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fav albums and songs of 2025

As has become tradition, I have finally returned to give anyone who stumbles upon this post the list of my favourite music released in 2025.

You could sum this list up as "fav artists' new releases", "all my fav groups have gone solo", and "a quarter of the albums list is non-k-pop albums, wow!"

#on my shelf

fav albums and songs of 2024

Well, well, well, look who's crawled back. I thought that being a student was very time-consuming... but a 40-hour work week where you're bound to certain hours is a different beast entirely (first-world problems...). Not having the nice division of semesters anymore also made it way harder to motivate myself to write anything here. But now I'm back to announce who and what's been in my rotation this year (I'm only listing music released this year). Isn't it great that I haven't posted all year? Now the list is more of a surprise!

Albums (in ~release order) :

#on my shelf

fav albums and songs of 2023

And suddenly, it's the last day of the year again. I finished my Master's degree, got an A on my thesis (nice!), and am starting a traineeship-type deal in a week (help!). This year has really been a rollercoaster. So here's a list of the music released this year that helped me hold onto my sanity somewhat:

albums

Agust D: D-Day

Jimin: Face

V: Layover

Jung Kook: Golden

Tomorrow x Together: The Name Chapter: Temptation

Tomorrow x Together: The Name Chapter: Freefall

Red Velvet: Chill Kill

Odd Eye Circle: Version Up

Loossemble: Loossemble

Chuu: Howl

Heejin: K

Paramore: This Is Why

Twice: Ready To Be

Viviz: VarioUS

Kep1er: Lovestruck

Kep1er: Magic Hour

Sunmi: Stranger

NewJeans: Get Up

NewJeans: OMG

Colde: Love Part 2

Epik High: Strawberry

honorary mentions:

Kiss of Life: Kiss of Life

Viviz: Versus

fromis_9: Unlock My World

Fall Out Boy: So Much (for) Stardust

Enhypen: Orange Blood

Enhypen: Dark Blood

Itzy: Kill My Doubt

Jihyo: Zone

STAYC: Teenfresh

Le Sserafim: Unforgiven

singles:

BTS: Take Two

j-hope (ft. J. Cole): On The Street

Le Sserafim: Choices

Taeyang ft. Jimin of BTS: Vibe

So!YoON! ft. RM of BTS: Smoke Sprite

Huh Yunjin: love you twice

Kara: When I Move

Halsey & SUGA of BTS: Lilith

Misamo: Do Not Touch

fromis_9: Love Me Back

Haseul: Plastic Candy

Dean: Die 4 You

Epik High ft. Hoshi of Seventeen: Screen Time

Kiss of Life: Bad News; Nobody Knows

Jimin: Closer Than This

Umi ft. V of BTS: wherever u r

#on my shelf

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 3 - summer (a.k.a. the finale)

And so it comes to an end. I handed in my Master's thesis (topic: Emancipatory Potential of Girl Teen Film) about a week ago, so now I'm just waiting for it to be graded and also I have to find a job or something now... The thing I have been dreading most for like 10 years...

ANYWAY so I was super busy this summer with the thesis and going to a Japanese film festival for a class (I mostly saw very emotional movies (oops) and one very good comedy (Mondays: See You 'This' Week)), going to concerts (Red Velvet!!! Odd Eye Circle!!! Twice!!), going on vacation but still spending at least 3 hours every day working on my thesis, keeping up with the BTS members, seeing literally every BTS/TXT/IU concert or documentary they showed in cinemas, etc. etc.

So here we go into the final list of albums/songs that soundtracked my studies (it's been almost exactly 6 years since my first post in this series!!):

The Jazz Hop Café: (anything with "jazzy lofi" in the title)

So this one's not really an album, I know, but I wanted to mention this YouTube channel and their compilations of lofi songs because on many days, playing one of their videos was the only way I could get focused on the work I had to do. Using a video was also much more helpful to me than that famous lo-fi livestream because it helped me track how many hours I had been working. Truly a life-saver. And the music just sounds great too. They found some real gems!

Agust D: D-Day (2023)

What a perfect finale to the Agust D trilogy. While all three albums, Agust D (2016), D-2 (2020) and now this one, deal with anger and fear, there's a clear maturation in how these subjects and emotions are approached. On D-Day, Agust D is speaking to the world and breaking free - in openly and honestly sharing his struggles, his pain, he hopes others can feel comforted. The album literally begins with the line "Future's gonna be okay" ("D-Day"). The theme continues throughout the album, most prominent in "Amygdala" and "Snooze", a beautifully cinematic track featuring the late Ryuichi Sakamoto that is dedicated especially to everyone working publically in the music industry and struggling. He has been there, he knows what it's like and he is sincerely cheering you on. In the last years, Yoongi has emphasised again and again how much he wants to help out others and this album showcases this desire the clearest out of all of his albums. He's also pushing himself to try out a variety of new styles without losing his identity: "People Pt. 2 (feat. IU)", "SDL" and "Life Goes On" showcase his warm singing voice, while "Snooze" is the grandest he's gone musically, filled with strings, guitars, piano, and so much emotion. "Haegeum" takes a leaf out of "Daechwita" from D-2's book by incorporating a traditional Korean instrument in a novel way, while using the lyrics to speak of the hypocrisies plaguing society today. The music video for that one is like a movie, too. All in all, the album is hopeful while being emotionally heavy - and in that way, it allows a feeling of catharsis. How desperately I wish I could've gone to a concert on the tour...

fav: Life Goes On; People Pt. 2

Jimin: Face (2023)

So this was not at all what I would have expected from Jimin's first solo EP, considering the types of songs he had released before. Especially the first single, "Set Me Free, Pt. 2" came busting down the doors and demolishing all those preconceived expectations with it's assured declaration of wanting to break free from them. The other tracks are more intimate but just as interesting. The album opens with clown-like music before morphing into a very different sound and the opening line "All right, I guess the blame is on me" - brilliant. The album feels very visual to me because it's full of this kind of 'sound painting', like the clown music or "Interlude : Dive", which tells a whole story of Jimin reminiscing about the BTS concert days and the frustration and sadness of not being able to do that right now. Jimin has said he worked through his feelings from the most difficult times of the pandemic in these songs and you can feel that frustration all over these tracks. For example: Lead single "Like Crazy" really makes you feel like you're not fully sober, just trying to ignore all the bad feelings but struggling to do so. Jimin uses his already unique voice in a variety of new ways throughout the tracks. And added to that, there are quite a few interesting moments on all these songs - like the long-ish musical interlude after "Like Crazy"'s first chorus or the way the music stutters after the "Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie" line in "Alone". An added bonus, lovely moment is the hidden track on the physical album, which is more like what I'd have expected from Jimin, and is a beautiful guitar ballad for ARMY.

fav: Face-off

V: Layover (2023)

After years and years of V promising that his mixtape/album would come out soon, just for him to reveal that he's scrapped everything and started over, it's finally here and it's everything I could have ever hoped. One of the first BTS songs I heard that made me fall into the rabbit hole was his "Singularity". The R&B, more laid-back sound suits his vocal tone so perfectly, and that's exactly what runs through all of these new songs. One thing that stands out is how much room is given to the instrumentals: "Slow Dancing"'s second half is just a flute/piano solo with no vocals. It really boosts that laid-back, dreamy feeling that runs throughout the EP. Lyrically, all the songs are about missing someone and wanting them back, which V conveys very convincingly. The music emphasises this feeling in different ways - from the slightly off-key (?) moments in "Rainy Days", to the jazz and soul inspired free-ness of "Slow Dancing", to the key change via pitched-up vocals in "For Us". Generally the sound also fit in perfectly with all of that jazzy lofi I'd been listening to while writing, which made it feel instantly familiar and cozy. My favourite part of the promotions were all the live band sessions that really added so much to these songs.

fav: Rainy Days; Blue

Jung Kook: "Seven" (2023)

Song of the Summer!! I literally couldn't stop listening to this song all summer, seven days a week (ha). To be honest, I was shocked when I heard the lyrics the first time because Jung Kook just had a much more innocent (?) image, but actually this vibe suits him perfectly. He is such a quintessential pop star - vocals, dance, looks, charisma: he has it all in abundance. And on top of that, he lacks the cheesy insincerity or even low-key misogyny that I get from a lot of the pop boys historically. The lyrics to "Seven" are sexy, especially because of how loving they seem: "I kiss your waist and ease your mind"! "I must be favored to know ya"!! It's just so very Jung Kook. And I really enjoyed the remixes of the song, too, in a way I haven't enjoyed remixes since BTS' "Dynamite". Especially the "Island Remix" was fun for me, since I was on holiday on an island when it was released (Mallorca - the same island where V also shot some videos for his album this year!!).

