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sad song playlist

I will start making playlists to recommend songs that fit a certain mood/emotion. To start off, I will be sharing with you my playlist of my favorite sad songs.

I Need Somebody - DAY6

DAY6 is a very common artist on this playlist, as they have a talent for composing many beautiful sad love songs. “I Need Somebody” was probably one of the first few DAY6 songs I heard, and it had me hooked first listen. The emotions in the members’ voices as they sing is so raw and powerful, especially Young K/Brian, in my opinion.

D (half moon) - DEAN, Gaeko

This was probably one of the first K-Pop songs that I heard and I was in love with it. DEAN’s voice is so smooth and calming. Although his voice in this song doesn’t have this tone where it sounds like he’s going to cry or anything extreme like that, but it still has this very subtle sad air to it.

No Longer - NCT127

NCT is full of talented and emotional voices made for ballads, and “No Longer” fed the ballad-hungry fans like me. Doyoung’s voice, specifically, was what really had me in tears. It is so powerful and emotional; I didn’t need to read the song’s lyrics to feel how sad and heartbreaking this song is.

Take Me Down - The Rose

When Sammy/Woosung sings his “I just wanna say ‘goodbye’” in this song, I am a goner. However, it was Dojoon’s voice that really started the waterworks for me when I first listened to this song. It’s impossible to explain, but there’s something about his voice before the start of the first chorus that has me tearing up.

Missed Connections - DK

While crying the entire time that I watched Tempted or The Great Seducer, DK’s OST “Missed Connections” would be playing in the background. Despite not knowing the meaning behind the song’s lyrics, the emotion and pure heartbreak and regret put into every single syllable was what brought me to tears listening to the song. DK has a voice perfect for ballads, as proven by this work of art.

Colors - DAY6

This song (along with “Wedding Dress” by Taeyang) was what I had on loop for hours after my first heartbreak. Something about the insturments in the back makes the song even more powerful. In this playlist, I am specifically talking about the Final Version of the song, meaning the five member version, because Wonpil’s voice in this song? Simply perfect. At the end of the second verse where he sings “If you could, save me” had me sobbing even harder each time I heard it. Reading the lyrics of the song made the song even more powerful and meaningful.

“I try holding out my hand to catch you

but you get further away.

Hold out your hand, color me like that red sunset,

so I won’t lose myself.”

Wedding Dress - Taeyang

This was MY go-to song after my first heartbreak, and I am not even ashamed to admit it. “Wedding Dress” is about a best friend reflecting on their regrets to being too late to “get the girl” but still supporting her with her significant other, even though it breaks their heart. Being the first ever K-Pop song I listened to, “Wedding Dress” will always hold a special place in my heart, and never fail to make me tear up just a bit.

Hope Not - BLACKPINK

While BLACKPINK are very popular and well known for their “hype” and more upbeat and energetic songs, “Hope Not” is a different song. It is a song thinking back and “singing to” their ex-lover. This slower song really displayed the beautiful voices of the girls. In this song, Jennie’s voice was what really hit me.

album review : BLACKPINK “KILL THIS LOVE”

On April 4, K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK released their second mini-album “KILL THIS LOVE,” with the title track being “Kill This Love.” In this blog post, I will be reviewing/sharing my thoughts on each song on the album and the album overall.

Kill This Love (title)

When I first heard this long, I actually wasn’t the biggest fan of it, to be completely honest. However, as my sister proceeded to play this song a minimum of four times an hour, it quickly grew on me, and soon I became addicted to the song. Some of my personal favorite parts of the song would be Lisa’s “HERE I COME KICKING THE DOOR” (the lyric that I will always scream) and Lisa and Jennie’s rap together in the second verse. Despite this song being for rap-centric, Jisoo and (my girl) Rosé’s singing parts still had a very strong impact.

The only thing that I didn’t particularly love about this song and the music video would be Lisa’s boxer braids, which not only didn’t really suit her, but were also cultural appropriation. Other than that, I really enjoyed the song and music video.

Don’t Know What To Do

This was the song that officially Rosé my bias in BLACKPINK. It really allowed her beautiful and unique voice to shine. I fell in love with her voice when I heard this song, and now I am whipped for Rosé and her voice. Let’s talk about how she ended the song as well! Her voice? Perfect! “Don’t Know What To Do,” also proved that literally everyone in BLACKPINK can sing, and very well at that. Lisa’s RAP oh my goodness! This just shows just versatile Lisa’s voice is! She can rap both aggressively for songs such as “Kill This Love,” but smoother and more melodic, almost like she’s singing, in this song.

Kick It

So basically, this song is perfect, and that’s all there is to it. Jennie with the intro? Outsold. Her voice? Amazing. The “I’ll break ya break ya heart”? Saved my life, invented English. Then LISA COMES IN WITH THE “I ain’t nothing like the same same girls that you’ve had.” I am left speechless. When the chorus comes, I’m basically crying over how perfect the song is. But when the chorus hits, I cry just a bit more. It is so beautiful? All of their voices just fit so well and they just sound incredible? Another part of the song that I also really enjoyed of the song is the bridge! It’s just so easy to dance to and scream out loud!

Hope Not

Brothers, this is the slow song of the year, dare I say, century. Everyone of them sound so amazing. This song made me cry over the break-up that I’ve never had; their voices really deliver the lyrics of the song to your heart. In my opinion, Jisoo’s voice suited this song very well, with how deep and smooth her voice is. This song will definitely make it on my sad song playlist!

Overall, I really enjoyed this album! I haven’t obsessed so much over an album since “The Story of Light” by SHINee or “Teen,Age” by SEVENTEEN. I am very happy for the girls’ success in America, especially the support they’ve received at Coachella, and hope that they will continue to get more of the support they deserve.

marilyn monderland

A while back, during the summer, I discovered a song called “New York” by yelloasis. Later on, I looked more into yelloasis, only to discover that he is a part of the K RnB group called Marilyn Monderland, which is what I will be talking about today.

