#2021 list

[miyku]

»» -———— GAMES I PLAYED IN 2021 ————- ««

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

1: Everglow - First

Alright, here we go. I’ve been itching to write this post since the day this song came out. Hopefully I do a good job, lol. Having this as my song of the year is probably not an especially popular or common opinion, but I think this song is perfect, and I wanna explain why. So, here goes.

First is such an absolute monster of a song. It packs a harder punch than almost any other kpop song I’ve heard. If you’re wondering why I picked this as my song of the year because you listened to it and just thought it was a decent banger, but not anything remarkable, my advice is to pay attention to the instrumental and the production. Yes, this song has orchestral strings or whatever, and yes that can be pretty corny sometimes. The “epic” vibe is really tough to sell, because it usually just comes across as pretentious. But this isn’t an epic orchestral song, this is a hiphop or edm song that beats the shit out of you in the way that a punk or metal song would, lol. The percussion in this song is loud, and it’s all over the place in this song. The way they hit all of the beats with their words, and the way the percussion decks you in the face to highlight their words, is so cool. The synths sound so gnarly, especially the one playing the hook in the chorus, and the one in the verses when Aisha says “knock knock, there’s a monster”. Just listen to the way that synth sounds... the texture on it. When the orchestral bits do come in, they’re woven in with the percussion and bass and stuff, so it doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be something “epic”, it just feels to me like it’s there to heighten the intensity of the moment, to fill the song out with something different, to make the song kind of soar and not just be low to the ground and dirty, like it would be without those bits, haha. 

First isn’t just any old monster though. It’s like a Dark Souls or Bloodborne boss or something lmao. It’s not a bodybuilder, it’s a boxer. It packs a hell of a punch, but most importantly, it’s fast. It’s not some hulking behemoth, it’s nimble, it bounces around on its toes, and takes you out before you know what hit you. I think that’s a key difference between it and some of Everglow’s previous songs, in particular Adios and Dun Dun. When their debut, Bon Bon Chocolat, came out, I liked it a lot, and I still do. Adios was good too, but didn’t quite live up to their debut for me, and I felt the same way about Dun Dun. I wasn’t sure if they’d ever be able to do something as good as Bon Bon Chocolat again. I was especially worried because, from Adios onwards, they had a new producer team, and I felt like I wanted the Bon Bon Chocolat team to come back, cause I wasn’t sure about the direction that the Adios-Dun Dun team was taking them. La Di Da eased a lot of my worries lmao, but it was a very different song. Before First came out, I did think that it was likely to sound more like Adios and Dun Dun than La Di Da, and I wasn’t sure if I’d like it that much. Adios and Dun Dun are good, but to use my monster analogy lmao, those songs definitely would be bigger, hulking monstrosities haha. They’re not nimble, they’re a bit slower. They’re beefy. First is zipping around and hopping on one leg before it hits you like a truck. 

Look at the way they lead into the drops in their choruses. Adios does its “Goodbye, au revoir, adios” bit, which takes a while. You know the drop is coming, and it’s making you wait for it. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, I’m just saying. Dun Dun has the “you’re so done-done-done-done-” bit. Even La Di Da has its “Everglow Forever let’s go”. The chorus drops start after they finish saying their lines. There’s a brief moment of silence, that the songs lull you into, before they explode again. They set it up, and wait a moment, and then plow forth at you. First doesn’t do that. The line they say before the chorus is “You know that I come FIRST”, and the drop hits on “FIRST”. Also, that line isn’t sung as if they’ve come to a halt and are looking you in the eye, they’re not pausing the momentum to deliver a one-liner before charging forward again... in First, they don’t stop the momentum. “You know that I come FIRST” isn’t a line that is delivered before punching you in the face, it’s a line that is delivered while punching you in the face. It is the punch in the face. It’s not before the drop, it is part of the drop. That’s what I mean. This song never really comes to a stop until the bridge, but by that point you need it, haha. Not that the bridge doesn’t pick the momentum back up pretty quickly of course, cause it definitely does. I’m so, so impressed by this song. It’s not bloated, or too grandiose or whatever... it’s sneaky, it’s light on its feet, it’s lethal. It demands your full attention.