Kep1er: LOVESTRUCK! (2023); Magic Hour (2023)

Both Kep1er EPs this year have had some of their best non-single tracks so far, with generally better line distribution among the members than their lead singles/title tracks. They have been leaning more into a groovy, light sound, and allowing more space for individual vocals and harmonies. By Magic Hour, it feels like they are starting to find a good niche for themselves, musically. "Galileo" is my favourite title track of theirs since "Up" (2022) and this might be the first time I truly like every song on an EP. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be their last album, since they're a project group with a limited contract which is supposed to be up after two years (meaning end of this year)... They're only just starting to find their feet as a group! What a strange system...

fav: Back To The City; Why; Galileo; The Door

Odd Eye Circle: <Version Up> (2023)

After the chaos on Loona island that started at the end of last year, all the members got out of their contract this year!! And then went on to several different new agencies. They do keep mentioning that Loona is not broken up, so there is still hope for an OT12 reunion at some point. For now, the first group to have released new music is the second Loona sub-unit Odd Eye Circle, who just so happens to be my favourite sub-unit. And they truly delivered once again. Maybe it helped that they're working with their original producer again, but they really do showcase an upgraded version of themselves on this new album. Every song is such an earworm, but not annoying in any way. And I really enjoy the little references to the Loona discography and first OEC EP - the introduction track often brings a little tear to my eye. I have barely listened to Loona in the past year because of the ongoing boycott and this EP filled that void a little. Plus the girls were AMAZING in concert, I literally cannot believe I saw them live in a tiny venue in Berlin and got to see all of their solo songs, duets, and of course OEC songs. And even "Hi High"!

fav: Je Ne Sais Quoi; Love Me Like

Loossemble: Loossemble (2023)

Speaking of Loona: The five members who went to a different label recently released their own EP under the name Loossemble, which stands for Loona Assemble (so cute). Even though this was literally only released two weeks ago, I've been listening to it constantly. First of all, we finally get to hear the five members who usually get the least amount of lines in OT12 songs - and they sound so good! I especially love all of the harmonies on the album. This EP also really still feels like a Loona (sub-unit) album, especially from the fan-favourite earlier days, not straying too far into unknown territory (yet?) but not boring in any way because they do get to showcase new things, like ViVi's lower register on "Sensitive". I also find it very cool that all of the members have at least one writing/composing credit on the EP, which is something they've never gotten to do before but are really good at! And "Strawberry Soda" was even written for them by fellow Loona (but not Loossemble) member Yves! They're really still carrying the OT12 agenda. Fingers crossed Loossemble also decides to tour in Europe at some point!

fav: Strawberry Soda; Sensitive

NewJeans: Get Up (2023)

It's really amazing how NewJeans keep upping their game with every release. This EP is more summery again, but again in a way that's very atypical for K-Pop, drawing on various styles of dance music as well as R&B. It's varied and fun and has quite a few interesting elements, such as the unusual sparse sound of "ASAP" and the horns in "ETA".

fav: Super Shy; Get Up

BTS: "Take Two" (2023)

Of course they recorded a song to be released around their 10-year anniversary when they weren't all able to celebrate together. Of course they did. And of course it's such a warm, embracing hug of a song. 2025 can't come soon enough.

And here are some more albums I enjoyed:

Colde: Love Part 2 (2023)

Twice: Ready To Be (2023)

Fifty Fifty: The Fifty (2022)

Fall Out Boy: So Much (for) Stardust (2023)

j-hope: Jack In The Box (HOPE Edition) (2023)

STAYC: Teenfresh (2023)

Le Sserafim: Unforgiven (2023)

Viviz: VarioUS (2023)

Itzy: Cheshire (2022)

the BTS discography remains on repeat as well, of course

---------------------------------------------

A final note: I'm really proud of myself for keeping this series going all this time. I already sometimes look back on older posts and it's so interesting to see how my taste in music and my way of writing changed through the years. Sometimes the music you listened to at a certain time in your life will always remain connected to that time for you but sometimes that connection weakens. So having these posts to look back on is like having all these little time capsules, which is nice. I don't know if I'll keep doing something similar now that I'm out of school, but it could be nice... We'll see what happens next (I have 0 plans for my future :D)!

#on my shelf #soundtrack to university #bts #agust d #jimin #v #jungkook #newjeans #loona #odd eye circle #loossemble #kep1er

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 3 - winter

welcome back to my bi-annual music roundup! my goal is to be done with uni This Year so i'll have to start thinking of what else to do with this concept (like that's the biggest life-problem i have to solve this year lol). anyway. even though i only took 3 classes this semester, one of them took up ALL of my time: typography. much like it's hard for me to watch movies normally now, i'm now looking at all kinds of written text in a completely new way which is equally fascinating and annoying. but you could say that for most of what i've learned at uni. what wasn't annoying, was the music i listened to (ey? ey?), so let's get into it:

RM: Indigo (2022)

RM's music over the years has spanned many different themes and genres, from hardcore (?) rap on his first mixtape to more vibey stuff on mono to all the many different things he's done on BTS' songs. Indigo continues this principle of diversity but by making the entire album so varied yet so cohesive. He touches on subjects like what it means to make art and to be a person, love and loneliness, navigating friendship. He's also developed quite the vocal skills, showing off his warm deep tone on several songs. While the comfort that mono was in its sadness, it's greys, the sound of rain and the melancholy of it, Indigo's comfort comes from a warmer place. It feels more grounded (despite the hectic genre switch-ups, like: "Closer" into "Change Pt. 2"?! Insane! But it works!) and the ever-present hopefulness feels more graspable. In general, the melodies on this album are also just so good that I can't get enough of them and I'm excited for my vinyl to arrive in June!!

fav: No. 2 (but seriously, all the songs are SO good)

Epik High: Strawberry (2023)

First of all: I recently saw Epik High live for the first time and it was like 100/10 amazing. Besides the songs being amazing, they're all just really funny?! It was half standup half hip-hop show and I was LIVING. Anyway, so Strawberry starts off with an instrumental track that would fit perfectly on Spotify's Dalkom Café playlist (which I love) and then goes into two insanely catches songs featuring Jackson Wang and Hwasa, respectively. Perfect choices. Iconically, the first lyrics you hear are "I'm on my way / I'm on my villain arc / I'mma need you to shut up for a minute" but on a really chill lo-fi beat. Beautiful. That's also how their live show started which is truly iconic. What fascinates me the most about Epik High's music is the melodic sensibility they bring to every song, even the ones that sound like freestyle rap. There's always a melodic heart to it, combined with really good lyrics.

fav: Catch

Paramore: This Is Why (2023)

They're finally back!!! If you can't tell by my profile picture, Paramore's After Laughter (2017) is one of my absolute favourite albums of all time. And of course I love all their older albums too. I think This Is Why is a perfect follow-up to all of these: it ties in all the different sounds we've heard before but in a new way. It feels like they're still inspired by the same things, but they've gone deeper into them, if that makes sense. The sounds and themes of the album also just feel like a perfectly natural progression after Hayley's two solo albums, which the other band members also helped out on. You can hear and feel how much all of them have matured and grown musically, skills-wise, and personally. It's such a pleasure just letting all the sounds wash over you or singing along aggressively. There's a lot of aggression on the album, even in the love songs. But it's a good aggression? Maybe that's not the right word, but there's a power and a force, as opposed to a defeatedness throughout all the songs. Especially considering everything we've all been living through since the last album, I think this is a perfect response.

fav: Running Out of Time

NewJeans: "Ditto", "OMG" (2022/2023)

It's all hits, no misses so far with these girls. "Ditto" was released a bit earlier in the winter and perfectly encapsulated the wistful melancholy of the grey and wet days while still being insanely catchy. The melody has this very specific kind of melancholy, nostalgic undertone that the music video emphasises, but paired with a drill drumbeat that gives the whole thing an edge. "OMG" might sound more upbeat in direct comparison at first, but it also has some more somber undertones, especially when you take the music video (which left me confused and intrigued after my first watch) into consideration. I like that NewJeans songs can absolutely appeal to teenagers (their peers) easily but even older listeners can genuinely enjoy them without feeling like they're listening to a Disney Channel soundtrack and it's not really for them. There's a clear groundedness in these songs that is lacking in a lot of music for and by teens these days (especially looking at you, TikTok...). All of their songs are literally the most tenacious earworms, yet I'm not annoyed to have them camp out in my mind.