Marilyn Monderland, as I have previously stated, is a K RnB groups made up of artists yelloasis, JUNNY, and Holynn. It has been stated before that the group includes other members as well, however I have yet to see a song on Spotify mentioning them. In total, Marilyn Monderland has four mini-albums/EPs: “Love,” “Hustle,” “Exquisite,” and “Ambition.”

In the mini-album/EP “Love,” my favorite songs would have to be “24,” and “H.e.r.” Both songs are very smooth, calming, and “groovy.” I really enjoyed JUNNY’s voice in both of these songs, and I think this style really suits his voice. The difference though, is Holynn and yelloasis. yelloasis has a more nasally and high voice, while Holynn’s is smooth and deeper.

In the second mini-album, nothing can surpass my love for the song “New York.” It is a solo yelloasis song, which is incredible, as I really love his voice and how unique it is. This song was the slow summer song that I was always looking for; yelloasis’s voice is so calming and can just help you fall right asleep. yelloasis has a special type of voice that I can never seem to get tired of hearing.

Next up, the “Exquisite,” mini/EP. My two favorite songs from this mini would definitely be “Control” (featuring JUNNY and Holynn) and “Deserve” (featuring Holynn). Both of these song are different from Marilyn’s previous songs, which are more calming and soothing, rather these songs sound more sensual (lol). This is probably because both songs are made and sung by Holynn, whose deeper, smoother voice fits this style of music. Another aspect of both songs that I really enjoyed was the beat and bass.

Lastly, on the “Ambition” mini, my favorite songs would be “Monderland,” and “911.” Both songs feature all artists under Marilyn Monderland. I really enjoyed the style of “Monderland,” which was really different from any of the other songs they have produced; both upbeat but still keeping the RnB style. On the other hand, “911,” has a similar style to the songs “Control,” and “Deserve,” following the more RnB style, with the heavy base and beat.

Overall, I really enjoy Marilyn Monderland’s music, and how different their voices and styles are from each other. It is very interesting to see how their music styles and voices combine to make amazing art. I really hope to see more from them soon!

recent comebacks part 2

The month of March has been filled with many amazing comebacks, from artists like Stray Kids, PENTAGON, KARD, Monsta X, and Jeong Sewoon. In addition, there has also been the debut of the new boy group 1TEAM. I also discovered new soloist named Mia. In this blog post, I will be briefly discussing my thoughts and opinions on some these new songs/albums.

“MIROH” by Stray Kids

I really enjoyed this comeback and album from them. The song is basically criticizing our society and how it brainwashes people into acting a certain way to follow standards set up by the adults around us. This can be seen in the one of the lyrics of the song: “It’s not hard, in this rough jungle

It was me who ran into it, I’m okay.” “This rough jungle,” is used to represent the corrupt society and how they are escaping it. In addition, the chorus of the song includes a chant from the Congo language, which Chan said that they researched into before including in the song. I really love that 3RACHA (Chan, Changbin, and Jisung, the writers of the group) make sure to be educated and respectful towards different cultures.

“VIBE” by 1TEAM

On March 27, 2018 boy-group 1TEAM debuted with their first mini album with the title track “VIBE.” I really enjoy their song, it is a cute and energetic song that i very catchy. Something that really surprised me when I first the song was the rap! The rapper at the start of the second verse really shocked me; his voice was a lot deeper than expected, and I loved his flow, it reminded a little but of ZICO. Even more, he has a mullet and he looks so cute with it, which I thought I would say, as mullets aren’t often used for cute concepts. I hope to hear more from 1TEAM, and I plan to listen to the rest of their mini-album and maybe even learn the members’ names and stan them.

“SHA LA LA” by PENTAGON

“SHA LA LA” was very different from “Naughty Boy” and “Shine” but I loved it just as much, and dare I say, even more than the previous comebacks. The song sounds like a very powerful dance song and I love it. It starts off with MY MAN HUI, who is looking like a full course meal as always, and his beautiful voice. The song seems to be already a very good dance song, but then it gets even better when the beat changes at the second verse and the rap starts! I really love PENTAGON’s rappers; for idol rappers, they are very strong! What I really enjoyed was how much center time Hui got and his high notes throughout the song.

This was part two of my review on some of the recent comebacks and releases this and the previous month. Please check out and support these artists!

march comebacks part 1

“Dear” by Mia feat. PENOMECO

This song is the perfect mellow and calming song. Mia’s voice is so soothing and beautiful, and sort of reminds me of Bolbbalgan4. Even more, I love that PENOMECO was feautured on this track; his voice can range from very aggressive to more soft and low-key like in this song. His part in the second verse, right before the start of the chorus, with the slight editing/autotuning on his voice really gives it a different edge. “Dear” is a beautiful song and I really hope to see more music from Mia.

“Feeling” by Jeong Sewoon feat. PENOMECO

Wow, PENOMECO being featured on two songs, in one week? This is a blessing. I remember first discovering Jeong Sewoon when watching the show “It’s Dangerous Beyond the Blanket,” and watching him sit inside of his room and just playing his guitar and singing. I fell in love with how soft and soothing his voice was, and how he looked so peaceful and happy playing his guitar. This song definitely didn’t disappoint! It is a very cute and upbeat song that really shows off the two’s voices. The contrast between their voices somehow makes it work even better; Sewoon’s voice is a more breathy and soft singing voice, while PENOMECO’s voice is a bit more of a melodic rap. I really enjoyed hearing another side of PENOMECO’s voice, and hearing even more of Sewoon’s beautiful voice.

“Play It Cool” by Monsta X and Steve Aoki

I am very happy that Monsta X are finally recieving the recognition and appreciation in America they deserve. I was blown away when I first heard the song; the members’ English pronunciation is amazing. Jooheon’s voice was what really had me “shook.” While he doesn’t sound at all like a typical K-Pop vocalist, there is something just so beautiful an addicting about listening to him sing. Another member that left me amazed was skinny legend Kihyun. I’ve always enjoyed Kihyun’s voice and this song simply reminded me of just how perfect his voice is.