Anyway, I could go on and on about this song. I can’t think of anything I really dislike about it. But, it’s not just that. This song absolutely defined 2021 for me. I listened to it 600 times. That’s... kind of ridiculous. That’s a testament to how I just don’t get tired of this song, haha. It’s also a testament to how much I fell for Everglow this year. I always liked them, but this is a new level for me. I guess the last thing I have to say about First is just... look, in my opinion... if you don’t think it deserves to be this high, I just think you’re not listening to the song loud enough.

links to the rest of the list:  10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)

[hogblock]

Read List 2021

Hello cryptids and humanoids of the world. 

A couple of people have requested that I compile a list of everything (minus the fanfiction) that I read this year.

It’s a long list. I’m mentally ill.

Reading is how I cope. Writing is how process. It’s my favorite way to escape and I think it’s so beautiful that folks are finding their way back to reading.

The books I read this year were diverse and plentiful. I tried to include genre and a 1 out of 5 star rating (one being the lowest...you get the drift). Please let me know if you’ve read any of these books, of which are listed in no particular order.

Happy new year and happy reading!

1. The Body Keeps the Score, by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk : memoir/medical journal : 3 out of 5 stars 

I started reading this book while away working 16 hour days at a summer stock theatre program, but any moment of free time I could scrape from the bottom of my day, I spent reading about Dr. Van Der Kolk’s fascinating work with trauma patients. This type of medical work is something we don’t hear much about or discuss all that often in our own circles, but trauma is so much a part of our daily lives. It’s a great read if you’re interested in learning how to help others and yourself find how to move through life in a new way.

2. All the Young Men, by Ruth Coker Burks : Memoir : 4.5 out of 5 stars

Another one I devoured while doing theatre this summer, I often got yelled at to “put that fucking book away,” as I turned pages just before curtain call. This book is devastating. A true testament to extraordinary human kindness and human cruelty. As a queer person, this is part of history, yours and mine. America in the 1980s was a country divided and diseased. We were sick with AIDS and hatred alike, and the story of Ms. Burks taking care of over 400 men who were dying, feeding and holding their hands as they died when everyone else was afraid to be near them, moved me to tears. Tears of anger, healing, and adoration. Ruth Coker Burks was a hero to hundreds of men, but, she proved that she was not special. We can all be like her. We can all be brave.

3. Captivated, by A.C. Thomas : Romance/Science Fiction : 4 out of 5 stars

Written by my dear friend @heck-in-a-handbasket , the second book in her Verge series kept me from going insane this year. I absolutely love romance. It took me a long time to say that, but I would scream my adoration for this book from the highest mountain. Fun, thrilling, and heartfelt. So proud of you, Anna. You inspire me everyday.

4. Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell : Romance/ Young Adult : 3 out of 5 stars

I like her stuff, okay? Elanor and Park is what got me to fall in love with the city of Omaha when I first moved here. Fresh out of my sophomore year of college and seven hours away from home, I suddenly felt like I wasn’t alone anymore, and Fangirl did the same for me. This book is so sweet and as someone who indulges in fandom and even writes fanfiction from time to time, I relate to this novel’s themes. Feeling outcast, feeling alone, and believing that maybe it’s better to stick to writing romance than experiencing it. Give this book a read, you’ll be glad you did.

5. Conjure Women, by Afia Atakora : Fantasy/Historical : 2.5 out of 5 stars

While I loved this story’s focus on Hoodoo, healing, and the American Antebellum period, I felt it didn’t lean into itself as much as it should have. Atakora’s writing is stunning--her turn of phrase left me breathless at times, but it fell flat. It left me wanting so much more than what I was given.

6. Going After Caccito, by Tim O’Brien : Fiction/Magical Realism/War Novel : 3 out of 5 Stars

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good war novel. I was first introduced to Tim O’Brien in junior year English, when we were assigned The Things They Carried, another book about the Vietnam war. O’Brien has a way of subverting what his audience might expect from a novel about war but this, along with many of his other books, was gorgeous. The feeling of fear, desperation, and horror in this novel was tangible. Fantastic read.

7. Someone Else’s Wedding Vows, by Bianca Stone : Poetry : 2 out of 5 stars

Some of the poems hit, others didn’t. Nothing more to say about this one.

8. Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann : Novel : 2 out of 5 stars

This book was okay. I’ve tried making it through it a couple of times over the last few years, but was always left in the dust of dense language and boring plotlines after the prologue, which leaves me breathless every time. If you’re someone who likes a “keep reading a find out,” book, this might be a good one for you.

9. Sorry I Didn’t Text Back, by Alicia Cooke : Poetry : 1 out of 5 stars

Maybe I’m just getting disenchanted with young people whining about lost love and sexual experiences where the man comes and they don’t, but I feel like I should’ve been expecting this one to miss for me based on the title alone. It dropped me even lower than my lowest expectations. Every poem in this book felt like the first draft of a text you never have the guts to send. It was dry and barren. It felt heartless, at times, sort of like a mess of words from someone’s middle school diary. 

10. Call Me By Your Name, by Andre Aciman : Fiction/Romance : 5 out of 5 stars

When I say ‘you’ve got to read the book to understand,’ this is what I mean. I loved everything about this. Morally gray love affairs, messy feelings, doomed summer romances, heartbreak so real you can almost sense the words breathing with you. Every page was like taking a knife to the stomach. Incredible. That’s all I have to say about that.

11. Brave, by Rose McGowan : Memoir : 4 out of 5 stars

Death to Hollywood. Rose blew the whistle on Harvey Weinstein and it’s because of women like her that I feel safe and comfortable in my own skin. Every man, woman, child, and non-binary person should be required to read this book in schools. It was written for all of us. It calls everyone to be brave, to be smart, and to go breathe fire. I loved it.

12. Love on the Rise, by A.C. Thomas : Romance : 4.5 out of 5 stars

This little holiday Novella, if it had a scent, would smell like fresh baked sugar cookies, financial ruin and subsequent salvation, and gingerbread kisses. Again, I say, so proud of my friend. Go read it if you’re feeling down.

13. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs : Memoir : 3.7 out of 5 stars

I’ve been required to read this book 4 times throughout my college career, and each time I want to share it with someone. It’s history, yours and mine. Give it a read.

14. The Coming, by Daniel Black : Novel/ Historical Fiction : 2 out of 5 stars

Another assigned read, this book was powerful, heartbreaking, and informative, though it got to be a little repetitive at times. What Black managed to accomplish in 400 pages could’ve been nailed down in half, at least. Still an important book.

15. Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, by Grady Hendrix : Horror/Fiction : 4 out of 5 stars

I’ve fallen into a hole, recently. and it’s filled with several snappy, terrifying, heartfelt page-turners. This was the one that fell from the sky. I love, love, love this book. The title is correct. The title doesn’t even begin to do it justice. 

16. When Rabbit Howls, by The Troops for Trudy Chase : Memoir : 3 out of 5 stars

Written by a woman diagnosed with 92 personalities, this book was heavy. At times it felt like a crowd was speaking at once. At others, it felt like my heart was splitting open.

17. Rebel Robin, by A.R. Capetta : Young Adult/Science Fiction : 2 out of 5 stars

I love Stranger Things. I love Robin Buckley and her introduction in season three. I especially love that she’s queer, just like me. This book? I didn’t love her. I liked her (sorry, Dylan!)

18. Notes on a Black Woman’s Diary, by Kathleen Collins : Essays/Short Stories : 2 out of 5 stars

Collins’ writing is wonderful, but this book was hard to get through, especially when we reached the letters. Some of them were profound and others were muddled and confusing. Wouldn’t recommend.

19. My Best Friend’s Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix : Horror/Fiction : 5 out of 5 stars

If I hadn't been smack in the middle of final exams when I started reading this book, I would've devoured the entire thing in one sitting. Like some perfectly packaged pill. I loved it so, so, so much. Grady Hendrix does for the girls what Stephen King wishes he was doing. The characters in "My Best Friend's Exorcism," are both rife with our favorite 80s slasher tropes--the best friend, the nerd, the mean 'it,' girl, the jock, and, of course, the snappy demon living inside your otherwise spotless childhood friend--and the characters are raw. Real. There were moments when I felt so connected to the things Abby and Gretchen were experiencing that I had to take breaks; hoping to God that if my parents shelled out that extra $20 at Christmas, I might be able to fool the popular girls into thinking I belonged. Swearing I'd only live life on the edge as long as my best friend went with me. Believing my parents couldn't possibly understand what it felt like to be a teenage girl, and knowing that, at the end of the day, only true love will save me. And the best love is, often, the one you get from yourself. And your friends. "My Best Friend's Exorcism," is about more than possession. It's about high school and men who take advantage of young girls. Women who are smart and naïve, and capable, and brave, against all odds. Between the snappy humor, the truly disturbing moments, and the tears you'll find sliding down your cheeks at the climax, this novel is about pain. The growing kind. Read it and you'll be glad you did, trust me.

