Oh Wise Swami @ohwiseswami - Tumblr Blog

let's talk about CORTIS

So many people have takes on CORTIS so I'll give my takes on those takes.

1. They Are Industry Plants

For the folks saying this, I respond, maybe so. Who knows really. They are a group produced under HYBE Labels, the probability of them receiving an extra boost because of label money is quite high, and we'd have no way to truly disprove this.

But even if they were being boosted behind closed doors, that wouldn't take away from the fact that they are one of the most interesting bgs to debut in awhile. For as much as I like NCT Wish and RIIZE, both of those groups are still very kpop-coded in a way that CORTIS isn't. Don't get me wrong, Wish and RIIZE have their own unique qualities when it comes to the type of concepts they each debuted with, but neither of them stray too far from the pre-approved kpop aesthetic and overall concept the way CORTIS does. And even if you don't like CORTIS's music/style/etc., the fact is they are controversial, which is half the battle for getting instant fame. Just because other groups didn't start off with as much visibility doesn't mean that CORTIS is automatically a plant.

Again, does the fact that CORTIS is bringing something new to the table mean that they are not an industry plant? No. It just means that even if they are, they surely deserved to be planted right in our ears based on the high quality they've churned out lmao.

2. They're Not Any Good

Lies, lies, and more lies. Both of their releases were far more listenable than a good majority of the crap that gets released in the kpop industry. Not only that, but they were good while taking what can only be considered a risk in the kpop industry.

Sure, we've heard variations of GO! and What You Want before from different artists, but this is really a different sound for kpop. WYW is a little more mainstream than GO! but it certainly isn't the bubblegum pop we're used to. And even to their performances, it's clear they've practiced a lot to try and get things perfect. But they somehow don't come off as too robotic and have charisma. They just debuted and are doing fully-live performances with handheld mics yet sound almost completely stable.

And don't get me started on the power Martin in particular is putting into the vocals. One thing I've noticed lately in kpop is that idols don't put emotion into their performances because they fear looking ugly. So far, CORTIS doesn't gaf about any of that and have given memorable performances and you can see their hunger coming through the screen. These are all pretty big risks that kpop groups, especially rookie groups, generally do not take.

What's more is that they're doing something slightly different lyrically. Now, I'm not gonna pretend like it's Kendrick Lamar on the beat, but in GO!, there is discussion of ambition despite being an outcast, some of the most comprehensible english bars and pronunciation I think I've ever heard in a kpop song, up-to-date references, and even the ever risky use of profanity that is usually frowned upon by knetz. All of these creative risks are being taken not just by the creative team at bighit, but also by a couple teenagers and James, which leads to the next point I hear a lot.

3. They're Not Really Self-Produced

Lmao prove it?? Their names are in the credits. Sure, we haven't seen them at the studio putting in work yet, but is it so hard to believe that 4 teenagers and James wrote, "Martin (That's so fire), play that beat (That's so fire)"? lmaoooooo?? Like that shit bangs but it's also most definitely coming from a person who is really young and heavily inspired by other really young artists.

And we have seen some evidence of their creativity already. That vlog they did that blew up all over twitter/tiktok/youtube/etc. showing them at their dorm fucking around revealed just how musically inclined they are (especially Martin and Seonghyeon). They were just fucking around rapping about packing for a trip and created something really fun sounding.

Regardless of how small (or large) a part they each played in writing their two releases, these are still largely kids we're talking about contributing to their music at a level that many adults can't even reach. In addition writing, they're choreographing dances, and we've even heard that they came up with the concepts for their two VERY unique MVs. But even if folks can't rag on them for not being creative, they're going to rag on them for their concept...

4. Their Concept is Forced

I actually don't disagree completely with this one? I do think they probably get more freedom than other groups at a similar stage in their careers, but there are still some norms they're expected to adhere to because they're kpop idols.