“Bomb Bomb” by KARD

I was already anticipating this comeback after continuously rewatching BM’s teaser, and I was not disappointed. KARD never fails to put out songs that just make you want to dance. When the song just starts, and you’re hit with my man Taehyung and his, “One to one hunn,” wow. J.Seph really didn’t need to hurt my heart like that with his beautiful voice and luscious hair. Jiwoo and Somin’s dancing and singing never fails to amaze me. Their parts together at the bridge is what really had me! But Matthew’s rap and his dance solo is really what took the cake. After the bridge, where he has the solo with the fire pits, wow. Overall, I just really loved this comeback and can’t wait to hear more from KARD!

In this blog post, I reviewed just some of the amazing comebacks this month! Wait for the next blog post where I talk/cry over Stray Kids, 1TEAM, and PENTAGON.

toxic k-pop stans

Being someone who has listened to K-Pop for a little while now, I have seen many different types of toxic fans on social media (twitter, instagram, tumblr, youtube) as well as in person. In this blog post, I will be listing and describing different types of toxic K-Pop fans.

The KoreaBoo

One of the most well known, and well-clowned toxic fans, are Koreaboos, or K-Boo for short. A Koreaboo is essentially a non-Korean K-Pop fan who has become obsessed with Korean (and sometimes just all East Asian culture) after listening to K-Pop. There are different levels of Koreaboo levels, however common tendencies and behaviors of a Koreaboo include, but are not limited to:

1. Unironically “speaking” Korean- Using the little Korean they know/picked up from songs, dramas, and shows. Key Examples: “saranghae” (meaning “I love you”) “annyeonghaseyo ___ imnida” (spelling? meaning “hello, I am ___”), “jinja” (“really”), “arraseo” (“okay”), “ottoke” (“what to do?”).

2. Becoming obsessed with becoming Asian- Watching subliminals for “becoming Asian,” “getting monolids,” “bringing out your inner idol/ulzzang,” etc. Poor make-up in attempts to look “more Korean” (gluing monolids, terrible cute-sty makeup). Purposely making your voice higher pitched to sound more like female idols.

3. Wanting to date Korean (sometimes also East Asians in general)- There is a difference between having Asian people as a “type,” or as people you are attracted to, and wanting to date someone because they are connected to K-Pop. Also, holding everyday Koreans and Asians to the standards of K-Pop idols; expecting them to speak or act a certain way, just people your idols do so. Fetshizing Asian people is honestly disgusting. It’s a real issue that I shouldn’t talk about in this blog post, as it would make the post far too long, so we will end it here.

4. Using Korean honorifics (sort of similar to the “Speaking” Korean)- referring to others with Korean honorifics. Key Examples: “oppa,” “unnie,” “eomma,” “hyung.”

The Aggressive Solo Stan

That one person who will only stan ONE group or person. I am not saying that listening to only one group makes you a trash K-Pop stan (although you wouldn’t really be considered a K-Pop stan), however it is the stan who thinks that their faves are the only talented people in the industry. They will bring down any group or artist who has any form or success in order to make their faves look better. These are the fans who will go following fan accounts for artists they dislike just so they can comment on how that artist is terrible.

The Fake Stan

This is the fan who probably only stans three groups and has heard two songs from smaller/less popular now groups or artists such as Block B, VIXX, TVXQ, B.A.P., iM, DAY6, or The Rose, and consider themselves a massive K-Pop stan. As previously stated, there is nothing wrong with not listening to just a few groups; you don’t need to know every artist or company in the industry, however it does become mildly annoying when someone whose only listened to four groups and maybe two DEAN songs, SHINee’s newest release, one song from TVXQ, and maybe even a KNK song, starts acting like they know everything about K-Pop. I am not saying that I know every group or company in the industry, in fact, I am very far from that, however people who have barely touched a bit of K-Pop acting like they know all of the industry? Toxic and embarrassing.

The Nasty K-Pop Stan

Stop. Sexualizing. Under-age. K-Pop Idols. They’re, like fifteen, and that is disgusting.

The Big Three Hater

Probably one of my least favorite toxic stans, Big Three haters are people who hate or belittle the success of the groups under the Big Three companies (JYP, YG, and SM). B3 haters believe that the success of these artists are only due to their company. Such haters have made rumors of companies buying awards and wins, rigging shows, buying views, and other outrageous things. While being under Big Three definitely brings more expose than being in a smaller company such as Brave, it does not equal immediate success. Often, being under Big Three results in harsher critiques for the group, them often being called the failures of the company. This is very much seen in SME groups. When EXO first debuted, they were considered “SM’s first failure,” however after their success and the debut of Red Velvet, that title was passed onto Red Velvet, and soon NCT.

These are just some of the toxic K-Pop fans that I could think of on the spot. I will definitely find more toxic fans on Twitter, and this could even turn into a series! Anyways, stan Stray Kids for clear skin and good grades.

february playlist

In this blog post, I will be listing some of the songs that I listened to a lot during the month of February.

9ucci Bank - BewhY, Dok2

Absinthe - punchnello

punchnello’s album “ordinary.” came out late Janaury (the twenty-eighth, to be specific), and definitely was one of my favorite releases of this year so far. “Absinthe” in particular, was a personal favorite, as it reminds me of the song that really made me fall in love with punchnello’s rap and voice: “Detox.” While the album had some of the nice, slower songs, I really enjoyed how aggressive and powerful this song was. This song, dare I say, SLAPS. It starts off with a lazy, effortless-sounding rap, and starts to build up, becoming more and more powerful. “Absinthe” is a song that makes me want to attempt (and fail) to yell all the words to.

Winter Blossom - punchnello, SAAY

“Winter Blossom” is the exact opposite of “Absinthe,” to the point where it seems impossible that both songs are sung/performed by the same artist. This song shows a calmer, softer side of punchnello, with lazy, almost singing, rap. I really enjoyed that he featured SAAY in this song as well; her voice fits the soothing aura of the song and punchnello’s voice perfectly.

