[Misc] Thought Corner: Kpop Hopes In 2021

It's been tradition over the last four years to start the blog off with this type of post, so despite less attachment to the Kpop world, here we go. Linked is another SM rendition of "Hope" with their current roster, and man... It feels me with equal amounts nostalgia and depression seeing all the people who are no longer there. Heechul (and Sungmin) not there. Taeyeon and Taemin the only representatives of their groups. EXO with just Kai and Baekhyun. No f(x) at all. NCT members are like 40% of the entire present roster, and I'm pretty sure there are more of them that aren't in the video. It's crazy seeing the evolution and passage of time within a company, and in general. No BoA is omega cringe, but at least Kangta was there at the end. Anyway that's enough of that. Now let's look back at what I looked forward to during January of 2020, before the world-shattering events.

[Bonus] 2020 Kpop Awards

What, you wanted some sort of introduction to the 2020 Kpop Awards? C'mon now have you been reading anything I've posted this year? I stopped paying real attention to the scene back in late February and have been barely coasting by since then. So we have seven total awards of...exciting caliber. Who will take home the most lackluster titles to date, let's find out.

Best Girl Group: TWICE

The carousel of this award continues to spin round and round. Twice are back to winning this award after doing so in 2016. Coronavirus did not slow them down because they continued with another huge slate of releases both in Korea and Japan. While I wouldn't say that every single title was spectacular - especially because I don't give a shit about Japanese releases - their track record simply outperforms the competition. "More & More" was alright (though hella repetitive) but it was "I Can't Stop Me" that bolsters their position. Ultimately their production and falloff from their rivals leads them into a second Best Girl Group award.

Best Boy Group: BTS

Imagine thinking anybody besides BTS would be here. Imagine also thinking I'd really evaluate the landscape of boy groups this year. Fun fact: the first time I heard this song was in some random Samsung commercial and I didn't even realize that it was a BTS song. And no, it wasn't because of the English. Like this is the BTS award by now, with this being their sixth win in the category. I'd have loved to give another group a chance but the trio of "Black Swan," "Life Goes On," and "Dynamite" shut down many arguments. The numbers don't lie, and BTS are writing the books themselves.

[Bonus] The Late Report: July 2020

Well shit, The Late Report is late once again. Unfortunately for my OCD's sake I refuse to cheat and place this post at the end of July. Over the next couple of days I'll have an update type of post trying to streamline the plans for the remainder of 2020. This year has been all sorts of fucked up, and my blog has been no exception. Anyway here are some treats from July that I'm sharing in August.

Chungha - Play (feat. Changmo)

I feel like I've said Chungha's name a thousand times over the last couple of months. She's been working hard and the results speak for themselves. "Play" was quite the loud comeback and I gotta say that I didn't really dig the song at first. However after a few more listens, the artistry and choreography got me hooked and even though I haven't been listening to too much Kpop in recent months this song got repeated a few times. Props to Chungha for continuing to develop herself as a singer, dancer, and artist. Through her work and talent she has joined the pantheon of great female solo acts.

[Bonus] The Late Report: June 2020

Man, these are...not getting hard to write per se, but given the record lows of investment and attention I'm giving the Kpop world, I certainly have never felt more lost while making these posts. Thus it's more refreshing than ever to dig around and find out what's been buzzing in these ecosystem every few weeks. I don't plan on retiring this series just yet so we'll see what happens over the next couple of months. If the Late Report can keep chugging along until its two year anniversary in November, I think that'd be pretty cool.

Sunmi - Pporappippam

Everyone rejoice, for she has done it again. Weird title aside, Sunmi has returned with another electrifying dance number. The instrumental is beautifully powerful without being overbearing, and Sunmi's delightful vocals continue to do work. Redditors were saying how the opening was reminiscent of a Legend of Zelda OST. For some reason when I checked out the teaser I didn't agree, but my ears have fully opened and it's definitely out of a video game soundtrack. The rest of it is - as previously advertised - brilliant and the combination of the synths and Sunmi kills it again. Now that I've looked at the lyrics, don't the Korean words translate to "Purple Light Night" or something along those lines? You figure even a slightly scuffed translation would function better as a title, but who knows how the minds of these producers and songwriters work.

