[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] 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.

[Misc] Uncover Blogger Sadness

And here I thought Blogger was gonna have both interfaces available since I did not enjoy the new update one bit. According to the latest notice, the old variant of Blogger's design will be removed by the end of August. I guess technically they gave us another month or so for keeping the old format, but man I just have to ask why? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Definitely wasn't broken by any stretch of the imagination. Well, in the meantime, enjoy this delightful performance by Seulgi. I'm gonna try and get two more pieces out before the end of the month (not including Late Report).

[Review] Girl's Day - Female President (Revisited)

The way I've done these revisits is simple: I go and watch the original MV followed by a live performance (usually the one linked in post). Then I bring up the original review and write my reactions or adjustments accordingly. With Girl's Day's anniversary recently passing by, let's take a look back at "Female President," which was conveniently reviewed a little over seven years ago. Back then I still did categories, so maybe for the next revisit I'll pick one that is more recent.

• I love the high notes and energy that the chorus (I guess that is mainly a mixture of rapping and singing) provides. Unfortunately that’s really all there is to the vocals. Minah and Sojin doing excellent work, while Yura and Hyeri with support roles.

Right off the bat my old self surprises me because I did not enjoy the chorus at all. The vocals are strained leading in and the lines themselves are boring and repetitive. This was 2013 Girl's Day, so the rift in vocal talent between Sojin, Minah and Hyeri, Yura was huge. I still remember their cover of "Someone Like You" on some show where Yura and Hyeri just got to sit there awkwardly while Minah and Sojin sang their hearts out. Anyway, I didn't say much on the vocals besides that. Oh and I claimed Yura's second verse opening was comparable to Sojin, which is fucking hilarious in retrospect.

[Review] Seulrene - Naughty

Red Velvet's Seulgi and Irene helped satiate the fans with "Monster" previously, and now have unleashed a new treat for us with "Naughty." And to think there are two more videos on the way? We truly don't deserve. I would hesitate to call this the best timeline, given what's going with Wendy (and...the rest of the world), but these two are doing everything in their power to keep the masses happy.

[Review] GFriend - Apple

For the first time in ages, I've topped over 80 hours on Steam in the last two weeks. This is thanks to Gunfire Reborn, a game in which I'll eventually hold a speedrun record for. But anyway! GFriend have joined the summer soiree, bringing something nutritious to the table with "Apple." As someone that hasn't paid much attention to the Kpop landscape in a while, it should be refreshing to hear some classic GFriend music.

[Misc] American Kpop Idol Hall Of Fame

Today we shall take an objective look at the top ten Korean American singers of all time. Of all time! These male and female artists proudly represent the United States of America on this hallowed special day. We'll briefly discuss their talents and accomplishments maybe, though that seems pointless. If it wasn't obvious, this shouldn't be taken seriously at all. Five female candidates and five male candidates because I'm not sexist. Here we go, happy 4th or something.

Tiffany

These aren't in any order, but when it comes to Korean Americans in the industry, Tiffany is the first member that comes to mind. She also was randomly generated into the first slot, so the number manipulation knows what I want. Of course she was part of Girls' Generation and had many a solo and group endeavor since those debut years. You know there really isn't much to write for these entrants, it's all fluff and humor anyway.

Jae

One of the newer generation of idols, Jae represents them with his position here. There are others, like a couple Seventeen and NCT members, but Jae takes the spot with additional flair of being in a band. DAY6 has plenty of official releases that have flawless English versions and he's certainly a reason for it. Jae also does an online podcast primarily in English, which is cool.

Ailee

There are gonna be a handful of soloists here and Ailee's appearance should not be surprising to anyone. Sassy and supreme in vocals, Ailee has done great work across the decade. Hell, years ago she was the likely candidate to take a campaign to the US and succeed.