Detox - punchnello

Flex - Giriboy, Kid Milli, NO:EL, Swings

PARADISE - millic, Fanxy Child

We Are - Woo, Loco, GRAY

party (Shut Down) - Sik-K, Crush

Most Hated - Jay Park, Dok2

When The Night Comes - Woodie Gochild, DOX-A

I really enjoy the style of Woodie Gochild’s music. It is sort of a mix or hip-hop-ish and tropical house. His rapping is very different from what many expect of “traditional” rapping. Rather than the aggressive rapping that is expected (which isn’t a bad thing, I mean, look at punchnello), Woodie Gochild’s rap is very melodic, almost like singing.

Muse - Woodie Gochild, Jay Park, Sik-K

Please - DPR LIVE, Dumfounded, G2, Kim Hyo-Eun

Know Me - DPR LIVE, DEAN

THE 1LLEST - The Quiett, Jessi

119 REMIX - prod. GRAY

Let me once again talk about how the 119 REMIX will forever remain the superior collaboration. This work of art was produced by skinny legend GRAY, and while I would love to list all of the amazing artists that participated in the making of the art, that would mean listing fifty-one names, which is way too much. However, this is truly amazing, and any purchases or money made from streaming this song will be donated the firefighter organizations.

Trilla - JUNNY, Yelloasis

WANT - TAEMIN

GG - BLOO, niahn

Bar Code - HAON, VINXEN

“Bar Code” was a song that I first heard while watching “Dancing High,” a show where different style dancers compete for a scholarship reward. Team HOYA’s Jisung and Yoonjun danced to this song during the first ace battle, and at the time, I thought little of the song, and was more immersed in watching the two dance. However, I somehow found my way back to this song through Instagram, and was blown away. The lyrics for the song are incredible (prepare for a terrible attempt of explaining the song), comparing people and our lives to bar codes, saying that we all live the same life. “Beep (like scanning in item), next.”

During the month of February, I listened to less of K-Pop, but rather began to dive into K Hip-Hop. I always enjoyed listening punchnello, PENOMECO, along with the occasional Jay Park, and decided to go onto my Spotify to listen to other artists of the same genre as them. This was definitely the best idea I’ve had in years, as I found many other songs and artists that I really enjoyed, one of them being Woodie Gochild.

Covers Done by K-Pop Artists

K-Pop artists, on top of singing their own songs, occasionally sing covers of other artists. I happen to really enjoy some of their covers, so in this blog post, I will be talking about some of my favorite covers done by K-Pop artists.

Jinho (PENTAGON) - “Shallow” by Lady Gaga

Although I do not really stan, or closely follow PENTAGON, I really enjoy listening to Jinho’s voice. His voice is truly beautiful, which can be clearly shown in this cover. “Shallow,” really helps display Jinho’s extraordinary vocal range. On top of that, his pronunciation in this song is amazing, it’s nearly impossible to tell that English is not his native language. The emotion he put into his cover is amazing; his cover is the second song that has brought me to tears.

I.M (MONSTA X) - “instagram” by DEAN

Even though Changkyun is rather unconfident in his singing, as he is a rapper, his cover of DEAN’s ballad song “instagram” is amazing. His falsetto is incredible, and I really enjoy how deep his voice is, which is rather different from DEAN’s original, higher toned voice. Changkyun’s voice is very smooth and calming, and it kind of hurts that his cover of “instagram” is only a minute and a half long.

Doyoung (NCT) - “breathin” by Ariana Grande

I don’t support Ariana Grande because she’s racist, however Doyoung’s cover of “breathin’” slaps. I’ve unwillingly heard parts of the original version of this song, and I, personally, find it to only be alright. I just find her voice to be somewhat obnoxious, however Doyoung’s voice makes the song so much better.

Jae and Brian (DAY6) - “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae

Jae and Brian’s voice really compliment each other. Jae’s voice is a mixture of little bit of raspy and soothing. More importantly, let’s talk about Jae’s voice in the beginning of the song, when he sings, “Three little birds, sat on my window….” because that is a work of art. Now let’s talk about Brian, or Young K, also known as the love of my life, because I love him. His falsetto is amazing and sounds even better when he harmonizes with Jae. My personal favorite part of his was when he changed the lyrics from, “Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,” to “Sapphire and faded jeans, tell me your favorite jeans.”

Overall, these are some of my covers done by K-Pop artists. Yes.

[ emotional ] sammy from the rose

Sammy, or Woosung, is the main/lead singer of the Korean band, The Rose. Sammy was from LA, and originally played football, until he dislocated his shoulder. This led him to pursuing music, and moving to Korea. In Korea, it is already his birthday, and he’s turned 26 (international age). In this blog post, I will be writing a little bit about what I appreciate about Sammy.

One thing I really love about Sammy is his voice and how unique it is. I remember listening to The Rose’s “Sorry” when it first came out, and the first line blew me away. Sammy’s voice is so powerful and beautiful; without even knowing the lyrics of the song, I could feel his heartbreak and hurt through his voice. When the bridge(?) of “Sorry” hits, and Sammy’s just like “Girl, I’d never let you go [Korean lyrics],” it’s all over for me. “Sorry” never fails to make me cry pathetically. His voice has this beautiful rasp to it, making it all edgy, emotional, and cool. On top of that, his voice WHEN HE SINGS IN ENGLISH IM GONE. Let’s have a talk about his Valentine’s Day song that he posted on his Instagram. His voice is so smooth and beautiful and his smile when he sings, oh goodness, he really has my whole heart. Sammy looks so happy in this video while he sings and that just really, hits me in the heart.

Speaking of his Valentine’s Day video, Sammy’s Valentine’s Day video left me in shambles. He really has a crooked tooth. This is the cutest thing ever, let me tell you. Sammy’s crooked tooth is just the smallest imperfection that makes him perfectly imperfect (cliche, I know). It’s hardly noticeable, but it’s really there ruining my life. No one should look that adorable with a little crooked tooth, but Sammy is an adorable man. On top of that, he has glasses and a beret on! Sammy in glasses is rare enough, but a beret as well?! I guess dreams really do come true. And this is just about how he looked in the video; let’s get into the video itself. It starts off with him saying “Happy Valentine’s Day,” four times, before singing the little song he made fol Valentine’s Day. The song is beautiful; it’s just so relaxing and cute. One of the lyrics that really just helped start the waterworks for me was “I don’t need anything, but you with me, ‘cuz in your company, I feel happy, oh so happy, and complete.” Sammy literally looks so happy when he sings, it warms my heart. He was so giggly and adorable during this video, what isn’t there to love?