Still, they are breaking the kpop mold in very notable and strategic ways. For example, they didn't completely drop the obsession with the korean beauty standard, but they've seemed to ignore certain parts of it like the white washing, overuse of filters and colored lenses, flowerboy/too much ps look, and even stuff as basic as having a group with members with similar heights. These are all things the korean public has criticized them for but that they (and the label) seem very comfortable (and even happy) with. Sure, we could find out later that they're secretly obsessed with tweaking their noses, but so far they look very distinct from the korean beauty standard (and from each other) in a way that's not only very important for their younger fans to see, but that's generally important to get the korean public used to (so that we can stop having idols doing unhealthy things to obtain a certain beauty standard).

But for all the freedom in how they look and dress, I do recognize that there are times they seem a bit restrained. Like they definitely are allowed to be more goofy/less "perfect" (in the eyes of koreans), but there are certain things they still have to do (getting coached by their manager a little during their first live stream, for example) to appeal to a wider audience that I doubt they get little choice in.

All this leads me to believe that although they can 'color outside the lines' a bit, they can't exactly freehand the sketch. I can only hope that I'm proven wrong (because a kpop group with the freedom of a western pop (or even T-pop) group is a very interesting premise), but I can't imagine that bighit will let them control their destiny too much. Especially because they are so young, I think bighit would want to monitor them heavily before fully allowing them to be autonomous human beings.

And speaking of their age....

5. "I Can't Get Into Them Because They're Younger Than Me"

...is what people say when they don't care about anything but how they can get off to their favorite artists. Listen folks, you can be 18, 23, 40, whatever and listen to CORTIS, attend their concerts, watch their content, etc. There is no age limit on enjoying media. Like I'm sure these same people can enjoy stuff like Stranger Things, Naruto, debut era New Edition songs, etc., what's the difference now? Because the only thing I can think of is that y'all don't care about the music, art, and entertainment value of the content of kpop idols. Y'all just care about acting freaked out as it pertains to them.

And I'm not saying you can't be attracted to idols, I just find it weird when people act like they can only consume media if they're attracted to the people participating in the media. And, thing is, people did this same shit with NWish (despite the fact that someone 18+ could absolutely find NWish's hyung line attractive without being considered a weirdo since they were also all adults at that time).

I'm starting to feel like half of this shit is performative anyway because it be 18 year olds being like "omg!!! juhoon is a whole YEAR younger than me!!! I feel like such a creep stanning them!" ...Like girl stfu there's nothing wrong with you listening to their music esp considering you're barely an adult yourself. Acting like this also reinforces the whole age shaming culture of kpop that leads to companies debuting younger and younger idols to begin with (since, we all know, it's not just older fans that get called hags).

TLDR:

Anyway, I just feel like half of this shit is smoke and mirrors that happens with most new bgs from the Big 4 (esp the last critique). Usually the people saying these things either feel competition with their favorite group but know they can't outright say it without looking pathetic for hating on some kids and James, or they just do not like bgs altogether so look for a reason to shame others who are giving them a chance.

#cortis #nct wish riize #james martin juhoon seonghyeon keonho #kpop bighit #hybe

5th gen kpop bgs: image vs. reality

riize's image is standoffish hotties who seem really cold/mean. in reality they're all just incredibly socially awkward.

nct wish's image is sweet sanrio babies that stick only to each other. in reality, it's 2 hot babysitters, their adorable kid neighbors and yushi.

zb1's image is gay theater twinks. in reality they are gay theater twinks.

#thank you for reading #riize #nct wish #zb1 zerobaseone #I know nothing about bnd or tws

Let’s Talk Riize

TLDR at the bottom if you’re lazy.

So……..SM has something special there. After sitting down to seriously watch their performances and content, I think it is very clear that the members are trying to create as much of an artist-like atmosphere as they can without completely letting go of their idol identity. I don’t think I ever got this vibe from a kpop idol group so early on into their careers.

I want to caveat by saying that there’s nothing wrong with just being an idol group. I personally like some groups that have that vibe. But what makes Riize different in a sea of 4th/early 5th gen boy groups is that I’ve seen them refer to themselves as artists and discuss their passion for making art.

Between Youngwonhee (just learned this one!) all taking very seriously the songwriting, musicianship, and singing aspects of making art; and Shotaro being a trained dancer and enjoying that process; they round out Sungchan, Eunseok (and Seunghan’s) more classic idol-like nature to give this really interesting hybrid vibe.