Le Sserafim: Antifragile (2022)

At first, I didn't like Antifragile as much as Fearless because the track sequencing is just not as good: the mood changes from track to track don't feel as smooth. But all of the songs on their own are absolutely on par with their first EP's and add new textures that I enjoy. Particularly "No Celestial": it's heavily rock-influenced with a great melody and message, and the girls' vocals work very well with this style of music. Considering that their whole thing is being fearlessly themselves in the face of adversity and embracing supposed flaws, rock is the perfect genre to express this with. Even on Fearless, a song like "The Great Mermaid" had somewhat of a rock sensibility but not traditionally executed. For "No Celestial" they brought in the guitars and melody of a 2000s/2010s pop-rock song that just makes so much sense for them. The title track "Antifragile" is also really fun to listen to, going in directions I didn't expect (especially in the chorus). In general, they manage to make empowering songs that don't feel cheap and fake, which is difficult to pull off.

fav: No Celestial

Tomorrow x Together: The Name Chapter: Temptation (2023)

How does TXT manage to do something different on every album and have it still sound so quintessentially TXT? Every new album my first reaction is "Oh? This is different... hmm......." and then I get obsessed and loop the album for weeks. Temptation has been exactly the same. Title track "Sugar Rush Ride" is the most seductive they've ever been, with the way they use their vocals especially, which suits the theme of the album. It deals with the temptation to ignore all your responsibilities and just stay "Happy Fools" (eyy) but in the end, they realise that you can't live like that forever, and have to say "Farewell, Neverland". Something about the guitar and melody on that song specifically feels so familiar to me, but I can't pinpoint it... The biggest surprise to me was hearing an instrumental for "Devil By The Window" and finding out it's just a sparse beat for most of the song, with their vocals being the only thing to make the song sound full. They keep doing new and interesting things and I just need them to finally come to Europe on tour now...

fav: Farewell, Neverland (but seriously, all of them though)

Jin: "The Astronaut" (2022)

As a massive fan of both Coldplay and Jin's music, this song is everything to me. It's the perfect collaboration, especially considering they're fans of each other too and have both explored a more space-y theme in their recent music. Of course, this song is Jin's last release before he had to go do his compulsory military service, so it being full of so much love and melancholy makes it bitter-sweet in all the right ways. Did I go see Coldplay's Argentina concert in cinema just to see Jin perform this song? Yes, and I cried a little.

Red Velvet: The ReVe Festival 2022 - Birthday (2022)

Continuing the theme from their previous album of interpolating classical pieces into poppy tracks, "Birthday" uses a George Gershwin piece but makes it go all kinds of places in a very (recent) Red Velvet style. These days, some of their songs are a little much at first listen, but their vocals always, always, always tie everything together so well that I can't help but enjoy listening. The other songs on the album are a little less quirky and more classic Red Velvet with great vocals and interesting melodies. But I do keep wondering one thing: what does "oops we are on a ride" mean? How are you accidentally on a rollercoaster?? Or is it a metaphor for how life is a rollercoaster............. Anyway, of course I had red velvet cake on my birthday this year while listening to this album and it felt great.

fav: Zoom

Fujii Kaze: Help Ever Hurt Never (2020)

I found this album through such a weird way: Suga of BTS posted black-and-white photos of himself on his Instagram with his long hair in his face and people on Twitter said it reminded them of the album cover of a song that recently blew up on TikTok - Fujii Kaze's "Shinunoga E-Wa", so people started making Suga edits with that song. I liked the song and checked out the album and loved it and it's been on repeat ever since. Something about it reminds me so much of Jamie Cullum but if his songs were a little more interesting or at least his albums were a bit more diverse... Kaze's voice has a very soothing and rich tone and that coupled with the great melodies and instrumentation of his songs just makes me want to endlessly loop the album.

fav: Sayonara Baby

Seulgi: 28 Reasons (2022)

I honestly did not know what to expect from Seulgi's debut album but although it goes in several directions, it stays cohesive and suits her perfectly. It's dark in a different way than her album with fellow Red Velvet member Irene, Monster (2020), with a certain alluring quality. Most of the songs are very brash with Seulgi showcasing her vocal prowess, which makes the two songs right in the middle of the EP, "Bad Boy, Sad Girl" and "Anywhere But Home", stand out more, as they seem more understated, showing a different, less aggressive vocal style. Especially the latter is very reminiscent of a certain style of dance songs from the 2000s like Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Murder On The Dancefloor" and Estelle's "American Boy" which I very much enjoy.

fav: Anywhere But Home

Adora: Adorable REbirth (2022)

I have been waiting for Adora's debut album since I first heard her voice in 2019 on Suga's "Seesaw" and then found out she's had a hand in making so many of my favourite BTS and TXT songs. Her first singles in 2021 and 2022 showcased her specific brand of quirkiness paired with stunning vocals, perfectly paving the way for this first EP. The single is literally called "Magical Symphony", which really encapsulates her vibe. Although she only produced about half the songs on the EP, they all sound so quintessentially her and showcase her vocal skills exactly like I'd always hoped. I'm excited to hear whatever she's cooking up next.

fav: CBGC

#on my shelf #soundtrack to university #rm #epik high #paramore #le sserafim #newjeans #tomorrow x together #jin #red velvet #fujii kaze #seulgi #adora

fav albums of 2022

how is it already the end of the year / finally it's the end of this endless year !!! i realise how long this year's been especially when i look back at what albums were released this year, like "that was released THIS year?!" anyway, as every year, here's a list of my favourite albums released in 2022 in no particular order:

j-hope Jack in the Box

RM Indigo

BTS Proof

Red Velvet The ReVe Festival 2022: Feel My Rhythm

Red Velvet The ReVe Festival 2022: Birthday

Le Sserafim Fearless

Le Sserafim Antifragile

STAYC YOUNG-LUV.COM

STAYC We Need Love

fromis_9 Midnight Guest

SEULGI 28 Reasons

LOONA Flip That

New Jeans New Jeans

Whee In Whee

Kep1er First Impact

Kep1er Doublast

Adora Adorable Rebirth

TOMORROW X TOGETHER minisode 2: Thursday's Child

(G)-IDLE I NEVER DIE

Charlie Burg Infinitely Tall

IU Pieces (technically released in 2021 but literally on the last day so it counts for 2022)

honourable mentions:

Twice BETWEEN 1&2

Girls' Generation FOREVER 1

Taeyeon INVU

fromis_9 from our Memento Box

Arctic Monkeys The Car

Epik High Epik High Is Here (Part 2)

Nayeon IM NAYEON

#favourite albums of 2022 #on my shelf #there is literally just one non-Korean artist in this list lmao #wishing you a sincerely happy new year

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 2 - summer

HAPPY 50TH POST APPARENTLY! My last post feels like forever ago, but it's only been a couple months. Classes went back to being fully offline which meant constant commuting and no time to do any of the work I needed to do... but somehow I managed to get through it. More important, though, is that since my last post I finally started going to concerts again! It's been so so so fun being in that environment again, being part of a crowd of people singing and dancing along to music you all love. My first show back was actually KPop Flex festival day 1 which was.. interesting. The artists were all amazing and the vibe was wonderful but the organisation was a bit chaotic. The other shows were Lorde (finally!!!), Coldplay (my second time!), and Loona (12-3). Though I always swore I would never, me and my friend stood at the back of the crowd for all of these shows, and we still had the absolute best time. 10/10 would recommend. Wearing a mask wasn't uncomfortable at all either and has helped me evade the plague so far, so 10/10 would recommend, too.

Okay, I think that's enough intro now - let's get into my summer soundtrack (everything since my last post until now):

BTS: Proof (2022)

An anthology album that features all of their lead singles on disc 1, one solo and one sub-unit song chosen by each member on disc 2, demos on disc 3, and 3 new songs throughout. It's so cool to hear how they evolved musically but stayed true lyrically, all in one compact place. There are some true gems among the CD-only demos, like Jin's alternate version of "Epiphany" and SUGA's "Seesaw" instrumental demo. I'm glad we have the final versions we now have, but being able to hear what other directions some of my favourite songs could've gone into is so cool. The three new songs are both unlike anything they've done before and unmistakably Bangtan. "Yet To Come" is hopeful and comforting, "Run BTS" is cool and driving, and "For Youth" is soulfully sentimental. They're a great interlude as they (and we) move into chapter 2.

Fav: "Run BTS"

j-hope: Jack In The Box (2022)

Speaking of chapter 2, j-hope started the more "me" focussed era with a truly outside of the box album. While 2018's Hope World was both bright and a smidgen darker hip-hop, all in all danceable and what we know Hoseok to be like, Jack In The Box does its name justice. Genre-wise it moves around between rock ("More"), old school hip-hop (basically every song) and some soulful moments ("Safety Zone"). Lyrically, he's never been this raw and open, touching on being stuck between feeling like he's worked too hard and not worked enough, feeling like he has no place of respite, but also feeling fairly sure of his own identity between all of it. His hopeful demeanour isn't gone, he's just showing it in a new way and reflecting on it more. j-hope also headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago shortly after the album's release and the only word to describe that performance is MIND-BLOWING. He commands the stage and crowd like no other.

Fav: "Safety Zone"

Tomorrow x Together: Minisode 2: Thursday's Child (2022)

Though they have showed a darker side at various points in their discography, this EP has been the most consistent at running with the theme and does it in a new way for them. It's well-crafted, telling a story from one song to the next, but each song can easily stand on its own. The story of a boy who gets his heart broken moves from the devastating, pull-at-your-hair emotional "Opening Sequence" to angry and energetic "Good Boy Gone Bad" to sad and beautiful ballad "Trust Fund Baby" to low-key, trap-based sub-unit track "Lonely Boy", ending on a euphoric high note with Beomgyu produced sub-unit track "Thursday's Child Has Far to Go". Their vocal skills have been amazing since their debut album, but they really show off what they can do here. You can't help but be pulled in by them.

