.

[Misc] Thought Corner: Black Pink Fade

Apology for poor English. Where were you when Black Pink was kill? Seriously, the new Twice teaser images got me thinking. In the NFL subreddit, team flairs get faded when a team no longer qualifies for the playoffs. If there was a Black Pink / Blink flair (and Kpop playoffs) it'd be hella faded right now. They haven't been around for two years yet and their inactivity is already that of a veteran group. YG is really doing something impressive here. Maybe modeling this group after 2NE1 was a little too close to home...  They're a powerful group with loaded potential but they lack the action to show for it.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings VI: Fall 2017

Originally, I was going to have a late November installment of the Girl Group Power Rankings. However with the SNSD news and my desire to put out rankings on a more regular basis (somewhat) means we'll have a new edition a few weeks early. I think having at least three or four installments per year for girl groups can show how the landscape changes every few months. Let's look at the girl group ladder for what may be Girls' Generation's last ride. Remember: this is my list, not yours! Music, roster, and consistency are my go-to attributes when determining rankings.

Honorable Mention: Lovelyz
* New Releases: N/A
As much as I dislike the idea of putting three bubblegum pop groups on the list, Lovelyz is probably the next best group to join the Honorable Mentions section. They've been pretty consistent since their debut, and "Goodnight Like Yesterday" is still an elite ballad. This year they've had a handful of releases (which unfortunately don't get included since the last writeup was in late June) and are looking to wrap up a solid year with an upcoming November comeback. I'm hoping for something more experimental rather than a traditional pop dance track but I'd be open to another high quality ballad, too.

Honorable Mention: 9MUSES
* New Releases: Love City
9MUSES remains on the outside looking in. While they haven't lost any more members since the last time we checked them out, their successor to a fantastic "Remember" comeback was the mediocre "Love City." The song was a little too all over the place and particularly disappointing was Sojin. Her encore performance to the spectacular rap from "Remember" was boring and repetitive. It's doubtful we'll see any new action from them in 2017, but I'd say this was a good rebound year for them, "resetting" the subunit as the full team and all that. Now if only Sungah could come back from hiatus...

#10. Dreamcatcher (--)
* New Releases: Fly High
They're not technically new as they made an appearance under Honorable Mentions but now they've moved into the top 10. Fusing rock and dance, they really give off Jpop vibes and their trio of releases this year reflects that. Even though it lacked a true rap segment, "Fly High" might actually be my favorite of the set. The high tempo of the song is awesome and makes for an exhilarating listen. Now that they've sort of settled into their niche, it'll be interesting to see what direction they try and tackle in 2018. Other groups might have had bigger numbers and more production, but Dreamcatcher's turnaround story is the best of the year.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings V: Summer 2017

With summer in full swing it's time to once again look at the state of the girl group ladder. There's been plenty of activity to go around, and that includes positive and negative moves. Sistar and Wonder Girls depart from the rankings, and T-ARA will soon follow, even though the latter has not made an appearance on this list in a long time. The younger groups have been promoting with fervor (hopefully I updated new releases as accurately as possible) and you can see the new generation of girl groups staking their claim in the industry. As always, we're looking at their main releases, the roster and talent, along with consistency (less of the past, more of the present). Since many of these comebacks have been recent it'll be fun to see what my early impressions are and how they influence placements.

Honorable Mention: Dreamcatcher (NEW)
* New Releases: Chase Me / Good Night
The rebranded Minx made a name for themselves early on in 2017, with "Chase Me" bringing a powerful sound uncommon for girl groups (and arguably boy groups, too). Both "Chase Me" and "Good Night" have Jpop influences and they're definitely darker than your typical girl group (reddit sure loves their MVs). Powerful instrumentals and choreography drive their music and they've rightfully been getting praised for that. I'd only heard of Minx by name before the rebranding so it really was like finding a new group for the first time. Having music with heavy rock elements that remind of Younha's early days is absolutely keeping this group on my radar. As long as they keep releasing quality content and sweet dance clips consistently, Dreamcatcher will enjoy new success to go with their new name.