What I’m reading now: The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray, 1984, What Happens when a Man Falls From the Sky.

Until next year!

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

3: Purple Kiss - Zombie

Rookie of the year.

I first heard of them from their predebut song last year, My Heart Skip a Beat, which I liked a lot. I was hoping their debut would sound kinda like that, but it didn’t. Ponzona was cool, but wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I liked that they themselves wrote it, I think that’s an awesome choice for a debut song. I really liked all of the members right away. Right off the bat, I had not one, not two, not three, but four candidates for bias haha. I thought they had ridiculous potential, I was super excited for them, and I was thinking that they were probably gonna be my pick for rookie of the year. But... again... I wasn’t that into Ponzona. It’s not bad, but if Zombie didn’t come out, would I have put Ponzona on this list, even if they were my favorite rookie group (in terms of members) of the year? Probably not. So I was worried that I’d be in this position of being like “well, my favorite rookie group this year was Purple Kiss, but I liked all these songs from all these other rookie groups way more”. sklfmsdkglmdgl;g

Thankfully I didn’t have to worry about that, haha. Dude, Zombie is so good. I love it. The music video and the general aesthetic is so goofy, and I love that. This is part of why I love girl groups, and struggle to get into most boy groups. So many boy groups take themselves soooo seeeeriously aaaall the tiiiime... if they did a song called Zombie, with a music video with a zombie apocalypse theme, it’d be the most boring shit imaginable. But Purple Kiss are a girl group, so the video is fun, it’s dumb, it’s cute, it’s cool, it’s just silly haha, idk. 

The song itself doesnt take itself too seriously either. When you think of a song called Zombie, idk if this song’s genre and vibe are the first ones you think of, haha. This song’s got some real groove to it lol, hell yeah. I’ve said this about a bunch of the previous songs, so I’m getting a little sick of saying it lmao, but it’s true here too.... Everything in this song fits together so well, nothing is out of place. Every section flows into the next. Every idea in the song reinforces all of the others. Every syllable hits the beat in a perfect way. All of their voices stand out from each other and sound good together. This song is just so well crafted.

They all have so much personality and that shines through all throughout this song, but one member I want to talk about in particular is Yuki. I’m just gonna go ahead and say it, she’s the best girl group rapper in the 4th gen. She’s fantastic. The way she rides the beat is a step above so many others. She just has these flows that are catchy in and of themselves. She’s not just saying words fast and calling that rapping, she’s saying words rhythmically, which is what rapping really is. Her rapping in Zombie isn’t even all that fast haha. It’s not slow, but really the biggest thing about it just how she hits the beat, especially how she flows over that bassline. She has so much potential, it’s actually absurd. She’s going somewhere. This isn’t something I just noticed on Zombie, this is a thing with every song she’s a part of. 

You know, on my first listen, I thought the “zombie-bie-bie-bie” would get annoying eventually cause it’s kinda simplistic, but no, that’s not what happened haha. It’s such a funky song, and honestly having a simple line like that on top of all the things going on in the instrumental kinda just.... works. There’s so much detail in the song, so when you hear something simple like that, you know it’s intentional. Sometimes simple is good, sometimes simple is all you really need in order to bring an idea home. It really does have so much going on lol, I feel like I notice something new in the song every couple days. Like just yesterday, I noticed that in the chorus, when Chaein says “ayayaya hey, aya hey”, there’s a backing vocal or sample or something of people saying “heyyyy”. I literally never noticed that, and it’s in the chorus of a song I’ve listened to almost every day for four months. You just cannot accuse this song of being lazy lmao. You just can’t. It’s really, really intricate and well-honed. This is the kind of song that’s gonna age like a fine wine too, I guarantee it. 