Fav: "Thursday's Child Has Far To Go"

Red Velvet: The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm (2022)

This EP feels very much like a natural progression from last year's Queendom EP, with a similar more mature but still undeniably Red Velvet sound. Title track "Feel My Rhythm" masterfully incorporates Bach's "Air on the G String", giving the song a fresh but also eery vibe - the quintessential description of Red Velvet. I had fun spotting all the nods to art works in the music video, especially the Hieronymus Bosch references, since I wrote a paper about him almost exactly a year before the MV was released! The album artwork partially has the members dressed up as ballerinas in music boxes, which I LOVE. I'm not entirely sure why the album title references their 2019 album series The ReVe Festival, since the music isn't very similar. This EP is more understated, but still rich. The Bach reference really influences the rest of the songs in attitude: they all share a kind of elegant confidence, which suits the members well at this stage in their 8-year career.

Fav: "Beg For Me"

LOONA: [Summer Special] Fl!p That (2022)

This EP was released very shortly after LOONA's participation on the girl group competition show "Queendom 2" (which they should have won imo BUT ALAS) and showed a completely different side to them than on the show and their previous EPs. The other contestants often criticized them for not doing the strong performances they've become known for and then they release this EP that is full of the opposite of what people have come to expect. I love that. Their discography is so diverse and this EP adds yet a new flavour. It's quite understated (except for "POSE", their final song from "Queendom 2"), yet full of heart. Especially "Playback" stands out, as its heartfelt lyrics were written by members HaSeul, Kim Lip and Yves, a first for the group. The show showed how involved they are (and have to be) in so many aspects of their performances, so seeing them involved in the songs itself gives me hope that they'll get this chance more often. Considering the LOONAVERSE lore, it's interesting that intro instrumental "The Journey" and title track "Flip That" sample "Frozen" by the sub-unit yyxy's 2017 album. I'll leave what it might mean up to the lore detectives among Orbits. Amidst a stressful year for fans and the group, I'm glad that at least all 12 members are on the EP.

Fav: "Need U"

fromis_9: Midnight Guest (2022)

I got into this EP a couple of months after it was released. I loved title track "DM" immediately and have been karaoke'ing it consistently, but didn't listen to the full EP until the spring. It kicks off with the bold R&B of "Escape Room", which is easily my favourite song on the EP. It also includes the pretty ballad "Love Is Around", bouncy but smooth "Hush Hush" and city pop inspired (even referencing the genre's most famous song "Plastic Heart") "0g", ticking off so many of my favourite things. The girls have great vocals and the instrumentals are so satisfying to listen to.

Fav: "Escape Room"

NewJeans: NewJeans (2022)

One day, I get a notification from the HYBE YouTube channel: the official music video for "Attention" by NewJeans has been uploaded. Hold up. Who is NewJeans? I thought I knew everyone who's under HYBE?! Well. "Attention" is the perfect title for the first song released by this new girl group because they immediately had mine (and apparently many others' too). The sound is clearly inspired by girl groups from the early 2000s with the lush vocal harmonies and lowkey instrumental, which is something you don't hear in K-Pop, where the credo is the more the better. NewJeans, through all 4 tracks on this EP, are like a breath of fresh air. The members are very young, so I hope the company goes easy on them workload-wise. But looking at their styling, which is quite trendy according to current teen fashion (which is also inspired by the 2000s so it works well) but not too exposed or too cutesy, it seems like they're in good hands.

Fav: "Attention" (but all 4 songs are so so great)

---and here's some more that I'm not gonna write a whole thing for:

Kep1er: Doublast (2022)

Le Sserafim: Fearless (2022)

Mamamoo: I Say Mamamoo: The Best (2021)

(G)I-DLE: I NEVER DIE (2022)

STAYC: WE NEED LOVE (2022)

BTS: Dark & Wild (2014), Skool Luv Affair (2014)

---and some singles:

benny blanco, BTS, Snoop Dogg: "Bad Decisions" (2022)

Psy feat. SUGA of BTS: "That That" (2022)

Crush feat. j-hope of BTS: "Rush Hour" (2022)

Balming Tiger feat. RM of BTS: "Sexy Nukim" (2022)

Jimin & Ha Sungwoon: "With You" (2022)

ADORA: "Trouble? Travel!" (2022)

Sunmi: "Heart Burn", "Childhood" (2022)

#on my shelf #bts #j hope #txt #red velvet #loona #fromis 9 #newjeans #tomorrow x together

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 2 - winter

Oh sweet summer child, you really thought you had it bad in the summer? This winter semester I had a group paper to write (terrible experience, as all group projects turn out to be.. but at least we got a good grade in the end) AND I had to start going to some in-person classes again which meant I once again became a commuter. Just with the added anxiety of catching ~the disease~ on one of the trains or buses... Luckily that didn't happen! And I got a job as a translator for the uni's official magazine! Through that I'm learning a lot more about science than I ever thought I would.... So all in all I've been super busy and had a lot of time on public transport to listen to music, so here's the rundown!

Twice: Formula of Love: O+T=<3 (2021)

I've listened to Twice on and off for a while now and not every release goes on repeat for me, but this album definitely made the cut. The main single "Scientist" has quite a different sound to it than their previous singles - it's more reserved musically, lower in vocal tone (which suits them very well, especially Mina and Momo), but without losing any of their signature playfulness. The rest of the album goes on to explore different styles, (mostly) maintaining a mature sounding confidence throughout. Sometimes they go heavy on the youthful playfulness still, like in super sweet fan-song "Candy" and loud and bright "The Feels". Speaking of the latter, I was suprised by how many full English songs were included on the album! Maybe even more suprisingly, they don't stand out but rather fit in perfectly sound-wise with the rest of the Korean-language songs. The three sub-unit songs are very fun too since they get to show off sides I don't think they've really shown much before, like in hip-hop style "Hello". The Jihyo-penned song "Cactus" really stands out as a perfect ending song to an emotional movie, right before or as the credits roll. It truly tugs at the heart strings, maybe a tiny bit clichéd, but just in the way I like it. I always think it IS the last song on the album, but it's still followed by four songs... The placement of "Cactus" is my one critique of the album.

Favourite songs: Moonlight, Scientist, Hello, (actually all of them are SO good)

Red Velvet: Queendom (2021)

My queens finally returned!! This is their first release as a full group since 2019 and I'd say it was worth the wait. Queendom is full of exactly what you'd want from a Red Velvet EP. At first listen, that felt a little boring to me, but the more I listened to all of the songs, the more I liked them. This EP is full of playful and interesting little melodic choices, beautiful harmonies, and confident lyrics. Title track "Queendom" starts off quietly self-assured with a "Hey, here we go again", like seeing an old friend after a long time, but falling right back into the rhythm you're used to. It builds to a more loud and proud welcoming of all who want to join their queendom in the chorus (which can get a bit much sonically). "Pose" is cool with a really interesting synth base line driving it. "Knock On Wood" and "Pushin N Pullin" have a similar feeling to them with classic Red Velvet harmonies. "Better Be" stands out with its going from low, almost speaking tones to its cool higher tones to the very cool and stylish ad-libs. I don't think I'm explaining it properly, but I like the song very much. The EP ends with "Hello, Sunset" (or "Again, Summer" - the literal translation of the Korean title) which feels more intimate and like the group is truly saying hello again after quite some time away (in K-Pop industry terms). It's the coming-down after the adrenaline rush of seeing each other again, truly showing how hard it was and how glad you are to be here now.

Favourite Songs: Better Be; Hello, Sunset

Enhypen: Dimension: Dilemma / Answer (2021)

I watched the show where Enhypen was formed, I-Land, every week back in 2020 and have since enjoyed every one of their releases. Their singles are always very catchy and though they toy in the same dark pop arena as a lot of other boy groups the past couple of years, they always stand out by adding something unique. Especially in this latest album, the rock influences have become more noticeable, which I really appreciate. It's the most obvious on pure rock and super fun "Attention, Please!" , but I think all of the tracks rock at least a little bit. Track 6 "Blockbuster" features TXT-member Yeonjun and really profits from his rapping and singing skills to bring the song together and fill it with life. It almost feels like it's his song and Enhypen is the feature. But maybe I'm a little biased... This album also has two songs where the members' vocals can really shine in "Just a Little Bit" and "Polaroid Love", with the former really being carried by Heeseung's emotive vocals and the latter being a sugary-sweet display of all the members' playful side. The first single "Tamed-Dashed" is a fun, energetic summer anthem, while the second single "Blessed-Cursed" is more out-there and aggressive. It feels like it ends much sooner than you'd expect too, making for an interesting listening experience. Plus I really love the shaky shrinking motion they do in the choreo for the pre-chorus. In general their choreographies are always full of interesting moves that stand out from the rest, just like their music.

Favourite songs: Blockbuster; Attention, Please!