Honorable Mention: 9MUSES
* New Releases: Talk About You (Kyungri), Remember
Frankly, "Remember" is one of the best songs this year thus far, and arguably 9MUSES' best song since the days of "Wild" and "Glue." Man how I miss those days... The dark concept and electric instrumental pair excellently and the balanced vocal attack continue to do work. Hyemi has never sounded better and the same could be said for Kyungri and Keumjo. Sojin's rap is also extremely impressive considering it's many steps above what she showed us in "Lip 2 Lip." "Remember" was everything I could've hoped for. Of course this is all fun and good, but 9MUSES - or rather Star Empire - can't be trusted. They've risen up so many times only to fall apart an equal number of times. The inconsistency with this group will continue to plague them as they move forward so they'll stay just outside the top 10.

#10. Red Velvet (--)
* New Releases: Rookie / Would U, Darling U / Our Story (Seulgi)
Red Velvet officially makes their appearance within the top 10. After sitting in the Honorable Mentions section for the last two times, a flurry of activity and departure of Sistar leads them to the 10th spot. "Rookie" really wasn't my cup of tea, and so I'll await their next slower song comeback ("Would U" sort of counts but sort of doesn't since it was through Station). What has also helped RV is Joy's collection of OST work for her drama which is bordering an entire library of its own. As you've noticed I've omitted them from the new releases line because that would take up unnecessary amounts of space. They are one of the few girl groups on the list that possess average vocalists at the worst, something their music generally utilizes well.

[Bonus] Girl Group Power Rankings IV: Early 2017

Quick, before AOA makes their comeback! Too late? Okay, quick! Before I review their comeback! Here are my Girl Group Power Rankings going into the start of 2017. As per usual(?), the main components of each group I'll be look at are the quality of their music, consistency (both music-wise and promotion-wise), potential and talent. Stuff like chart placings, show winnings, variety appearances, and general popularity aren't as important to me, because if they don't have good music I don't really care how popular they are. But they do still play a factor, of course. The music factor will only be accounted for the period between the previous Power Ranking. So for this series, only content from around July was considered, but will also include anything I may have missed. Alright no more introductions, let's get cracking.

Honorable Mention: Girl's Day
* New Releases: N/A
Enough is enough. Girl's Day is the only group on this list that has not released anything in over a year. They can only go by on their legacy for so long. Thankfully they haven't reached After School-levels of a disappearing act, with members still being productive through acting adventures and variety show appearances. Hyeri is still making it rain and their ever-elusive comeback should help bring them back into the spotlight. They have plummeted from the #1 spot in September of 2015, but with a comeback in January, they'll look to go on a revenge tour for all the ranks they've dropped.

Honorable Mention: Red Velvet
* New Releases: Russian Roulette, Always In My Heart (Joy)
Red Velvet retain their Honorable Mention placing from the summer. This is mostly due to the ineffectiveness of "Russian Roulette," which in my eyes is their worst showing since their dreadful debut. It's still a solid C- song but that ain't quite good enough to push themselves into the top 10. Joy also had an opportunity with Station that she took full advantage of, which highlights one thing about Red Velvet that often goes underappreciated: they have solid voices from top to bottom. The duet with Seulong proves it. Better news / hype is that we should be slated for a Velvet comeback, which will have more soft tunes in store.

#10. Wonder Girls (--)
* New Releases: Why So Lonely
Wonder Girls aren't new to the #10 spot, which was their previous location back in fall of 2015. They had inhabited one of the Honorable Mention placings for most of last year but thanks to the wonderful "Why So Lonely" EP, they've managed to get back to this spot. Wonder Girls are extremely well-balanced. They have Yubin who is one of the best girl group rappers, Sunmi and Yeeun who are solid vocalists (with established material as individuals to boot), and a retro band theme that they own (when was the last time you saw a girl group band in Kpop). Dance is no longer their emphasis as it was back in the day but that's to be expected when everyone is playing instruments now.