Despite his very strong and emo stage persona, Sammy is overall a very soft and cute little baby. He is a little competitive with games and laughs and jumps in excitement when he wins. He’s tried his best at a crow imitation and failed miserably, causing his members to laugh at him. He often wears large and oversized sweaters that nearly swallow him whole and give him little sweater paws. He makes bad jokes and giggles cutely as he cringes at himself. When he laughs, his eyes turn into little cressents, his nose scrunches up, and his whole face just brightens up, and, let me tell you, it is the most beautiful thing to grace this earth. He has this silly rap that he started on “KPOP Star” that goes like, “My name is Sam, and I like some ham. Girls call me, BAM, and they see me, they go D*MN,” but he doesn’t even like ham.

Sammy has many little things about him that just make him so cute and loveable. I really can’t believe that he’s turning 26, when he acts like a little kids half of the time. Please go and support Sammy and The Rose for good health.

my favorite verses from the “119 REMIX”

“119 REMIX” is a track produced by GRAY, and is a large collaboration between fifty-one K-Hip-Hop artists, including well known rappers such as Jay Park, LOCO, Sik-K, and, obviously, GRAY. This remix/song is a whole twenty minutes and forty seconds long, with fifty-one verses (one verse for each artist featured). In this blog post, I will be listing (not in order of favorite or least, it’s randomized because I’m indecisive) and talking about my favorite verses in the “119 REMIX.”

Jay Park

“We the m*tha f*ckin' gang bro

We mobbin' deep

Wreakin' havoc to

The game h*e, like prodigy

RIP like Ali float and stingin' like a bee

Most you rappers be my son

That means I'm your father

Yeah GRAY BEAT I'm flammin'

Don't wanna here

Another word from you

Tell me where my payment is

Hop on this famous d*ck

Time is money honey and

Lemme tell u now ain't

Nobody wastin' it

Ooh yeah, look at the drip

Huh yeah, let’s take a trip

Soju let's take sip

Take a sip b*tch”

Jay Park’s verse is the first verse in the remix and it really had me hooked from the start. I really enjoy his rapping style, and how his verse just flows so smoothly, with the simple rhymes that he makes work so well. For example, one of my favorite parts of his rap is near the end, where he rhymes “drip,” “trip,” and “sip.” In addition, earlier in his verse, he rhymes “bee” and “아버지,” (I really hope that’s the correct Korean thing, because I found that off a website) which is “father/dad” in Korean.

Woodie Gochild

When there is a fire, extinguish it 119

(Yeah, I’m so fresh as Gochild)

You good? Don't get cocky, my friend

(who can do it like Gochild)

I transcend time, best friends with Saimdang and King Sejong

My popularity is like Sobangcha in 1998

Spray water, Drip harder, Drip beads of sweat

I’m so hot, hot, hot, hot

I really enjoy Woodie Gochild’s rap because it’s different from just aggressive rapping; it’s more of a melodic rap. Also, I really liked the little “Yeah, I’m so fresh as Gochild,” and “Who can do it like Gochild?”

PENOMECO

Yeah, we bring the fire, gun shots

Fire appeared by playing with fire, blowin up

Seems like your underwear got wet because of your sweat, seems like there's a waterbomb

As my brother said, "f*ck your opinion" get away from us

We are natural organic

Rather than fanning, just pour oil, you get it?

Private planes are our rendezvous

Suddenly our destination is Malibu,

Yeah we gon' do

I really enjoy PENOMECO’s rapping in general, and how he can switch from very melodic rapping- to where it’s almost like he’s singing-- to very fast and aggressive rapping. In addition to this, PENOMECO also includes a lot of rhyming in his verse. My personal favorite part of the song, just happens to be the part that rhymes as well. At the end of his verse, PENOMECO rhyme’s “rendezvous,” “Malibu,” and “do.”

YUNHWAY

Call 119, yuh, 911 out here

Mama’s teriyaki, roastin' on that fire

I’m feelin' lucky, lucky, I'm wearing Versace

I'm the queen, sky high, WDP

Go above like smoke

Disappear like Lil Cherry

I'm different different

Different from you guys, I'm different

So different from you

Saewoo and Yunhway sing Night Sea

You listen to our songs everynight

I'm different different now you follow me

I’ve never really listened to YUNHWAY before this remix, however after listening to her rap, I’m very interested in listening to more of her music. Her rapping style is very interesting; it’s like a lazy rap, that has this really effortless drawl, even when she’s rapping quickly.

Anyways, these are just some of my favorite verses from the song, but-- honestly-- the whole remix/song slaps, so you should listen to it and buy it and support it! In addition, any profits made from this remix are donated to firefighting organizations.

a (really late) list of my favorite albums in 2018

In the year of 2018, I listened to many new songs and albums, and also discovered new artists and groups as well. However, there were some albums that really stood out to me in 2018, that I listened to many months after its release. This blog post will be a (long overdue) list of my favorite albums of 2018.

NOIR : “Airplane Mode”

“Airplane Mode” was NOIR’s first official comeback, and it surely did not disappoint. The album was amazing, showing the group’s growth in rap, vocals, and dance since their debut. I find all of the songs to be very catchy and fun to listen to. Also, in this album, Yunsung really got to shine a lot more, which is great, because him, Seunghoon, and Yeonkuk are currently my bias wreckers!

The Rose : “Dawn”

Wow, I was in quite the pickle choosing between The Rose’s “Dawn” and “Void,” seeing that The Rose has never put out a single bad album or song. However, I ended up sticking with “Dawn,” since many people have theorized that this album is all connected, and that if you listen to the album in order, it tells a story of a boy and girl falling in and out of love. “Dawn” is perfect album to listen to if you’re in the mood for slow songs and ballads.