Kep1er: First Impact (2022)

This is another group who was formed on a survival show, Girls Planet 999, that I watched every episode of last year. I wasn't so sure of these songs at first, especially single "WA DA DA" but I couldn't get it (and the other songs) out of my head for weeks and so I had no choice but to start liking them. Maybe they aren't the most unique type of songs for a girl group, but the members' energy is really tangible throughout and the earworm quality is not to be underestimated. The latter half of the songs on the album were first performed on the TV show while the others are new. I think you can notice the difference since the new songs are a little more cohesive and tailored to the members' strengths and image, but nevertheless they do still make the old songs theirs. Among the new tracks, "MVSK" stands out with its cool and relatively sparse instrumental, while "WA DA DA" couldn't cram more melodies and ad-libs and rhythms in if it wanted to. You never really know where it's going to go next, which is kind of fun. Opener "See The Light" is a little bit of both. I'm very intrigued to see where they're going to go next. Considering their often punk-inspired outfits for their recent performances, I'd love to see some rock inspiration in the music too.

Favourite songs: MVSK, See The Light

STAYC: YOUNG-LUV.COM (2022)

I've really fallen in love with STAYC's discography the past few months. Even though it's been quite small until now, it spans quite a few styles but is consistent in the songwriters' and members' sincere attitude towards what they're creating. This new EP takes a bit of a step away from the very youthful style of their 2021 releases and is a more mature take on the darker style of their 2020 debut "So Bad". They touch on more R&B sounds on songs like "Butterfly" and "247" and even deliver a song perfectly fit for the soundtrack to the yearning climax of a teen movie in "Young Luv" with some rock influences. The single "RUN2U" stands out among their singles in its maturity and vocally sparse chorus that is somehow just as insanely catchy as, say, the much more wordy chorus of their previous single "Stereotype". It's filled with interesting rhythms in the vocals and a variety of melodies that all work together perfectly. The fact that it's missing their signature "STAYC girls, it's going down" in the intro is jarring at first, but makes it even more exciting when it finally appears at the end of track 2 "Same Same", right when you're busy admiring Sieun's vocal prowess. On first listen I was absolutely blown away by every single song, and I still am. From what I've seen about their mindset towards their work and their relationship with their main producer, I really think these girls are going to go very far.

Favourite songs: Butterfly, 247, (but really, truly, all of them)

Whee In: WHEE (2022)

I listened to Mamamoo member Wheein's first EP Redd a couple of times but couldn't really get into it properly for some reason (except the single "Water Color" which is really really good). But this latest EP had me hooked immediately. Single "Make Me Happy" is calming and relaxed with a lovely melody, while listening to "Pink Cloud" really feels like you're floating on a pink cloud. Wheein's vocals are luscious throughout and are always in harmony with the music. I don't really have more to say about the EP than that, really. It's just a really lovely, calming record to listen to. I guess you could say it... makes me happy.................

Favourite song: Make Me Happy

Some more music I want to give a mention that I enjoyed a lot:

BTS: BE (2020); IU: Chatshire (2015), Pieces (2021); literally just the entire discography of BTS, TXT, Red Velvet, LOONA, STAYC;

some singles:

IU: "Strawberry Moon" (2021)

V: "Christmas Tree" (2021)

Jin: "Yours" (2021)

Jung Kook: "Stay Alive (Prod. SUGA)" (2022)

Wendy: "Airport Goodbyes" (2021)

ADORA: "MAKE U DANCE" (2021)

ADORA: "The Little Name" (2022)

fromis_9: "DM" (2022)

Taeyeon: "Weekend" (2021)

Taeyeon: "Can't Control Myself" (2022)

Taeyeon: "INVU" (2022)

#on my shelf #twice #red velvet #enhypen #stayc #kep1er #wheein

fav random singles of the year

bonus second post!! i didn't feel like adding this to the first one. but there have been some great singles and single songs from albums (released this year) that i've loved this year. so here's another list:

Dear You - NIA (criminally underrated!!!)

Rain Song (Feat. Colde) - Epik High

strawberry moon - IU

My Universe (SUGA's Remix) - Coldplay & BTS

Door - Kwon Eun Bi

Come With Me - Ji Jin Seok

Weekend - Taeyeon

Nakka - AKMU & IU

Hula Hoop - Loona

What The Flower - Sunmi

Film Out - BTS

Everlasting Shine - Tomorrow x Together

Force - Tomorrow x Together

Ito - Tomorrow x Together

Love Sight - Tomorrow x Together

Eyes - Tomorrow x Together

Make U Dance - Adora

Yours - Jin

Christmas Tree - V

Bicycle - RM

Blue Side - j-hope

We Go - fromis_9

Not Friends - Loona

water color - Whee In

After We Ride - Brave Girls

Find Me Here - Hayley Williams

Don't - eAeon & RM

Airport Goodbyes - Wendy

#on my shelf #music #text #list

fav albums of 2021

hello! what another garbage year! but we've made it through, somehow. i've been trying to find the positive things that happened in my life this year, instead of dwelling so much on the negatives. one is that i finally got a (student) job! thank you to my growing need to buy kpop albums, plus the endless stream of cool bts merch i Need for motivating me. the thing that stands out most though, is the music released this year! there's been a lot of cool stuff and it's the only thing that's kept me kind of sane. so here's a list (in no particular order) of the albums (released this year) that i loved:

The Chaos Chapter: Freeze / Fight or Escape - Tomorrow x Together

Queendom - Red Velvet

Like Water - Wendy

Butter/Permission to Dance - BTS

Epik High is Here (Part 1) - Epik High

Lilac - IU

Staydom - STAYC

Stereotype - STAYC

Border: Carnival - Enhypen

Dimension: Dilemma - Enhypen

Guess Who - ITZY

[&] - Loona

1/6 - Sunmi

Formula of Love: O+T=<3 - Twice

Woman on the Internet - Orla Gartland

Music of the Spheres - Coldplay

Hello - Joy

a touch of the beat gets you up off your feet gets you out and then into the sun - Aly & AJ

Solar Power - Lorde

and though it wasn't released this year (well a repackage was, so it could count!!) i want to give an extra special shoutout to BTS' album "BE" which i listened to almost every morning to get me through another day

#on my shelf #music #text #list

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 1 - summer

That was the most stressful semester of my life, which is saying something since it was my 10th uni semester. It was all still online which has its benefits, sure (no commute! sleeping in! not having to get dressed properly!), but even an introvert like me likes to be around people sometimes. It really feels like everyone, including the lecturers, has kind of lost it at this point. That's the only explanation I can find for the unusual amount of work thrown at us. Okay now that that's out of the way, let's get to the ~music~

BTS: "Butter" and "Permission to Dance" (2021)

Summery goodness from BTS following last year's Dynamite that's just fun to listen to, to figure out the pop culture references to, and to cheer on as they make the Hot 100 their playing ground (thanks in big part to very dedicated US/PR Armys). "Butter" features very cool, more minimal verses with an explosive, big chorus. It's filled with calm confidence. Learning the previous English song "Dynamite's" lyrics was pretty difficult, but "Butter" was even harder, even for native speakers, which just makes BTS' efforts all the more impressive. I immediately loved "Permission To Dance" and its very musical-theater, feel-good vibe. It just makes you feel happy! Here I found the rap line's vocal chops especially impressive - I love how BTS is constantly trying out new things in all their music, including the English singles.

ITZY: GUESS WHO (2021)

This EP is a lot like ITZY's usual output in its bold confidence and electronic sound, but it feels more refined and even a bit more experimental this time around. Listening from top to bottom, there's a good flow where the songs don't blend into each other and can stand alone, but don't rub against each other either. My favourite is closer "Tennis (0:0)", their calmest song yet. The instrumentation is more traditional (featuring some acoustic guitars) and very minimal, so the focus is on the group's vocals. The melodies would work in a louder song too, which just makes this stripped back sound stand out even more.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER: The Chaos Chapter: Freeze (2021)

Following on from the album series The Dream Chapter and the summer album minisode 1: Blue Hour, TXT introduced a new chapter, that focuses on the confusing and conflicting feelings of growing up and showcases yet more diversity in their sound. This album features a lot more input musically and lyrically from the members, like Huening Kai produced rock juggernaut "Dear Sputnik", and feels all the more richer for it. In general, the album moves between clear rock ("Dear Sputnik", "0x1=Lovesong"), pop ("No Rules", "Magic"), hip-hop and electronic influences, sometimes also mixing them to create interesting fusions, like on "Freeze". The one thing that stays consistent throughout is the angst, in all its various forms. It doesn't ever go full on overboard emo with it though, making it more palatable. My top 3 songs are "No Rules", "0x1=Lovesong" and "Ice Cream". They recently released a repackaged album including two new songs: "LO$ER=LO♥ER" (emo rock that made me very happy to hear since it's executed so well) and "MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)", a super cute fan song.

WENDY: Like Water (2021)

Red Velvet member and vocal powerhouse Wendy released her first solo EP, after having recovered from a serious injury she suffered at the end of 2019. The songs suit her voice perfectly. There's a lot of ballads, but she makes them sound effortless, even in the highest notes, where her voice stays rich and full. She's able to convey the emotions needed sincerely, without being overbearing, a lot of it owed to the lyrical topics centering around themes like being there for each other, instead of very heavy, sad ones. In the musically lighter songs, like "Why Can't You Love Me", she's skilled in her playfulness, with an audible smile. Wendy's love for music and singing is tangible and makes the EP feel very comforting to listen to.