And, again, I want to be clear to Briize that I know each Riize member has their own thing(s) that they’re great at. I’m just stating that the vibes are like 4/7 lean more into the artist vibe and 3/7 lean into the idol vibe (likely on purpose).

But do I have favorites? YES. Ripping the bandaid off now, as a singer and instrumentalist myself, I love those elements. And as someone with a very strong appreciation for people who can create something from nothing or create something from disparate parts, I love a good songwriter. Lastly, I love someone who is just passionate about what they do and who is grateful for every new experience (this one is not as straightforward—it’s Sungchan).

Beyond my personal affects though, I would love to see what Riize can do when SM is not steering everything. We already get shades of that in their content, but I want to see it more fully and infused with the music.

Now regarding their content, they’re not like balls to the wall ~chaotic like their neo predecessors or anything. And I’ve seen some sentiments that they give off an arrogant vibe. But even so, I feel like it’s only an issue when language barrier stuff happens (since it’s much harder to tell if they actually give offputting reactions or if they just can’t express themselves properly). Still, I don’t expect them to be gods of variety nor do I expect them to fake things just for show. But I at least would hope for a bare minimum of decorum (which they usually show!!).

On that same note, team chemistry is very important for artist groups to work. Idol groups are different because at that point your selling a fantasy anyway. But with artists, you’re really not fluffing anything up so you need to have a more genuine bond that shines through in your work. It’s waaaaaay too early on to tell with them where things lie and it probably won’t matter until the members start getting involved with songwriting, composing, and choreographing (if they ever do), but it’s something for Riize to focus on developing.

The last thing I want to say about Riize in this post is that Riize seem to both try and get away with things that other SM groups can’t/couldn’t at the same stage of their career. For example, at their recent fancon, I noticed Wonbin adding adlibs, Sohee breaking from the choreo, the members putting on a performance that (while clearly very practiced) also gave the performance a bit more personality beyond what we could see on Music Bank, etc. I don’t even think my top kpop group was doing that in Month 8. Hopefully they embrace this more free flowing style of performance going forward so we can see a little more of the members’ personal artistic expression beyond being the stereotypical perfect “idol singers”

TLDR: I was not a Riize believer until Impossible and after watching them perform in a more live setting than usual and seeing them behind the scenes, I GET it now

#Riize #kpop #sohee anton wonbin #sungchan eunseok seunghan #youngwonhee wonton music

Riize is growing on me. This comeback is their best song and their choreo is always so fun! I already liked Sungchan, but Sohee's vocal stands out to me in a very positive way. He has like almost a perfect singing style for my ears when it comes to these house-inspired tracks that I just want to hear more of!

My only critique is that the song should be longer. SM should release an extended version with a fade-out, so we can fully savor that hypnotic chorus

#riize impossible #sungchan eunseok #shotaro sohee #anton wonbin #seunghan #Youtube

Let's Talk Stans For A Second

This post is a long time coming (and will be very long by the end) but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I'm tired of kpop stans treating adult idols with kid gloves, so here are a list of grievances on this point.

A lot of this mostly applies to bg stans.

Idol Critiques. It's fine if you wanna baby actual minors, but stop excusing every fuck up of adult idols. On the opposite end of the spectrum, stop admonishing other fans (or even casuals) who make entertainment out of the things your favorite member says/does. I don't really stan people but I do have favorite groups/members, so I'll use them for example. I like Yeonjun, some people find him extra. This is not my problem and I don't care. I like some NCT songs. Some people see them as a noise factory. Doesn't matter, it's not their preference. My point is, stop getting mad over people having opinions. As long as no one is like actively in Doyoung's face bullying him or something, I don't see the problem in critiquing/openly disliking something your faves do. And when I say bullying, I really mean bullying (like going to someone's face and harassing them for existing, calling them slurs, insulting them when they've done nothing wrong, etc.). Not stuff like being upset with Dream for constantly bullying Haechan for his weight and skin color.