Everything about this song is just so fun. Congrats on a very deserved spot in my top 3.

links to the rest of the list: 10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

8: Dreamcatcher - Odd Eye

Dreamcatcher are my returning champs from last year, since Scream was my 2020 Song of the Year. Scream kicked off their Dystopia Trilogy, which consisted of Scream (number 1 on my 2020 list), Boca (number 7 on my 2020 list), and this song, Odd Eye (number 8 on this 2021 list, obviously). That’s pretty amazing haha. For the vast majority of the time that I’ve been a kpop fan, Dreamcatcher has been my favorite group, or at least tied for first with another group. They’re my most listened-to group, by far. It’s not even close, actually. I don’t need to get into all the things that make this group unique, because chances are... if you’re reading this and you follow me... you probably stan them too, haha. 

Basically, I’m just so impressed by how consistent they are. This song is so sick, lol. It’s really distinct from the other two in the Dystopia Trilogy, and from the other songs across their discography too. The cyberpunk concept is really unique, especially with their specific spin on the idea. They’ve established themselves as some of the best performers in kpop, and they give everything they’ve got to everything they do. That shows in this song. Seriously, what other group do you think could handle a concept like this, and pull it off this well? I’m not talking about the outfits, the aesthetics, the setpieces... anyone could do that. I’m talking about the conviction and power that you can hear in their voices when they sing over that guitar riff in the chorus. I’m talking about how forceful and also smooth their movements are in the choreo, and how they sync up with the music so effortlessly, especially in the chorus where it hits you with a powerful moment and then a more graceful moment one after the other. I’m talking about the looks on their faces, and how seriously they take the things that they do. What other group could pull this off with that much of a commitment to their craft?

And I gotta give credit to Leez and Ollounder, their producers/songwriters, too. They’re killing it, every time. I love how industrial this song sounds. The parts that stand out the most for me are the prechorus with the way it amps up the intensity, the chorus with that guitar that fits so well over the percussion and under their vocal lines, that bridge that sounds spacy, hollow, empty, cold, and like... yeah, industrial haha, idk how else to put it. That part in particular was a really great touch. Dreamcatcher lucked out to have producers like them, and they lucked out to have Dreamcatcher be the ones who bring their songs to life.

I think the Dystopia Trilogy stands out from the rest of their discography in a big way, because these three are some of their least straightforwardly rock inspired songs to date, and yet all three are among their hardest-hitting and most intense songs ever. Stripping some of the rock away doesn’t make them less metal haha, in my opinion it actually allowed them to be more metal than anything they had done before. It’s not just about the instruments, it’s about the feel, the mood, the energy. And you cannot tell me that Scream, Boca, and Odd Eye aren’t the three most metal kpop songs that there have ever been, lmao.

Oh, also, of course, this song marked the return of Handong! And she really crushed it too. I was worried that she wouldn’t get many lines, which was sort of the case for her in their songs before this point, but actually she ended up being pretty prominent in this song and showcasing a lot more of her unique voice and stage presence. I’ll probably always think of her “da geureoldeuthan geojinmal” in her chorus part when I think of this song haha, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind about this song. Other members say that line in other parts too, but the way she said it is the one that’s burned into my mind lol.

Anyway yeah, I love this. I love Dreamcatcher. BEcause was great too, but it unfortunately didn’t make this list. I’m very excited for them to do more spooky horror-adjacent stuff again, if that’s a direction they keep going in now, and I kinda wish I was including BEcause just so that I can talk more about that. But it is what it is, haha. A top ten list can only have so many songs, after all. Ten, to be exact. And Odd Eye is one of those ten lol

links to the rest of the list: 10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

2: STAYC - ASAP

To nobody’s surprise, lol. Actually, it might be a surprise that this song isn’t number 1. I feel like it definitely will be a lot of people’s song of the year, and rightly so! 

I liked their debut, So Bad, a lot. I didn’t include it in my top ten list for 2020, but I thought of it as being right outside, probably around 12th place, just below Aespa’s Black Mamba. I had high expectations for this group, for sure. When the teasers for ASAP came out, I didn’t really know what to make of them, because it looked like they were going... really cutesy? And I didn’t know whether that would pan out or not. I didn’t listen to the teasers, I either avoid teasers or I watch them on mute, and I’m really glad I didn’t, because my first impression and reaction to ASAP was so much more genuine. I really didn’t know what I was in for. It is cute, very much so haha, it’s a very sweet, lovely concept. But just leaving it at that would be doing it a disservice haha. 