IU: A Flower Bookmark, Pt. 2 (2017)

I'd been wanting to go through IU's older music since her new album Lilac was released this year, and doing so, I got stuck on this EP of reworked covers. I don't know any of the original songs, but if I hadn't known they were covers I would've never guessed it just by listening. IU has a knack for making things distinctly her own - no matter what style or genre she's trying out, she'll fit into it perfectly while still being recognisable. This EP features a range of different styles, from different decades and artists, but it all flows together, like they were always meant to be here. My favourites are "Autumn Morning" (featuring an acapella intro), "Last Night Story" (reminds me a lot of late 80s German rock, like the song "Westerland" by Die Ärzte, but more fun), and the pretty and calming "Everyday With You".

LOONA: [&] (2021)

Loona have become one of my favourite groups, even more so as I've been getting to know their pre-debut solo and sub-unit songs. So I was very happy when they returned this year with all 12 members for the first time since 2019. Lead single "PTT (Paint The Town)" is similar in sentiment (and somewhat in sound too) to their 2020 lead singles with its fierceness. It gives space to welcome Haseul back too, even presenting her as a risen phoenix in the music video. At first I felt like the song "WOW" would've been better as lead single but then I couldn't get "PTT" out of my head for days every time I listened to it, so I had to admit it was the right choice. [&] feels like a mixture between what a lot of fans call "typical Loona" and the direction they went in on previous EP 12:00, especially on city-pop leaning closer "U R". My favourites are the bouncier "WOW" and "Be Honest", as well as "U R".

Some singles I loved:

Ji Jin Seok: "Come With Me" (2021)

-> a chill, K-R&B summer track featuring Ji Jin Seok's beautiful, calm voice

Epik High: "Rain Song" (2021)

-> perfect for rainy days. walks the line between sad and okay perfectly.

JOY: "Hello" (2021)

-> fun, upbeat song (actually a reworked cover!) that showcases Red Velvet member Joy's vocal colour perfectly. the album (also reworked covers) is lovely too, but I didn't listen to the full thing that much.

#on my shelf #music #bts #txt #itzy #wendy #iu #loona

on my shelf: soundtrack to MA year 1 - winter

...well. I wasn’t really planning on doing an MA, and especially not the one I’m doing (which is essentially just a continuation of my BA course), but thanks to the, you know, circumstances, we have ended up here. So this series continues! Let’s just jump in, shall we?

BTS: BE (2020)

BE is the product of living through the first months of the pandemic and a time where the members suddenly didn’t have a tour to go on and couldn’t even perform for fans locally. On it they work through all the different emotions this novel situation brought with it, but in a way that we can relate to as well. The album is filled with different emotions - frustration, sadness, loneliness, but also love, hope and trust. As each member has put in his own personal touches on everything from the music to the physical album design and the rollout, this is their most personal album yet. It’s much calmer at its core but that doesn’t mean it’s any less concert ready. It has a very nice flow as well - starting at the small frustrations and acceptance of the pandemic, a short skit thrown in as a moment to breathe and as a nod to their early albums, then continuing with fun songs that look to the future in the second half, ending triumphantly with Billboard Hot 100 topper and Grammy nominated “Dynamite”. BE is the perfect encapsulation of pandemic life and a great comforting listen when you’re trying to start your day in the midst of all of this.

Tomorrow x Together: Minisode 1: Blue Hour (2020)

TXT continue to explore their musical possibilities on this mini album with the dream-pop/indie opener “Ghosting”, the disco inspired “Blue Hour”, the tropical house of “We Lost The Summer”, the stadium-ready pop-rock anthem “Wishlist” and the R&B inspired “Way Home” with its unusual beat. It’s an album full of longing for the pre-pandemic life, from a very youthful point of view. TXT are very good at embodying all the different genres they are tackling here, giving it a very rounded feeling, and that only two years into their career.

Loona: 12:00 (2020)

On 12:00 Loona are taking on more different styles than in previous group releases, but are staying in K-Pop territory. Lead single “Why Not?” has the same punchy, cheeky, but cool attitude as “So What” from their previous mini-album. The other songs remind me somewhat of Red Velvet and ITZY releases while maintaining that signature Loona sound, mostly courtesy of their unique voices. “Voice” or “Star”, which are the same song but the former is in Korean while the latter is in English, stand out though, as they are the closest to the Loona sound we know from previous albums, while also sounding fresh, kind of like a marriage of the two sonic spaces.

Epik High: Epik High Is Here [part 1] (2021)

I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to get into Epik High more and I’m only making slow progress through their back catalogue, but I’ve definitely listened to their newest album a LOT of times. It has a brilliant flow from contemplative songs to confident songs and back and forth without throwing you off. There’s nods to older songs that tie them together in new ways, or continue a series into a new direction (like “Lesson Zero”). As always, Epik High has brought on amazing guest vocalists like Heize and GSoul, whose vocals add to the overall melancholic leanings of the album’s sound. The Epik High members’ voices are so distinct and full of emotion that it’s overall very enjoyable to listen to.

LOONA/Odd Eye Circle: Max & Match (2017)

I listened to a lot of Loona this semester, just in general, but at one point all music distributed by Kakao M was taken off Spotify for a while, which included almost all of Epik High, IU, and Loona’s music (so almost everything I was listening to at the time...). A lot of Loona’s pre-full group debut music was still up though, so I took the chance to explore that, and got stuck on Odd Eye Circle’s album. The sub-unit’s members’ (Kim Lip, Choerry, JinSoul) solo songs are also my favourites of all the solos, which makes sense since they’re all a similar style. Max & Match is a very interesting pop album that leans heavily into a more indie-pop and dream pop style. While “Girl Front” is very much what I would define as a girl group sound (a fun, light-hearted love song), “Loonatic” is very dreamy with an almost creepy undertone, featuring lyrics like “I am not insane” and vocals that aren’t super clear. They really experimented a lot with the pop form on this album, which they also did on the girls’ solo songs (I especially recommend Choerry’s “Love Cherry Motion” if you want to hear more of that - it has about 3 distinct soundscapes that somehow work together so well).

ITZY: Not Shy (2020)

I keep forgetting that Itzy released another album in 2020 because I didn’t particularly like the electronic sound they leaned into, but I was fully on board for Not Shy. The title track is super catchy and confident, a staple of their sound. The next songs are also very typically Itzy - loud, confident, fun. But this album also sees them exploring new directions, featuring the city pop inspired “Surf” and their first obvious, ballad-y love song “Be In Love”. They can totally pull off the softer, calmer styles, as well as the louder, more confident ones, so I hope they keep exploring new things.

IU: LILAC (2021)

This album was only released like two weeks ago but I love it so much that I decided to include it here. It’s IU’s first release in a while (she only released a song or two in 2020) so she’s had some time to think about where she is in life and how she wants to go forward. This album shows her trying out some new styles, like the cool, confident, trumpet-laden “Coin”, the minimal pop of “Flu”, and the summer fun of “Ah puh”. But of course, the classic ballads are present too, like with the devastating and theatric “My sea”, which is really built up like an emotional musical number with different acts, but it stays relatively grounded and doesn’t come off quite as over-the-top as a lot of musical numbers (imo) do. In general the album has a spring theme in the sense that it’s at once an ending and a new beginning, seeing as this is the last album IU will release in her 20s. “Epilogue” describes it the best, wherein she asks the listener, in a very relaxed and self-assured manner, if they enjoyed their time with her, and if they’ll keep listening to her stories in the future too. I think we know my answer to that.

Special Mentions:

IU’s Palette (2017) and Love Poem (2019); Epik High’s sleepless in _____ (2019) and We’ve Done Something Wonderful (2017); Twice’s Eyes Wide Open (2020); Sunmi’s “Tail” and “What The Flower” (2021); Hayley Williams’ Flowers for Vases / descansos (2021); Jamie’s “Apollo 11″ (2020); j-hope’s “Blue Side” (2021); Jin’s “Abyss” (2020); Gowon’s “SeeSaw” (2018); Taylor Swift’s folklore and evermore (2020)

#on my shelf #music #bts #txt #loona #epik high #odd eye circle #iu #itzy

fav albums of 2020

So here we are again, nearly the end of a year. Who could’ve predicted this dumpster fire? It’s truly been... a lot. I just did a quick read-through of my previous posts and noticed that I made some promises about upcoming posts that I didn’t get around to and that I probably won’t either but I’m pretty sure barely anyone reads these anyway/nobody will remember, so whatever!

Anyway. It’s that time of the year again to look back, reflect, and make a list of favourite albums of the year, so ones I actually listened to over and over. These will have no order and are not limited to a certain number, but do have to be released this year*.