VIXX : “Eau De Vixx”

I’m not really a VIXX stan, or Starlight (fandom name), however I sure can appreciate their music. This album had me sh00k. I remember simply watching the music video for “Scentist,” simply because I thought it looked pretty, and thank goodness I did. Listening to VIXX’s music sends you into a whole other dimension; their music and sound I find very unique and addicting.

Monsta X : “THE CONNECT : DEJAVU”

This album was, to simply put it, perfect. Every song was so unique, and showed Monsta X’s amazing rap and vocals. More importantly, who can forget about Yoo Kihyun’s high note in “Lost in the Dream”? All of the songs in this album are incredible, it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite (although “Crazy in Love” will always have a special place in my heart).

NCT 2018 : “EMPATHY”

Although “EMPATHY” was much less of a new album rather than a huge repackage, it still remained as one the albums that I couldn’t get enough of in 2018. With songs from each unit, along with new members and new units, each song on the album was very different from the song before it. I guess that’s what made the album so loveable, the many different sounds in it.

DAY6 : “Shoot Me: Youth Part 1”

Not to be dramatic, but this mini-album, along with “The Story of Light” (which I will be talking about next) saved my summer. This era was when I really started to stan DAY6, which is a part of the reason why it is so special to me. In addition to this, this album was the album that I listened to on the five hour drive to go camping. The songs on this album are all very beautiful and also bring back many happy memories, which is why it was one of my favorite albums in 2018.

SHINee : “The Story of Light”

I was really happy that SHINee was going to release one more album before all of the members began to enlist. This album also holds a very special place in my heart; it brings back many happy memories of the summer and early school year. “The Story of Light” contains a variety of songs, from slow ballads, to more upbeat love songs.

NCT 127 : “Chain”

I’m not usually one for Japanese albums from K-Pop artists; most of them just being Japanese versions of their Korean hits, however that wasn’t the case with “Chain.” This Japanese EP contained only the Japanese version of “Limitless,” while all of the other songs on the EP were new, not simply Japanese versions. Each song off of this EP was so addicting and, honestly, I think I’ve listened to each off the album at least one hundred times each. More importantly, this EP has the Japanese version of “Chain,” which will forever remain superior to the Korean version.

These are just some of my favorite albums that were released in 2018, that I was able to remember. In 2019, I hope to listen to for more groups and soloists.

january playlist

The start of a new year, with many new songs, comebacks, and artists. In this month alone, I feel like I listened to many more artists that I haven’t before, along with falling back in love with some of my old favorites. In this blog post, I will be writing about some of my favorite songs to listen to this month.

“Say My Name” by ATEEZ

This song is such a powerful title track for ATEEZ’s first comeback. It really lets the group’s rappers shine, with both smooth, melodic raps, and strong, powerful raps. However, this is not to say that the vocals in this song weren’t good; infact, their vocals were just as powerful as their rap. ATEEZ is a group with the perfect balance of dance, vocals, and rap, making them very powerful rookies. I found the chorus and the bridge of the song to be my favorite parts of the song.

Not at all relevant to the song, however, one of their member’s has a very long mullet this comeback, and I am honestly blown away by his beauty.

“I’m Not Over You” by RYEOWOOK

“City Lights” by TVXQ! Ft. Taeyong

Even though TVXQ’s comeback was last month, I still can’t get enough of this song. I really enjoy Yunho’s voice in this song, especially his falsettos. On top of his beautiful voice, Taeyong is in this song too. Taeyong’s tone when he raps in this song reminds me a lot of his rap in “Baby Don’t Stop,” which might be why I like it so much. When he raps “one more night, 119,” I am just amazed and in awe.

“I’M OK” by iKON

“I’M OK” is yet another beautiful song composed by Hanbin/B.I. The lyrics of this song are written based on Hanbin’s emotional experiences. This song is about feeling of unknown sorrow, and to overcome such sadness, we need time to ourselves to reflect and understand our own feelings, rather than blindly seeking the comfort of others.

“DEMO” by 131 (Hanbin/B.I of iKON)

Only this month did I, along with many other fans, discover that Hanbin had a SoundCloud. I really enjoy Hanbin’s SoundCloud music and demos, because most of his songs on there are slower and more calming. He also sings a lot more, and Hanbin’s singing voice is beautiful. Out of all his songs on his SoundCloud so far, this is my favorite.

“Nowhere” by Jay Park and Ugly Duck

“Hikikomori” by BANG YONGGUK

This is, perhaps, my favorite song out of all the songs I’ve listened to this month (although “Cloud 9” is a tough competitor). The title “Hikikomori,” refers to a term used in Japan to describe a disorder(?) of abnormal avoidance of social contact, typically by males. “Hikikomori” is a beautifully sad song. As always, Yongguk writes powerful and impactful lyrics, describing his experiences of isolation. Here are my favorite lyrics from the song (during the bridge).

“Take off your mask and dance

If you take off your feet and close your eyes,

you’ll feel this damn relief.

I am jealous of the way the world is going.

Don’t assume I know how I feel when you’ve forced me to breathe

No matter how much you eat and drink,

I know this feeling of being dominated by sadness.”

“icanthelpyouifyouwontletme” by punchnello

I really enjoy punchnello’s SoundCloud music, since most of his SoundCloud songs are very calming and mellow. This is currently my favorite song off of his SoundCloud.

“Take Me Down” by The Rose

“Home” by Seventeen

“Home” is a song written by the members of Seventeen to their fans. In an interview with Billboard, Joshua explains, “There’s a lyric that’s like, “We’ll be your home, and you’re our home. We’ll be your comfort, we’ll be the place you can cry alone, or the place you can love alone.” The place where you don’t have to care about what other people will think or say.” I felt so touched and happy reading the lyrics and meaning of the song, and am so grateful that Seventeen dedicated yet another song to their fans.

“Cloud 9” by 3RACHA

“Cloud 9” is a song about bottling up your emotions. They sing/rap about pretending to be happy, hiding their hardships, and keeping their problems to themselves. I find the chorus, where Changbin says “Cloud nine, minus nine,” to be really impactful. “Cloud nine” is an expression for a state of complete happiness, however this is followed by “minus nine.” This sort of shows that they are telling everyone around them that they’re happy, but in reality, they aren’t.

