Untitled

[morgansworks]

Frankly Speaking...

I don't think I've related so much to KDrama in such a long time. Looking at how Song Ki-Baek still went to work even though he was humiliated and people were whispering about him, he still showed up. How I wish I have that courage. It made me think about my own career, how I quit because I couldn't take the pressure, the unrealistic expectations, and how I was so done being an emotional punching bag for my manager. I decided to pursue the freelancing path but I haven't had any luck. I've been questioning myself if I made the right choice. This is still a field where you sell yourself with your exceptional skills. But watching Woo-ju and Ki-Baek push through it all made me believe in myself a little more. Successful people succeed because they always choose to believe in themselves even if no one else would. I hope I gain that sort of courage and mindset as well. It's tiring to always drown in the feeling of humiliation, disappointment, and failure. Once I spiral, I can't stop. But to live, I have to keep going in spite of it all

[morgansworks]

I never had much luck in relationships.

It sounds a little cliché to say that my lack of role models for healthy relationships made me blind to red flags. I thought it was normal to always give in because that's what it takes to stay together. For most of them, I always loved them more but they never loved me enough to fight for the relationship. As time went on I stopped believing in love. Cheating and disliking your partner was the norm, I was the abnormal one for daydreaming about book-like romance. I stopped treating people sincerely and resigned myself to the fact that I will never be in a long-term committed relationship. What was the point? Even marriage didn't guarantee loyalty. I was just thoughtlessly playing around just be occupied or to feel something.

Then I met this person that made me want to treat them sincerely. Suddenly, I was hopeful again but it felt dangerous. I have never been so genuinely cared for but I didn't get want to hurt again. I wanted to run away. I always believed I was "too much"; too loud, unstable, pessimistic, naive, stupid yet in spite of all that they chose to listen and love me the way I wanted. All the things I thought were unattainable were given to me so easily. Having safety and stability really changed my mindset. Initially, I had given up but because of them I was able to genuinely love again and also find myself in the process. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I've lived this long and I'm able to feel this happiness.

How lucky I am to be so loved.

Happy birthday to me.

[morgansworks]

Blackpink’s Deadline Album

I'm honestly still confused about what vibe it was trying to go for. I felt a little lost for most of the listen, lol.

“Jump” is the one I liked the least. It just never grew on me, especially knowing this was their comeback track after 3-ish years it just feels really... basic? Lyrics were so random too. I guess it leans more into a club-banger energy but it didn’t hit the way I expected it to.

“Go” though, I actually liked a lot. It has this cinematic feel that sounds like it belongs in a movie or a game soundtrack. I keep thinking of a game because the chorus reminds me so much of the valorant champions 2021 finisher, just heavier and bass-ier. The production stood out to me too. There’s a strong emphasis on rhythm and motion, which makes it feel exciting to use for choreography.

With “Me and My,” the intro pulled me in right away but then the pre-chorus switch-up made me go, “Ah okay, we’re back in familiar k-pop territory.” It felt like the song had a lot of potential but never fully satisfied me. There were moments where I couldn’t even tell it was Jennie rapping since i’m so used to her hard-hitting delivery. It’s an interesting change but overall the song feels very Lisa-coded, which actually suits her well.

The intro of “Champion’s" started off strong for me. It had this pop-punk/alt-rock energy, so I got really excited. But then the chorus switched into a drum and piano base that felt disconnected from the buildup and it kind of lost me there. I don’t think it’s bad, just not for me.

“Fxxxboy” feels the most Rosé out of everything. The lyrics were well-written and the emotion comes through clearly. I just wish there was a bit more production layered in instead of keeping it mostly acoustic guitar. Ironically, i think it would’ve worked even better as a special stripped-down performance rather than a fully produced album track.

Overall, the album didn’t feel very cohesive to me but as for individual listens, I’d definitely come back to “fxxxboy” and “Go.”

[morgansworks]

I saw a compilation of kpop groups racist behavior and it made me think about how people keep comparing BTS’s past controversies to the way we talk about racist language and cultural appropriation today and honestly it just doesn’t make much sense to me.

I’m not saying what happened in the past should be ignored or brushed off. People were hurt and criticism is fair. But at the same time, the context back then was different. The conversations we’re having now about race, culture, and global responsibility weren’t as loud or as widespread, especially in Korean entertainment. A lot of things that get called out immediately today were barely questioned before.

Korea has always had complicated issues with race and that’s not unique to one group or one generation. The difference now is that global audiences are paying attention in real time. Social media changed everything. Fans are more vocal, information spreads faster, and expectations have grown along with that awareness.

What bothers me is when people compare different eras as if everyone had the same understanding we have today. It feels unfair and honestly kind of pointless. Social awareness doesn’t appear overnight. People and industries learn slowly, sometimes messily, and often because they’re being challenged in ways they never were before.

Acknowledging that doesn’t mean excusing anything. It just means recognizing that cultural conversations evolve. I think it’s more productive to look at growth and change rather than forcing comparisons that flatten the past into something simple and easy to judge.

This could be just one of those thoughts that hit late at night but I don’t think progress comes from pretending every moment in time existed under the same awareness. It comes from recognizing change, even when it’s messy and uncomfortable.

Maybe the real conversation shouldn’t be about proving who was worse, but about how awareness keeps changing and what we expect moving forward.