[Review] Chungha - Stay Tonight

Wow, it's really been a year since "Snapping." I guess unemployment and quarantine has diluted my sense of time over the last few months. Anyway, Chungha is one of the solo starlets to make a recent comeback - with the likes of IU and Taeyeon coming soon. She's been on the grind over the last couple years and has not slowed down. Given the scope of her fellow Produce classmates, one could argue she's seen the most success out of the entire program.

[Bonus] 2019 Kpop Awards

The coveted 2019 Kpop Awards are here, and actually in December no less. Just in time I say! The previous two years' awards were posted in January which should have been illegal. But hey we're almost at a new year, so new-ish me. These are always fun to write looking back on the year as a whole, and the narratives from other years makes for a fun clash. Here are the nine magnificent awards and their glorious, resplendent recipients. This may or may not be split into two parts.

Best Girl Group: Red Velvet

This was a competitive year between the usual top three dogs: Twice, Red Velvet, and Mamamoo. Each of them have taken home this title once in the last three years, and now Red Velvet are the first to grab their second award of this name. Mamamoo have been the most active, and Twice likely have the best numbers, but Red Velvet were not far behind in many of these aspects throughout the year. We don't speak of their first showing in 2019 but "Umpah Umpah" was a good summer jam while "Psycho" made plenty of good impressions with such a late release. Ultimately I believe that Red Velvet is most deserving by remaining the most consistent girl group showing marked improvements with each subsequent song.

Best Boy Group: BTS

Death, taxes, and BTS winning the Best Boy Group award. They've fully monopolized this category since the series debut in 2015 and until their military service fractures their production it doesn't seem like they'll stop. Their achievements, statistics, and legacy are overwhelming at this point considering all of the impact they've had (both the good and bad). Compound this with the fact that other groups of this generation simply cannot match BTS' output at an individual or group level and it's easy to see why they've had a iron grip on this award. Also worth noting is that they were unparalleled in the meme department as well. From "Seoul Town Road" to "Chicken Noodle Soup," BTS were firing on all meme cylinders.

[Bonus] The Late Report: June 2019

It's the late edition of The Late Report haha. Almost two weeks into July and we've got our retrospective into June. From now on, these posts should be out before the first week on the month. Can't wait until August to break this rule immediately. Let's look at the selections.

Sulli - Goblin

June was kind of an average month for music (that interested me). Chungha's "Snapping" was the headliner so I'll use Sulli's unexpected song "Goblin" in its place. How fucking sad is it that Sulli released music before the rest of f(x) did. Probably as shocking as her lack of eyebrows in the music video. The song itself is alright but the message and theme about psychology and dissociative disorder is the more prominent aspect.

[Bonus] Best Of 2019...So Far

It'll be tradition to post a Best Of the year at the midway point because I loved the idea that some songs would start strong early and then falter off, or new challengers would rise up during the second half. In the 2018 edition four of the nominees would go on to make the final list at the end of the year so let's see if 2019 can do better. Compared to last year, I haven't paid as much attention music-wise because I've been busier (though blog production is the best going into July over the last three years) but I'm pretty comfortable with my list. This time we'll go in alphabetical order by artist, to prevent bias when I reference this at the end of the year for Best Of 2019.

Chungha - Gotta Go

Oh look it's Chungha again, back so soon? "Gotta Go" is the pinnacle of her solo career thus far, showcasing her wide range of vocals, enchanting choreography, and gorgeous visuals. She struts her stuff from start to finish and the fact that it kept improving off her previous releases makes things even better. Extremely consistent, excellent composition, and stellar aesthetics make for a well-rounded track out of this well-rounded artist.

GFriend - Sunrise

This entry is a painful reminder I need to finish the next iteration of Girl Group Power Rankings seeing as GFriend is coming back very soon. Nonetheless their "Sunrise" was a perfect way to start the Kpop year. The main selling point of this song is the chorus, which is once again spearheaded by their two-headed vocal monster in Yuju and Eunha. Said chorus is exhilarating and climbs in both the notes and energy, something which you'll see from another girl group later in this post. Between the strong team performance and beautiful structure of the song, "Sunrise" is yet another addition to GFriend's repertoire.

[Review] Chungha - Snapping

After the disaster that was Somi's debut, my ears desire cleansing. Chungha has been a hot commodity ever since she embarked on her solo journey. Starting with "Why Don't You Know," I feel she has steadily improved in her discography all the way to "Gotta Go" earlier this year. Considering I label that track as one of the best of the year thus far (more on that later), "Snapping" has some hype to live up to and expectations to surpass. Shoutouts to my boy Thanos.

[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.