Idol Perception. So many stans get upset when others' perceptions of their faves aren't the same as theirs. So-called soft stans get upset if you think an idol looks sexy with their hair pushed back. I don't usually see hard stans get upset at soft stans about too many things but I do think they can be very hypocritical about perceiving idols. For example, some hard stans will list out every single thing they want San to do to them but as soon as someone even jokes about Wooyoung being an icon for the bis they get extremely aggressive and protective (even when it's not coming from a sexual angle!!!). It's almost like they see anything non-heteronormative as inherently sexual, but even worse, it's sexual and perverted to them. Suddenly, they're all about protecting the idol's image/privacy/dignity when moments before they were talking about wanting him to cum in their eyeball. And don't get me wrong it happens with soft stans and gg stans too, but I wanted to point out the particular hypocrisy of straight bg stans.

Idol Image. This is very similar to the perception point, but more so about the way so many kpop fans think they know EVERYTHING about their faves including their faves inner thoughts. Do you all know how many times I've heard things like: "OMG!! Don't do/say that because Taehyun doesn't like it!! Source? Just trust me, I have an *emotional connection* with him!!" stated in complete seriousness? It's one thing to JOKE about idols becoming their real selves when they breathe the good old red, white and blue air, but to project your specific thoughts and feelings onto an idol (without clarifying that it's your headcanon) is too much. Y'all do NOT know these people. Joke (and hell even speculate) all you want, but it's obvious to everyone when you've have stopped joking and have crossed the line into wanting to literally just lying about what idols have actually said to fit your narrative of who they are (a good example of this is the unnie/hyung line raised the maknae narrative every fandom has).

Idol Image pt. 2. And on this note, I want to address the other part of the fandom who think any speculation/gossip about an idol is unacceptable/inappropriate/morally wrong. I feel like I've said this in the past but it merits repeating: if you are a public figure, you sign up to be discussed up to a limited extent. Clearly, people should not go out into the world and stalk/harass idols. It's just that idols are not immune from a little drama about being seen at a club or having a significant other, etc. Idols are celebrities. They have a public side and a private side. Obviously, fans need to know the line between harmless gossip (and even news reporting of actual crimes...) and harmful harassment. It seems like fans of non-kpop idols completely understand the assignment. For example, there's gossip all the time about Shohei Ohtani (especially now that he's being accused of federal gambling crimes), but his fans are not out here wearing capes about how you shouldn't discuss certain things because it's *private*. I feel like as long as you're being normal about it (i.e., not harassing idols) and treating gossip as what it is (unconfirmed information), it's human nature to want to know things/know the truth of things that have evidence. Examples of relatively normal gossip includes wanting to know: if an idol has recently had cosmetic/plastic surgery, if an idol is secretly an asshole (or a sweetie pie) off-camera, if an idol endured harsh training conditions (or, alternatively, if they were the golden child who got everything they wanted), etc. Where it crosses the line is trying to find out their address/phone number, unsubstantiated allegations of crimes (like what happened with Beomhan), etc. I feel like people engaging in gossip culture should and often do know the difference between those things but fans treat it all as harmful if it doesn't specifically serve their fave. I can personally attest to seeing the same fans who denounce gossip culture loving that very same thing when it supports their view of their bias. For example, whenever there's rumors about idols who treat staff very well no one has a problem with it. Or rumors about idols practicing all hours of the night (meaning they're a hard worker) or rumors about them being very close to their members (meaning they're a team player), etc. But let there be a harmless rumor that doesn't suit their narrative (like the idol having a romantic partner, the idol being a club bunny, etc.) and suddenly it's "all gossip is bad and I'm better than those who engage in it because what they do offscreen is none of my business." Meanwhile these same people have entire headcanons about their bias based on some cookie crumbs they heard about him being a good person one time. 5. What is a Koreaboo, anyway? In case someone needs to hear this again: liking kpop, being attracted to your bias, learning korean, being interested in Korean culture, and making friends who are Korean doesn't make you a koreaboo. What makes you a koreaboo is reducing korea down to kpop and othering korean things as utopian/godly/divine, when it's just...another country that's different from your own. Too many kpop stans will accuse someone of being a koreaboo when that person is just interested in kpop (or korea because of kpop) when that's not what a koreaboo is. It's like calling a korean person an americaboo because they want to travel to NYC or LA and love American entertainment (dramas, music, etc.). What would make someone an americaboo is if they had an unhealthy obsession with all things US to the point where they had wholly out of touch assumptions about the US and reduced the US down to those few assumptions. THAT's the difference. But liking American movies, culture, celebrities; wanting to learn english; etc. wouldn't make someone an americaboo... So just apply the logic in reverse.