“Promise” by Jimin (BTS)

“Promise” is a song that Jimin composed himself, as a promise to himself to be better. In a V-Live, he explains the meaning of the song, saying that he will try to not blame or torment himself when things get difficult, but to stay strong. The meaning behind this song and how Jimin sings it makes “Promise” a very warm and comforting song.

This month, I started to listen to more K-Pop artists, and over the year, I hope to listen to more artists, along with other genres such K-HipHop and K-R&B.

Timeless K-Pop Songs

K-Pop is an insane industry, with so many new groups, songs, and albums coming out every year, it seems almost impossible to keep up. We start to forget about older songs and groups. However, there are some K-Pop songs that, no matter how old, how many listens, will sound just as amazing as the first time we’ve heard it. In this blog post, I will be talking about some of my favorite, timeless, K-Pop songs.

“Wedding Dress” by Taeyang

The first K-Pop song I heard, “Wedding Dress,” will always have a special place in my heart. I was six years old when this song was released, and I remember when I heard it, I fell in love. I remember watching the music video, and nearly crying at the end when he dropped the ring he was going to propose with. This song is about the heartbreak of watching a close friend fall in love, and marry someone else. He wishes her the best, but feels that he can never move on from her. The lyrics for the song are heartbreakingly beautiful.

Baby, please don’t hold those hands

Cuz you should be my lady

Please look at me, I’ve been waiting all this time.

Once the music ends, you’ll be with him forever

I prayed and prayed that this day wouldn’t come

The wedding dress you once wore (it's not me by your side)

By all means, be happy with him

So I can move on

Please erase me out of your heart

Although I tried my best but, no

Six year old me would listen to this song on repeat and cry over a non-existent boy that I was in love with. I always come back to this song; Taeyang’s lyrics and voice are truly amazing.

“Trick” and “Show! Show! Show!” by Girls’ Generation

Girls’ Generation’s albums “The Boys” and “Run Devil Run” were such iconic albums. I would talk about both albums, but we would be here for years, so I decided to choose two of my favorite songs currently. Both “Trick” and “Show! Show! Show!” have such unique sounds, which is what really drew me to Girls’ Generation in the first place. The start of both songs really bring me back nine year old me who would sing (more like scream) to Girls’ Generation as I played Girls’ Generation Shake on my iPhone, despite not knowing what the songs meant. (By the way, I am still heartbroken that they deleted that game.)

“Replay” by SHINee

This song was such a beautiful debut song. The lyrics were so cute, and the members looked so adorable in the music video, especially young Taemin and his coconut hair. This song never fails to make me sob my eyes out.

“Happiness” by Super Junior

This song was so long ago, obviously, it’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown. All of Super Junior look so happy and cute in this music video, and the little dance break is so adorable yet funny at the same time. Young Eunhyuk and his bowl cut and Leeteuk’s little ponytail were so cute.

Overall, while new K-Pop songs and groups are amazing, there are some K-Pop songs that will never age. Listening to these songs really lets you see how much K-Pop had evolved and how these artists have grown. Watching the music videos also lets you see how much better their hair has gotten. (The numbers of coconut heads in these musics is hilarious.) Let’s continue supporting new artists in K-Pop, but never forget the older artists who made it all possible.

WayV’s Debut

On January 7, 2019, NCT’s Chinese sub-unit, WayV, finally debuted. WayV is made up of 7 members: Kun, Ten, Lucas, Winwin, Hendery, Xiaojun, and Yangyang. Their title track was the Chinese version of “Regular.”

When SM finally announced the debut of WayV, there was lots of questions, such as “Why are they called WayV, and not NCT something,” “Why are they debuting with ‘Regular,’ instead of a new song,” and/or “Why aren’t Renjun and Chenle in this unit as well?”

To begin, the reason why WayV is called WayV, rather than something like NCT China, NCT C, or NCT 116, is due to the Hallyu Ban in China. In 2016, China declared a Hallyu ban, which is basically a ban on the promotion of Hallyu (the Korean Wave). This meant that K-Pop artists could not promote in China. Although the ban is beginning to be lifted, there is still tension between the two countries over this. To avoid stirring up any more tension, SM placed WayV under a Chinese label rather than SM, so they could peacefully promote in China.

Following, there are many speculations and theories as to why WayV debuted with “Regular” as their title track rather than a new song. One common theory was that SM decided to promote WayV with “Regular” because debuting WayV was already very risky, so they decided to promote a song that already had a lot of success.

However, there are many who also think that “Regular” was originally meant for WayV, however their debut was delayed, and SM decided to make a Korean and English version of the song. I personally think the first theory is more realistic, since it wouldn’t make much sense to hold off the debut of a group just to release a Korean version of it.

I’m somewhat upset that Renjun and Chenle didn’t debut with WayV, even though both of them are Chinese, but I think this is because SM wants to continue promoting them with NCT Dream until they graduate.

I am really happy with WayV’s debut, though, especially since all the members will belong to a fixed unit now. “Regular” sounded really nice in Mandarin; the vocals, rapping, and overall flow of the song was amazing. However, it is very upsetting that even in the Mandarin version Winwin doesn’t have many lines. I am really disappointed with the way that SM treats Winwin, giving him no lines, even though he is definitely fluent in Mandarin. I hope later on, he will receive more lines and opportunities to display his dancing abilities. Please support WayV’s debut and music, they are very talented and hardworking boys!

[ EMOTIONAL ] ryeowook’s “im not over you”

SM started 2019 off right, releasing Ryeowook’s second mini-album, “Drunk on Love.” The title track of this mini-album being “I’m Not Over You.” This is a beautiful ballad about, as suggesting in the title, not being over and still missing/loving someone. In this blog post, I will be talking about this song, along with why Ryeowook remains one of the best vocalists in the industry.

