[Blog] The Collapse Of YG Entertainment

It figures that after Thanksgiving, we have to get snapped back into reality. YG Entertainment would suffer damage to two groups: Taehyun would be leaving Winner, while 2NE1 would officially disband. The surprise factor of either news is debatable, but one thing is for sure: YG is hurting right now. They no longer have their flagship girl group, and (according to fans) an integral part of a boy group that had potential.

[Bonus] Best Of Debuts

To my surprise, outside of the Best Of 20XX series this is only the 2nd Best Of writing I've done since May. I suppose that is understandable considering the mass number of song reviews I've gotten done. But now since there have been practically no reviews since September, non-review writing has reigned supreme over the last few months. Anyway, here are my picks for the best debuts and debut songs in Kpop.

Honorable Mention: The Ark - The Light
As The Ark no longer exists, I can't push them any higher than a shoutout. "The Light" was an uplifting dance track that pushed your negative emotions to the side. Yuna spearheaded the effort and her presence in the song can't be understated. They didn't forget the performance aspect either, as "The Light" had an active (yet lighthearted) dance, too. The strength of the debut is further felt when thinking of their demise, as we'll never know what lied beyond this spectacular debut.

Honorable Mention: CLC - Pepe
CLC and the group at #10 battled it out, but at the end of the day, "Pepe" will take the second honorable mention spot. This song packed enough punch to gain my interest in what was only known as 4minute's successors at the time. Of course, we know that CLC are nothing like 4minute and "Pepe" showed why. It had a blend of flavors, but not to the point where the song was dysfunctional. Yeeun also had a flighty rap which still stands out for impressive debut raps to this day.

[Misc] Kpop Things I'm Thankful For

As Thanksgiving gets underway in the United States, and we stuff our stomachs with food, it's an opportunity to count our blessings. People we've met, places we've been, things we've accomplished. So here are just a few things I'm thankful for...Kpop edition!

5. Dank Memes
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest memer but I enjoy a priceless meme from time to time. I used to have macros and gifs saved up back in my intense fanboy days but that phase has been long gone. Still, some reaction gifs are timeless and awesome. Some classic memes from this year include CLC's "PPAP" rendition and the existence of High4's subunit that is High420.

4. Idol Variety
I never was big on variety shows. Hell, I wasn't an avid watcher of TV, either. But credit given where credit is due: shows like Running Man and Weekly Idol gave me a breath of fresh air outside the systematic march of watching live performances and mere music videos. Idol appearances on these shows have been impressive to downright hilarious, and have quickly become my go-to distraction.

3. r/kpop
Another thing I wasn't active in was the reddit business. But eventually the desire to have a hub where I could keep up with the frantic pace of the industry and a non-toxic forum environment pushed me out of my comfort zone and into the crazy world of reddit. I've not really integrated myself into the subreddit like I have in forums past (when I had infinitely more free time) but it's definitely become a habit to check it and the other subreddits I follow many times daily.

2. Technology
Not limited to just the world of Kpop, but it's always incredible to see how far we've progressed in technology over the last 5, 10, 15 years. Just look at the MVs produced back in 2008, and then look at a few from this year. The quality and value have grown exponentially and only increases the advertising power of Kpop as a product. Modern fancams have higher quality than MVs from like 2010. And with virtual reality being heavily invested in, who knows what the future holds.

1. Fantastic Music
Kpop has been super strong this year. 2016 has seen brilliant releases across many different genres, promising debuts, and plenty of fun non-music material. Girl groups like Mamamoo, Red Velvet, and GFriend have continues to push themselves higher and higher, while boy groups maintain extreme levels of popularity. Of course there's plenty of controversy to go along with, but at the end of the day I love Kpop for the music - and 2016 has more than delivered.

Thank you, dear readers. For being a part of my (blogging) world. It's always fun to sit down and write up a piece for you guys, and I hope to continue to get better and be more productive. Next up is a little article of the best debut songs, and maybe some retro reviews to make up for the lack of current releases. Before you know it, it'll be Christmas. Be thankful for what you have, and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Bonus] Girl Group Subunit Theory

I'm finally on Thanksgiving break - which for some reason is an entire week this semester - but hey that means I have more time to kick back, relax, and do pointless writing. Today I'm going to list my five most desired subunits I'd like to see. The possibilities of these actually happening range from possible to ridiculous, but it's all for the fun thinking. I'm not going to come up with names for these theoretical subunits, because quite frankly name creativity is not my strongest suit, but I'll talk about each one and what I think they'd bring to the table.

Sistar: Hyorin and Soyu
Alright so it's not like Hyorin needs any more proof that she carries Sistar. But since Sistar19 seems to be buried under 200 feet of concrete, a new subunit could be sweet if nobody else from the group is to go solo. They are contrasting singers that could tackle almost any genre together, simply due to the greatness of Hyorin. Alternatively, you could ruin the lives of all Bora fans by making Soyu the main vocalist and Hyorin as the rapper. That would be awesome and disheartening at the same time.

[Review] Mamamoo - Decalcomanie

Mamamoo might not have exploded into popularity like Twice or been around as long as Sistar, but they have been consistently expanding the radish farm and gaining new fans all over the world. With "You're The Best" already making waves earlier this year, we're treated to more Mamamoo goodness with the curiously titled "Decalcomanie," which is simply a mouthful. Personally, I'm hoping for some deviation from the standard formula - we've seen enough of their vocal prowess (even though it's addicting). Also, there aren't many good teaser images for this comeback so I had to resort to a random assortment of pictures.

Am I the only one who thinks that this instrumental is too loud? Mamamoo certainly have enough loudness in their voices to just power through it but for the most part it makes for a messy combination. The instrumental itself is good, but could've been toned down a bit. Either removing some layers or lowering the volume would've helped tremendously. Anyway, this is probably the first release since "Piano Man" where all three of Solar, Wheein, and Hwasa seem like they're on equal footing. Well, Solar will always have an advantage because she's that good, but line distribution and opportunity seemed quite balanced across the board. If only Moonbyul got any singing time...

[Review] Black Pink - Playing With Fire

In unprecedented fashion, Black Pink will be returning to the stage again, after already dropping double MVs with their debut. We're once again treated to two more new MVs, "Playing With Fire" and "Stay." I'll be taking a look at "Playing With Fire," not only because it's the more interesting piece, but because the whole 2NE1 narrative can be spun again - especially with "fire" in the title. "Whistle" and "Boombayah" were both pretty good songs dotted with poor moments (the chorus of "Whistle," the "oppa" and hollering in "Boombayah"). We'll see if they can right those wrongs for the quick comeback.

This is the most complete song of Black Pink's four releases. Everyone sounds really good. They have a stable quartet of voices, and they're all distinct enough to stand out. Jisoo has a lilt to her voice, making it naturally appealing. Rose is the most interesting singer of the group, her nasality and voice type are certainly reminiscent of Park Bom - hopefully that similarity doesn't include live performances. Lisa is stable
Jennie continues to make a compelling argument that she is one of the most exciting new members in Kpop, coupling her already prevalent rapping and dancing abilities with a solid vocal performance. She definitely is the new Minzy, as her lower register is lovely. I'm more comfortable than the average person constantly drawing parallels to 2NE1 so it doesn't faze me at all.