Anyway.

#kpop stans #nct txt ateez shohei ohtani? lmao #choi yeonjun kim doyoung lee haechan donghyuck #jung wooyoung #choi san

nctwish

240223 Official Instagram Update

𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮✮⋆˙ #NCTWISH#WISH #NCTWISH_WISH

#this instrumental GOES #and they sound great!

nctwish

240223 Official Weibo Update

NCT WISH在东京巨蛋正式出道🎉 不仅以清凉的魅力和热情的能量抓住了观众的心，还获得了众多日本媒体的高度关注，并表示对组合今后在全球展开活动充满期待！此外，NCT WISH出道曲《WISH》MV概念预告视频将于今晚11点(北京时间)公开，敬请期待🤩 #NCTWISH##SMTOWN2024##SMTOWN_LIVE# #SMCU_PALACE_TOKYO# #SMTOWN_LIVE_2024_TOKYO#

nctwish

240215 singlesmagazine Instagram Update

#SINGLES_STAR YOUTH FEVER, BEST WISH EVER! 청춘의 열병은 청춘을 보내는 이들이 앓는 열병이자 지나온 이들이 앓는 아릿한 그리움이기도 하죠. #NCT (@nct) 세계관 서사의 마지막 주자, #NCTWISH (@nctwish_official)의 데뷔가 임박했습니다. NCT WISH의 멤버 #시온 #리쿠 #유우시 #재희 #료 #사쿠야 가 써내려가는 청춘 서사가 곧 시작됩니다.📝 Cover of Singles Korea MARCH issue with NCT WISH EDITOR 장은지 PHOTO @studioioo MAKE UP @ahyoung_makeup, @hyehye_______ HAIR @choi.cey, @yonnlee_ STYLIST @ssul.style

nctwish

[ENG SUB] 240202 NCT Wish on Start Line | J-Wave 81.3 FM Radio

cr: nctwishsubs

#starting to think maybe riku should be the official leader/face of wish

WARNING: LONG POST.

NCT Wish is the most compelling boy group to debut in awhile and that's no shade to any of these other boy groups. They just have a perfect combination of talent, potential, good production/vision for what they're going to be, charisma, hyung line visuals, and it-factor.

Like when Sion performs he serves in a way that reminds me of Yeonjun. Man dances his ass off and adds his own sense of musicality to every move. His lines are always so precise and his body shape adds to the look of the moves (long ass legs).

When Riku exists, his face card and charisma is unmatched. And he performs like old-school YG idols. Plus, he has that confident idgaf but am grateful for my opportunity vibe (lmao) that is so hard to cultivate in kpop idols. I straight up cannot name a single idol, ever, let alone one that has debuted under SM, that has that type of it factor.

Vocal Line. Their vocal line is solid for 4th/5th gen standards and I can definitely see them improving to the NCT standard. But what they already have with a 19-year-old leading the pack is wild already and covers different tonal ranges (Yushi and Daeyoung for the higher register light and round vocal, respectively; and Ryo and Sion for the lower register light and round vocal, respectively).

Rap Line. Flow-wise rap line is already one of the strongest in SM. Listen, we all know that's not SM's strong suit so it's not a high bar to clear lmao. But even within NCT--with SM's strongest rappers--you can see Wish's rapline's placement. I think Riku and Sakuya are really only second to Mark and Taeyong and we shouldn't even argue this point. Also, Wish's rap line has rule of cool w/Riku fronting which adds a lot. Cherry on top is that, like other SM rap lines, Riku and Sakuya also have pleasant vocals (especially Riku) to go along with their nice rap style.

