[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.

[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: October 2019

With this, a full year of Late Reports have been filed. I can safely say that I like this series' inclusion on the blog: it helps take any pressure off having to write multiple reviews frequently, is clean and easy to format and write, and is super resourceful when it comes to Best Of 20XX and any compilation posts. Very glad I decided to do something like this. Here's what caught my eyes and ears during the month of October.

Tiffany - Run For Your Life

It's been a hot minute since I paid attention to what the non-Taeyeon girls of SNSD are up to. Tiffany strikes fear into the hearts of fans with this freaky MV. Halloween came early with these music video because she's got some curious outfits and styling present in "Run For Your Life." Those distorted leg shots are unsettling to say the least. Everything visual appears inspired by the works of a young Lady Gaga, and so does some of the sound. In particular, the way the autotune (or whatever mixing is involved) and her pronunciation of "glitter" is what reminds of Gaga's older material.

[Bonus] Boy Group Power Rankings: Spring 2019

Holy shit Boy Group Power Rankings?! This year truly is a year of surprises. And this case, good ones. As someone that always paid way more attention to the girl group landscape, but hey there are interesting things going on over on this side. I doubt this will become a recurring series - at least not for a while - but it's fun to draft these and y'all know how much I love power rankings of any kind. Speaking of...I'm really slacking on the Girl Group Vocalist Power Ranking that I've had foundation work for since half a year ago. Promise I'll get that out soon.

Let's talk methodology: it's really difficult haha. Because where do I even begin? Roster, talent, discography, statistics, history, legacy, etc. It's all a foggy blend and there's no real marker of when I should begin considering - too recent and the veteran groups lose out, too far back and the nostalgia goggles kick in. It's harder since there's no previous list to reference. I don't even remember how I determined placings for the first iteration of Girl Group Power Rankings. Looks like I'll have to rely on feel and adjust accordingly. Don't expect as detailed descriptions compared to the female counterpart list.

#10. Infinite
Honestly this spot makes you feel like a loser no matter what. With the complicated formula to determine who is "better," I settled with Infinite here over GOT7. Their rosters are actually pretty similar with both housing some unsung heroes in the vocals department. Choreography is their strength while rapping their weakness. But Infinite not only has seniority, but a better resume overall. "Bad" and "Back" are a pair of tracks that best anything in GOT7's library.

[Bonus] The Late Report: March 2019

With a string of reviews, we dive into the March Late Report. The previous month kickstarted what hopes to be a magnificent run into the spring block. Enjoy the delicacies from March.

Sunmi - Noir

Leave it to Sunmi for the quick rebound. "Siren" was a tad weaker than other selections in her glorious run but she's right back into the swing of things with "Noir." Her trademark sound is omnipresent and while it's slower than her usual tracks, the audio is still exciting and impressive. Equally as exciting is the artistic video, in which Sunmi does Sunmi things while looking flawless. The MV itself is full of imagery and mockery on the entertainment industry. That current top Youtube comment says it all: "I don't need subtitltes to understand that Sunmi just roasted the whole Internet and society."

[Misc] Thought Corner: Kpop Hopes In 2019

Welcome to 2019. Kpop Hopes takes over as the first post of the year, and I'll begin to reclassify some of the older blog posts as Thought Corner posts. Kpop Awards are coming, but first let's look at predictions from the past and for the future. It's always hilarious to look back and see exactly how dumb I can be. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill. We're going hard or going home. Before we look ahead, we'll take a look backwards at my 2018 predictions.

[Bonus] Best Of 2018

Hey I had to work on Christmas Eve haha! Who needs an introduction? These are my picks for the top songs in 2018. Let's fucking get it.

#10. Pristin V - Get It

Apparently people slept on "Get It" but it's the best ever released by Pristin (even though this is a subunit). It's kinda sad, but this is what optimal Pristin looks like. The song matches the instrumental in the hard-hitting nature, while everyone serves up that femme fatale look. From Eunwoo's vocals to Rena's rapping, each member puts in a solid performance for a well-rounded track. Without any aegyo bullshit or unnecessary moments, it's easy to see why "Get It" earned a spot on this list. Hopefully the rest of Pristin can get on this level for the future.

#9. Stray Kids - I Am You

Stray Kids are the new kids on the block, and they've amassed quite the early portfolio. "I Am You" is a refreshing take on the typical energetic dance track mixed with some powerful rapping. Like SM, JYP finally has some solid rappers with this generation of groups. As far as first impressions go, they remind me of GOT7 if GOT7 had actual rappers. Changbin, Han, and Felix make the highlight reel (though the latter is mostly on voice alone) and the singers aren't bad either. I imagine they will pan out nicely thanks to their rapping and composition abilities.