Map Of The Soul 7 - BTS

BE - BTS

The Dream Chapter: Eternity - Tomorrow X Together

minisode 1: Blue Hour - Tomorrow X Together

[#] - Loona

[12:00] - Loona

MORE & MORE - Twice

Not Shy - Itzy

Petals For Armor - Hayley Williams

Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa

D-2 - Agust D

Freckle Season - Orla Gartland

Here’s my top 5 songs of the year (probably in that order):

Eight - IU (prod. & ft. SUGA of BTS)

Black Swan - BTS

Moon - BTS

pporappippam - Sunmi

Blue Hour - Tomorrow X Together

Here’s some albums that I liked, but for some reason didn’t listen to a lot (yet):

Women In Music Pt. III - HAIM

folklore - Taylor Swift

evermore - Taylor Swift

Monster - Irene & Seulgi (Red Velvet)

Confetti - Little Mix

Manic - Halsey

Walpurgis Night - GFRIEND

*Here’s a quick bonus list of albums released before 2020 that I LOVED this year (and only started listening to this year):

sleepless in _______ - Epik High (has become one of my favourite albums ever)

Palette - IU

[X X] - Loona

The Perfect Red Velvet - Red Velvet

The Red Summer - Red Velvet

Warning - Sunmi

Fancy You - Twice

So basically in general it’s been very K-Pop and girl group / female artist in general focussed. That’s just what has been most comforting to me this year. This has been my first year fully embracing my love of that type of pop music and it’s basically completely edged out any sort of angsty music I used to listen to (which makes sense in 2020 tbh). I’ve also generally really been loving anything with City Pop vibes and also the Newtro (New Retro) sound that has overtaken pop music both in the West and in Korea.

This has been a long and relatively detailed post but why not? as Loona say. For posterity! I feel like 2021 won’t be much different to this year, but who knows. All I can say is: 2021 will you think about me? i could wait a year, but i couldn’t wait three... (boy) i don’t wanna be...

#favourite albums of 2020 #list #music

on my shelf: soundtrack to my fourth year of uni - summer

I’m finally done with my Bachelor’s thesis! I might make a separate, more detailed post about it, since the topic is relevant for what this blog is about (of course it is haha), but for now I can say my topic was an analysis of the use of elements from the “Pop-Star-System” in building up a girlgroup career. I looked at the history of Pop-Stars and analysed the album covers of the Supremes’ first two albums, as well as the Spice Girls and Girls’ Generation’s first albums/physical releases. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed the topic. Oh and if anyone was wondering, I’m doing a Media Studies degree, which is why I could tackle such a cool topic.

Anyway! So working on my thesis took up my entire summer semester because I luckily didn’t have any classes left to attend, so I was thankfully spared the whole online class ordeal. The music I mentioned in my last post (”Quarantunes”) has mostly stayed on repeat in the past few months. Besides an ever steady stream of BTS, there are a couple of new things to add to the list:

Tomorrow X Together: The Dream Chapter: Eternity (2020)

Now THIS is the release I’ve been waiting for from them. Their previous album had one song that had a co-writing credit for one of the members (Hueningkai on “Rollercoaster”), but this album has more! We’re finally starting to hear their writing talents more. “Maze in the Mirror” was written/demo’ed entirely by one member (Beomgyu) and in the process of preparing it for this release the other members also wrote parts. It’s a beautiful, melancholic, and dynamic song that I can highly recommend for listening to before going to sleep. The lyrics talk about how unsure they felt before debuting. I can’t wait to hear more songs where they talk about their personal experiences, because clearly they’re good at it. In general this album is much darker than their previous two releases and they suit them well. The songs are more varied, too: You have the classic TXT style opening song, but the lead single “Can’t You See Me?” is full of angst, which is new for them. “PUMA” is like dark R&B, while “Fairy of Shampoo”, a reworked cover of a popular 1990s Korean song, is more city-pop. And then you have “Eternally” which reminded me of twenty one pilots’ “Ode to Sleep” in the way it completely changes up its style several times throughout the song. It’s all coherent and flows well from top to bottom though, and I think they’re well on their way to carving their own niche in the saturated and often same-same (k-) pop landscape.

Agust D: D-2 (2020)

He finally came back. SUGA of BTS last released a mixtape under his solo moniker Agust D in 2016. That one was very dark, brazen at times, and incredibly open and honest about his struggles, ending on a note of hoping that things will get better. This follow-up release makes it clear that Agust D has become a slightly different person in the past few years. He’s still brazen at times, but he has good reason to be, looking at how incredibly successful BTS has become since 2016. As always, he makes fun of those who decide to be haters but cleverly never gets too specific - if you feel attacked, that’s on you. There is a lot of introspection on this album too. It’s generally much less defeated or dark than on the 2016 self-titled release, but it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows. His problems have morphed - he has now achieved his dreams, but it’s not quite what he expected it to be. There are a lot of thoughts about dreams, about what it means to grow up, about what his position in the world means and feels like. That sounds like it’s very focused on himself and might be inaccessible to us non-famous people, but that’s absolutely not the case. A lot of it are quite mundane questions that everyone asks themselves in their 20s, like “what am I doing with my life?” and “what kind of person am I really?”. He makes it clear that he doesn’t have the answers, but he somehow makes you feel comforted in that uncertainty. The musical style is more like current hip-hop, where Agust D was more like harder, older hip-hop, but retains his (especially recent) typical, very melodious style, with him even singing some choruses. There are various styles and interesting production choices that make for a varied, but cohesive listening experience.

Hayley Williams: Petals for Armor (2020)

I mentioned this album in the “Quarantunes” post as well, but the full album was released after that went up, so it deserves another mention here. This album tells a story of an emotional journey towards healing, without ever getting preachy or feeling insincere. In several interviews Hayley mentions her therapy journey and learning to deal with her trauma and how this album helped with that. Listening to all the songs in order, a journey of self-discovery, -acceptance, and -empowerment is laid out. All these things are typically found in little things and learning to change your perspective. It’s Hayley’s most feminine work yet, in the sense that she’s embracing all of her different aspects: the delicate, the powerful, the rage, the love. Everything is wrapped in sounds inspired by Alternative music, but more, as said before, the Björks, Radioheads, and synth-y 80s artists, instead of loud guitar bands. My favourite songs are “Crystal Clear”, “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”, “Over Yet”, “Cinnamon” and “Simmer”.

IU: Palette (2017)

When it was announced that IU and SUGA from BTS (two of the most popular artists in Korea) would release a collab song, I decided to check out her (IU’s) music more intensely, because I only knew one or two of her songs from the Dalkom Café playlist on Spotify. One of them is on this album, “Palette (ft. G-Dragon)”. This album, to me, best encapsulates IU’s sound: from heartbreaking ballads to satisfying light K-R&B, to slightly darker, groovy K-R&B (I think that’s the right genre term..), this one has them all. I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, but I enjoy IU’s voice so much that I don’t mind listening to them at all. I really love it, however, when she leaves that style behind for the slightly darker, or at least more pop sounds, like on “Palette”, but especially on “Jam Jam” and “Black Out”. She has a certain attitude on those songs that are slightly opposite of the pure, innocent image I previously had of her. It seems very sincere though, most likely because she writes on all of her songs. She has been utilising this style more often in recent years, on songs like “Bbibbi” and “Blueming” (both certified bops). “Eight”, the collab with SUGA, is an uplifting, yet bittersweet feeling pop anthem that almost feels like it could’ve been just a little bit longer. I’ll probably dive deeper into her lyrics soon and I’m excited for what I will find.

Sunmi: Warning (2018)

Last summer, Sunmi released the single “Lalalay” and I immediately loved it. I learned the choreography pretty much the week after I heard it the first time. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to have much other music on her Spotify page though, just a couple of older singles (which I also immediately loved). This year she released “pporappippam” (which is basically the romanization of the Korean title which translates to Purple Night), a bittersweet, nostalgic, summer pop song, like only Sunmi can do. Seriously, no one else in K-Pop is releasing music like hers, and they probably don’t even dare to try. For those who don’t know, she used to be in one of the historically most popular girlgroups Wonder Girls. But besides that, she has been releasing her own style of pop since she started releasing solo music and Warning (which they must’ve only recently put on Spotify in full) is a pretty good encapsulation of that sound. It’s almost like a mix between K-Pop and K-R&B, but more like IU’s moodier songs for example. It’s not flashy and sparkly, but it’s not full-on groove either. It’s a bit of both and it works perfectly for her.

Special mentions for new albums I haven’t listened to that much but do enjoy a lot: HAIM’s Women in Music Part III, Irene&Seulgi’s Monster, Taylor Swift’s folklore (released like a week before this post is published but it’s undeniably good and will get a longer write-up when I’ve had more time with it), Loona’s discography

#on my shelf #txt #agust d #hayley williams #iu #sunmi #music

Quarantunes

What a weird time to be existing, huh? I’ve been lucky (I guess) to have a Bachelor’s thesis to work on, so I’m staying busy. While I’m doing that (and also while I’m not doing that) I’ve been listening to a lot of music and listening to music a lot. Here’s a bunch of my favourites:

Spotify Playlists

I usually have one of these 3 on while I’m working:

Dalkom Cafe (Korean R&B etc.)