Dance Line. Dance line is led by one of the most musical and natural dancers I've seen in awhile (Sion). Then there's a lot of young talent in Ryo and a cool/confident-efficient style in Riku. Some might consider Yushi to be one of the best dancers in Wish but--and I say this respectfully--no. (S/n: Respectfully, their dance ranking is like this: Sion, Ryo, Riku, Yushi, [a brick wall] Sakuya, Daeyoung. I think Sakuya's big problem is his taller height making him look a little awkward at times--but that can be overcome with age and practice). A Sion-Ryo-Riku dance line has potential to be one of the better dance lines in their generation (though Ryo will need to grow more since sometimes I notice his small stature physically limits him, and Riku will have to execute every move with the same power and fluidity as he does in killing parts).

Overall Performance Skills. Their overall performance style is energetic and visually interesting, if a bit stiff/awkward sometimes (probably due to nervousness). But one thing I can really appreciate is their stable live vocals while dancing. No one else can do that in the past couple of generations' boy groups and I commend them for that. And they've gotten some really unique choreographies so far that would look stupid if performed by anyone else, yet look nice on them (kind of like some of SHINee's choreos). Lastly on this point, their sound is very appropriate and matches their voices.

Variety/Personalities/Image. As for their variety skills, we haven't seen much from them and SM is obviously pushing certain images on them. Like it's clear what they're going for:

parent-type leader Sion

hot guy/possessor of a single brain cell that sometimes works Riku

complete idol/perfect role model-type Yushi

pure vocal/older brother-type Daeyoung (or Jaehee, whatever they're wanting him to go by)

super baby genius/atheletically gifted Ryo

chaotic maknae Sakuya

Despite the personalities SM is assigning them, their real personalities seem to shine through (which heavily contrasts their assigned roles in the group). This is a good thing. And as they get more experienced, I expect that what seems to be their real personalities will come out more in variety, social media, and interviews (a la TXT). This will do wonders for them because everybody knows that SM's assigned personalities are always boring and patronizing lmao.

The Issue All The Dumb People Have With Them. Now, the elephants in the room: the two 16 year olds and predominantly recent trainees under the NCT brand. Honestly, this doesn't bother me as much as it does other people. I know people want a mature/suave concept but like...that doesn't mean the kids aren't talented? I admit I'd like to see Sion and Riku do something a little more akin to 127 style but what they have so far is actually pretty good and very on brand with 127. Despite the fact that they skew younger, they don't sound too kidz-boppy like when Dream first debuted.

And when it comes to watching their content/you hoes wanting something to thirst after, you can just choose to only pay attention to hyung line lmao. Like the group as a whole is super talented and ready to debut to the world. HOWEVER, to me, clearly Sion-Riku-Yushi catch your attention very easily, with Sion and Riku feeling like damn near generations apart from Sakuya. I've watched some of their variety and Sion and Riku give similar vibes with Sakuya as Taeyong & Doyoung do with Mark & Haechan. And when it's just Sion and Riku, you feel a completely different vibe than when they're with the other members. I like that, so I tend to gravitate toward Sion-Riku (and sometimes Yushi) content.

I find the line of thought that you have to bias every single member weird because it puts people in fucked up positions. You don't have to force yourself to be interested in every member. Of course there's even downsides to that (like people thinking you only like, say, Sion, for his visuals/so you can thirst), but it's not nearly as dire as the other scenario. If you naturally like Sion more, even if it's for a superficial reason, you shouldn't feel bad about being perceived as an akgae. You don't have to want to get to know all the members. Plus, if someone is policing the way you consume your entertainment they're a loser lmao.

Also, that being said, if you're over 18, it's not that you can't find Sakuya/Ryo entertaining. You can obviously think they're talented, funny, etc.

Also want to say that all the people mad at this group for existing because of their ages are moving real weird because half of y'all stan enhypen and also stanned older groups when they had underage maknaes (despite you yourselves being adults at the time). It comes off as hateration.

Then there's the folks mad at them for not being RIIZE lmao. Those people are just weirdos that honestly don't even deserve to be addressed. Like who cares that SungTaro aren't in NCT? They got to debut, didn't they? They're successful, aren't they? And they will probably continue to interact with 127, Way-V, and Dream more than even Wish will lol. You can still ship RIIZE with NCT folks (since that's really what this is about...), calm down.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to Wish and hope SM will give them bangers.

#nct wish #sion #riku #yushi #daeyoung jaehee ryo sakuya