You know all those other songs that I said were minimalist, very focused, knew exactly what they were trying to be, all of that stuff? This is the best one out of all of them, no question. This is the standard that all of the others get compared to. It’s such a satisfying song. Every part of it. Its simplicity is one of the most satisfying and appealing parts of it, I think. Like... it just feels so good to listen to, haha, it’s hard not to just smile. This song sounds like how love feels, or how heart-shaped things look. Like, if a song could be heart shaped, it would sound like ASAP haha. idk how they managed to do it, but somehow they figured out how to say heart emojis out loud lol “ASAP ❤︎”. Have I made this point enough yet? haha

And you know the best part? Unlike a lot of what I’m saying in a lot of these other reviews, none of this is an unpopular opinion haha. This song was a huge hit. They didn’t get their first win during ASAP’s promotions, but the wins they got during the Stereotype era have maybe more to do with ASAP’s virality than they do with Stereotype, even though Stereotype is also great. ASAP seems like one of those songs where you’d go “ASAP deserved better, but everyone slept on it”, except... people didn’t sleep on it, haha. Without a doubt, I think this is the song of the year. It’s not *my* song of the year lol, but I recognize that if I’m thinking about what song defines the year in general, I mean... I feel like it’s gotta be ASAP haha. I think it’s one of the most, if not the most, significant song this year. Culturally, lol. 

Stayc are such a good group. They’re so likable, they each add something unique to the group, they just have this chemistry and this vibe that you really wanna cheer for and root for... I’m so happy this happened. If you asked me at the end of last year who I thought my candidates for number 1 in 2021 would be, I don’t think I would have said Stayc and Ev*rgl*w (spoilers lol, you’ll see tomorrow), but I’m kinda glad it worked out this way. Of the crop of rookies last year, I mean obviously I knew Aespa was gonna be big, but I would have thought that Weeekly would be the other one to really blow up. And they did, in a way, but not as much as Stayc, I think. I didn’t necessarily expect Stayc to blow up like this, but in hindsight it makes so much sense, and I’m beyond excited to follow their career. With Twice getting towards the end of their contracts, I kinda wonder if another “nation’s girl group” will be crowned... and I don’t think groups like Itzy or Aespa really fit the bill because they go for more of a girl crush type of vibe (or the 4th gen equivalent of that, anyway). Stayc comes to mind immediately though. Like, I really think they could rise to that level. They’re already well on their way! 

I really feel like this song was a gamechanger. For Stayc, because it put a lot of eyes on them, and for kpop in general, because I feel like we’re gonna hear a lot of smaller girl groups trying to emulate this song in 2022. And tbh, I welcome that haha, I love this song so I would be down for more like it, lol. If they do it well, anyway. Which is a challenge, because tbh I’m not sure Stayc could have pulled this song off as well as they did with even one member being different, let alone a different lineup and group altogether. 

There’s just something about each of their voices, each of their smiles, each of their personalities and skillsets... it’s not just that it’s a good song, it’s also that High Up and Black Eyed Pilseung found the perfect group of six girls to bring their songs to life. And on the flipside, man these girls hit the jackpot when they debuted in a group with these producers. Wow, dude. Imagine being a trainee and worrying about whether or not you’d be successful, or even whether you’d be noticed by anyone at all, and then you remember that the people writing all of your songs are the people who wrote Like Ooh Ahh, Cheer Up, TT, Likey, Fancy, Roller Coaster, Gotta Go, Eung Eung, and more. And add another one to that list now, lol. Like, wow, Stayc’s producers are the people who wrote ASAP by Stayc! That’s amazing.

This song is something really special, something that only comes around like once in a generation. Honestly, if you don’t love this song, then I have nothing to say to you, haha. Your loss.

links to the rest of the list: 10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

4: Billlie - Ring x Ring

Wow, ANOTHER rookie group??? This has gotta be the last one on the top ten list, right? Jeez...