K-Pop Acoustics (Korean songs on acoustic guitar or piano, doesn’t actually have anything to do with K-Pop)

Workday Soul (Soul music)

last year I found Chilled Cow’s lo-fi hip-hop stream on YouTube really helpful but for some reason it’s kind of distracting at the moment

Albums

Usually albums are too distracting to listen to while working, but I do listen to them when I’m not working, and here are some new favourites (in addition to ones I listed in my previous “on my shelf” post):

Freckle Season - Orla Gartland

Orla’s songs aren’t flashy. They’re more in the singer-songwriter vein, but more exciting and extremely catchy. They’re mostly (electric) guitar-driven and packed full of incredibly well-told stories that drip with complicated emotions.

Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa

I love the modernized disco sounds this album has! Perfect for dancing around your room to get all of the stress and anxiety this pandemic is causing out. This album is also much more coherent and put-together than her first album. So many hooks. And the last song “Boys Will Be Boys” amazingly doesn’t feel cringy to listen to at all. A very very good pop album.

Petals For Armor - Hayley Williams

At the time of writing this, the full album isn’t out yet, but the songs that are... wow. Hayley talks about a wide variety of emotions, like anger, grief, fear, but also various forms of love. Her beautifully crafted words are packed in beautifully crafted songs that also vary in their sonic style, yet stay coherent throughout. She takes inspiration from Radiohead and Björk and others I can’t make out (luckily she made a playlist).

Map of the Soul: 7 - BTS

This was the first BTS album/”comeback” I was a witness to and the whole process was so fun. All of the pre-released singles (”Black Swan”, “Interlude: Shadow”, “Outro: Ego”) had me very excited for the album’s sound and even more so for the message. 7 did not disappoint: More than ever, this album has every member’s individual sound, style, and message perfectly represented, and when they come together in sub-units or as a whole, they seem powerful. Their power comes from having a better understanding of who and where they are, what their struggles are (which they articulate very clearly) but also realizing how much they’ve grown in their careers and as people. This album is a whole mental journey, that is full of questions, and in the end the answer simply is: Who knows how things will go, all you can do is keep going.

BTS’ Japanese songs

Since I prefer the original Korean versions of their songs over the Japanese ones, I’ve stayed away from their Japanese albums, but in doing so, I also stayed away from their beautiful Japanese originals. They are different than their Korean originals, longer for one, but they also experiment more on the older songs and showcase the vocal line more on the newer ones. I really like the groove of “Wake Up”, “Iine pt. 2 - Ano Bashode -”“Wishing On A Star”. Underrated gems.

Red Velvet’s back catalogue

For the longest time I only listened to songs from the “ReVe Festival” series, but recently I’ve been going through their older albums too and there is so much gold in there! There’s everything from ballads, ear-worms, summer songs, to more R&B leaning songs. The songs have a tendency to be kind of weird, doing things differently than you were anticipating, which just makes them even better. My favourite albums besides the “ReVe Festival” ones are “The Perfect Red Velvet” and “The Red Summer” (they really should get more creative with their album names though). “You Better Know” is hands-down their best song.

#quarantunes #bts #red velvet #hayley williams #dua lipa #orla gartland #review #music

on my shelf: soundtrack to my fourth year of uni - winter

Wow, it’s that time of year again! So, you’re supposed to finish my course in 3 years, but barely anyone actually does... This semester I had very few classes and commuted very little, but there’s still a couple of albums that I listened to a lot and so here we go....

Tessa Violet: Bad Ideas (2019)

Finally!! I’ve been eagerly anticipating this album ever since Tessa first announced she’d be releasing one and opened a Patreon for it (was it 2017?? maybe 2018). The first single, “Crush” is kind of different from her older music, but not in a jarring way - you can definitely hear a progression towards this lowkey indie-pop sound throughout her previous EP “Halloway” (very recommended too btw!). “Crush” sounds more cheeky though, but in a very specific way: Throughout the whole album Tessa’s voice has this quality of “trying to play it cool”, but as the story progresses, she becomes more sincere and more openly distressed. Basically, the album tells a story, but that story is never-ending because the album is cyclical - the last song connects thematically and sound-wise to the first song. It starts off with Tessa forming a “Crush” on a guy but she wants to keep it casual. Eventually she realizes he is playing “Games” with her and she mentally spirals down from there, uncovering things that are beyond just heartbreak, ending up at a place where she feels completely emotionally isolated, in the last song “interlude iii”. Throughout all this there’s certain instruments and motifs that keep coming back, but they’re twisted in different ways each time, manipulating what they meant the first time you heard them and connecting all the songs to each other in a way.

TL;DR this album is so well crafted in music and lyrics.

Tomorrow X Together: The Dream Chapter: Magic (2019)

This album opens with such a good bass riff, right out the gate, and continues moving through seemingly different genres, but everything flows nicely. The boys have audibly matured from their first release, The Dream Chapter: Star, in the sense that the music still sounds fun but less Disney Channel (which was not a bad thing for Star!). As I mentioned, they also tried out more different styles, like R&B and almost-Indie-Pop, this time around and all of them fit them very well. Something that stands out about TXT compared to other K-Pop groups I’ve heard is that they lack an overbearing power and someone with a very deep voice (both things I personally find kind of annoying). They thrive on a more young, yet not childish, image. From their looks alone you’d think they were very innocent, but the lyrics show the concerns about the future and friends of a teenager, which half of them still are. The music has a sort of comforting aura. On this album only one of the members contributed to a song, but seeing as the other members seem to be busy writing too, hopefully we can hear what their perspectives sound like on the next one.

Red Velvet: The ReVe Festival Finale (2019)

The first Red Velvet song that caught my attention was “Umpah Umpah”, the lead single off The ReVe Festival Day 2 because it reminded me of Disney Channel music of my childhood. Listening to that entire album is so incredibly pleasing to my ear because of the way the girls’ voices sound. They mesh together perfectly and cover a range of different tones, which is something I’d not heard much in K-Pop girl groups, who tend to have most members singing Soprano with a very specific tone that makes me uncomfortable for some reason. Red Velvet’s mix of tones work very well together and that shows especially well on their R&B and Ballad songs, while their more Pop songs stand out because of their specific sound, but also the combination of incredibly catchy upbeat sound and slightly more sinister lyrics and music videos (a favourite combo of mine). So this album specifically combines the songs of the previous two albums, The ReVe Festival Day 1 and Day 2 and adds 3 new songs, with the lead single being “Psycho”. This repackage made me listen to the songs off Day 1 more. For a K-Pop album, many of them don’t make sense, but taking that lense off shows what good Pop all of these songs make. In a way, a song like “Zimzalabim” (which was initally met with much confusion) is very K-Pop because of its strange structure that somehow still makes sense to the ear. It just doesn’t have the typical sound, even the EDM-breakdown lacks something (in a positive way). Either way, all of these songs have a tendency to be on a very loud loop in my head constantly but I can’t stop listening to them because the texture of these songs are so pleasing and at times very visceral.

Wonder Girls: Reboot (2015)

For this album’s performances of the lead singles, the girls had to learn to play instruments and they did so pretty well. I doubt they played on the album itself (though all the members did write on the album) but they definitely did play them live during a couple of performances, which is amazing for a K-Pop group to do and I wish more would use a “band concept”. This album is very obviously influenced by 80s synth pop especially because of some of the instruments they used, but it retains a modern feel and of course a bit of that specific K-Pop sound that’s hard to describe exactly. It flows well from song to song and, similar to Red Velvet, sometimes has this specific effect on my ears where the aural texture feels very visceral. In general this album feels somewhat melancholy, but remains interesting and well crafted musically. If you like 80s synth pop but want something more modern that doesn’t seem like a parody or a carbon copy, then this is for sure the album for you.

__________________________________

btw there’s also been just a constant stream of BTS (nothing’s changed there).

So this semester was very female and K-Pop heavy, but not your typical type of loud, aggressive, and/or bright K-Pop. The texture is very important and everything tends to lean more towards R&B. I’ve also been loving certain songs here and there (like Mamamoo’s “gogobebe” and “HIP” and ITZY’s “Dalla Dalla” and “ICY”, songs that SUGA has produced, and Epik High’s “sleepless in ____” EP, as well as K-R&B in general). I’m planning on writing my BA thesis on K-Pop so uhh yeah this is uhh research.. A year ago I wanted to avoid Korean music as much as possible but I think that was mostly because I knew I was gonna get sucked in like this. But now it’s helped me find an interesting topic for my thesis, which is something I was worried about for a while, so so what?

#on my shelf #tessa violet #txt #red velvet #wonder girls #review #music

fav 2019 albums

a quick list (in no particular order!) of my favourite albums released in 2019. these were the albums i listened to several times and couldn’t ever get enough of.

i hope everyone who reads this has a good 2020 (hopefully it’ll at least be a little bit better than 2019 was).

the list:

- Father of The Bride (Vampire Weekend)

- Map of the Soul: Persona (BTS)

- Bad Ideas (Tessa Violet)

- The ReVe Festival Finale (Red Velvet)

- The Dream Chapter: Magic (TXT)

- Berkeley's On Fire (SWMRS)

- You Are OK (The Maine)

- Three, Fever (Charlie Burg)

and an honourable mention goes to:

- Everyday Life (Coldplay) (i didn’t listen to it enough in 2019 for it to make the proper list but i do like it very much)

#favourite albums of 2019 #list #music #last post of the decade

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