I was very excited for Ryeowook’s comeback, since I loved “The Little Prince,” which was a ballad. I was pretty sure that his second album would also consist of mainly ballads, as his voice is amazing and really shines in slower, ballad-like songs. Thankfully SM didn’t disappoint, for once, and fulfilled my wishes.

As expected, Ryeowook’s voice sounded perfect in this song. His amazing falsetto and runs in the bridge and the final chorus blessed my soul. His voice was really able to deliver the emotional lyrics, allowing his fans to feel more listening to this song. The first time I listened to the song, even without reading the lyrics, I could hear the heartbreak and longing in his voice.

After reading the lyrics to the song, I was amazed. The lyrics are of a male’s perspective after a breakup and not being able to get over his ex-lover. These are the lyrics of the first verse in the song:

“What do you want me to say. It’s harder than you think,

I don’t blame or hate you, the warm tone of your voice is now indistinct

I manage to get along as if I’m fine, but still

I’m not over you”

When I read that, I felt something. I interpreted it as was him singing about how although it has been some time since they have broken up, a little part of him still misses her. The line “...the warm tone of your voice is now indistinct,” could be seen in two different ways: her voice is now a distant memory in his mind, or her warm voice is long gone, replaced with a voice that is cold and uncaring. Either way, it shows that he still misses her, even though it’s been a while.

Another line that I really loved from this song was

“Even though I know it’s over, I still feel…

I’m not over you.”

Enough crying over the lyrics, start smiling over how cute Ryeowook looks this comeback. The stylists kept him in his natural hair color, unstyled, and dressed him in cute oversized sweaters, which made me so sad, because he looks so cute.

CHANMINA

Recently, I discovered a Japanese pop (j-pop) artist named Chanmina. The music video for her song “Doctor,” was on my Youtube recommended for quite some time, but only recently did I cave in and listen to the song. This caused me to find a strong like for Chanmina’s song and check out her newest work: “Pain is Beauty.” I will be talking about these two songs in this week’s blog post. The reason why I was always so hesitant about watching and listening to “Doctor,” was because of the video’s thumbnail. The thumbnail seemed to really play into all of the stereotypes that all Japanese culture and people were just two dimensional and cutesy. When I watched the music video, it did contain those cutesy, stereotypical outfits and actions, but not in the way that you would think. The bright and pastel appearance is mocking the stereotypical Western view of J-Pop and overall Japanese pop culture as “kawaii.” This music video and the lyrics of the song are talking about and showing how we are slowly becoming numb and artificial. You can see it in the beginning of the video, where she is scrolling through Instagram in distress before going to the front desk of the doctor’s office and asking for help. The way I see it, it seems like she is upset or scared by what she is seeing on Instagram and is looking for help. The lyrics and music video also sort of address how we are all losing our originality and simply following one another mindlessly. When Chanmina is being led to the doctor’s office, she looks at all these people, all of them wearing the same mask with the same thing drawn on them. All of these people lack realness and are instead, covering themselves up with false personalities. Even more, when the soccer player on the TV falls down, everyone else in the waiting room also falls down. This is showing how everyone is quick to imitate one another, kind of like mindlessly hopping onto the newest trends. Next is perhaps my current favorite song: “Pain is Beauty.” I found the music video and message behind it to be incredibly powerful. To summarize the music video, as a young child, Chanmina was bullied. As she grew older and went into high school (?), the bullying did not stop. Desperate to ft in with anyone, Chanmina began to hang out with people who were far from pleasant. Consequently, Chanmina ends up getting caught by the police doing less than legal things and is sent into jail. While in jail, none of her so-called-friends come to visit her, and she is alone. One day, she receives a letter before being bailed out by her parents. Chanmina learns that while her individuality has caused her so much pain in the past, it is what makes her different and beautiful. Overall, I really like CHANMINA and her music. I find her songs to be really powerful and different and hope that her talent and message will be recognized.

song review : “simon says” by NCT 127

On November 22, NCT 127 released the repackage for their most recent album Regular_Irregular. This repackage is called Regulate and has three new songs “Simon Says,” “Welcome to My Playground,” and “Chain” (Korean Version). In this blog post, I will be talking about “Simon Says,” both the music video and the lyrics of the song.

I found the concept of the “Simon Says” music video very interesting. What really caught my attention when watching the teaser videos and the first time I watched the music video were the masks. I thought very little of them at first, but after watching the music video a few times and reading theories/comments on it on Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram, I realized that the masks were more than just decoration pieces.

The masks that the members are wearing are meant to represent the identity that society assigns us to. Throughout the music video, there are many shots of the members taking off and throwing their masks in the air/away. In addition to throwing off the masks, at the end of the music video, the members are walking away and stepping on the masks that sit on the floor/ This action shows that NCT do not want follow these roles that they have been assigned by society and want to find their own identity.

Another very small detail about their outfits were the shoes. In the music video, all of the members were wearing the same shoes. There is a saying “before you judge a man, walk in his shoes.” This saying shows that to “walk in someone’s shoes,” you would be experiencing things from their perspective. You could say that people “walking in different shoes,” would mean that they have have different perspectives and experiences. The way I saw it was that since all of NCT are wearing the same shoes in the music video, they all have had similar experiences and perspectives. They all want to rebel and go against the assigned role and identities of society.

Looking further into the lyrics of the song, you can see that it has a deeper meaning than one would expect. Many people when first listening to the song would comment and laugh about the line “bless me, achoo,” however it has more meaning than one would think. Once again, this connects to another well known saying/belief in countries like China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan: “if you sneeze, then someone is talking poorly of you.” This line, “Bless me, achoo,” is the members acknowledging that they know people are talking poorly of them for their concept and who the are.

Overall, I really like the sound of the song, and the meaning behind it. Although I did enjoy the songs on this comeback, I do believe that this comeback was very poorly planned and unfair for NCT 127′s member Winwin. Winwin was-- once again-- given literally no lines this comeback. It was really obvious that it had an effect on him. What is the point of putting Winwin in group if he is literally only there as a backup dancer and backup vocalist? I really hope that NCT Vision will make a debut soon, and when they do, Winwin will finally get the recognition that he deserves.

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