Billlie, huh? Billlie. With three Ls? Sure, why not. My first reaction when I heard the song was just “god damn it, I hate that this slaps, because now I have to stan a group called Billlie” haha

Their concept is so unique and strange haha... they’re looking for a missing person? Or something? Is it supernatural somehow? In their Christmas song comeback, they have a yeti named The SNOWY Man? With SNOWY in All Caps? They added a member during the promotions for this song, with her debut stage being Ring x Ring’s goodbye stage... is that part of the lore? She’s not the Billlie that they’re looking for, right? All the lyrics in this song are about looking for this Billlie person, I think, and they’re kinda dark. “Is it blood?” “Is she dead?” “Can we talk? Not anymore” etc. That’s all so weird, and the music video is kinda disjointed, with the lore scenes and dance scenes clashing a bit, aesthetically speaking. But to be honest, there’s something kind of endearing and kind of fun about all of this. I’m on board, haha. I’m not gonna get super into their lore or whatever, but I’m down to see where all of this goes. And damn, this song slaps. 

The synths in this song are so absolutely blaring haha. That turned a lot of people off, I know that because I saw a lot of people talking about how they think this song is garbage. They’re wrong though, because the noisiness of this song is exactly what makes it good. It’s not just that the synths are blaring, it’s that they sound so urgent. That fits their concept so well. This song sounds like a race against time. From the moment the song begins, it gets your adrenaline pumping. The autotune on their voices is tasteful too, not just because it sounds cool, but also because it makes it sound kind of off, kind of uncanny. Combined with how frantic the song is, I think it serves to give the vocals a sense of like... worry, or something. If that makes sense. That’s what I get out of it anyway. It sounds like an internal monologue you’d be having in a panicked situation. Am I reading too much into this?

God, this instrumental just goes and goes and goes and goes. There were so many minimalist girl group songs this year, but this song makes up for it by being maximalist as hell. And while a lot of those minimalist songs ranked highly on my list, as I’m sure you’re aware by this point, I mean... man, I really needed this haha. Ring x Ring just makes my brain light up. There’s so much STUFF. The first moment when I realized I was in for a treat was right at the beginning lol, right after the intro synths but right before the first lines are sung. It has that blaring, urgent-sounding synth and then this little synth melody that sounds like... like glass? Does that make sense? The synth sounds like glass. idk lol. It does though, listen to it. How would you describe it? And then Siyoon sings her first lines in that robot voice, while the instrumental explodes underneath her. This instrumental just has so much punch.

And damn, that chorus is so catchy. Both the “come find the miiiiiiissing” part, which is catchy in the way that many pop song choruses are, and the “oeroun himihan sumaneun ireumdeuri” part, which is catchy because it’s so frantic, so urgent, so fight-or-flight, especially when Suhyeon comes in with the vocal layering under her that raises the melodrama of the part up a couple notches... it’s great. This song is so great. The chorus ends with a more relatively calm part, the “neo-e bell-i ullimyeoooon (it’s truuueee)”, but then the panic is ramped right back up as the next verse begins. How many songs transition from chorus to second verse by turning their volume up? 

And that dance break... oh my god. That dance break. That dance break, though. Even without watching the choreo, just on audio alone, that part just hits like nothing else. 

Alright, I think I’m done here. I could go on and on. I’m not even gonna get into how incredible the bsides are. Hopefully I’ll do that in a separate list haha. I’m not even gonna talk about Moon Sua and her history, and how much people were awaiting her debut. I’m not even gonna talk about Kim Suyeon, now going by Sheon, who wasn’t in this song, but obviously is a pretty big deal, and was one of my favorite GP999 contestants and I am so happy for her. I’m definitely not gonna talk about Lee Soomin, who is known for being a predebut member of this group as well as a predebut member of Weki Meki AND Weeekly. There’s a lot that goes into this group and my decision to put them at the number 4 spot, but honestly, just this song would be enough. 

links to the rest of the list: 10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2021

10: Weeekly - After School

Okay. So. Let me explain. I know this is bound to be a really hot take... though I don’t mean for it to be. This is a song I expect many people will have a lot higher than this, and when I made my top 10 list for the first half of the year, at the end of June, I put this song at number 3. So... why has it fallen to number 10? Well, to be honest, my initial first impression was mixed. I warmed up to it quickly, and I do think the song is good, but the things I liked the most were all of the other moving parts and memorable events and things like that. I liked the music video, I liked the choreography, I liked the stages and outfits, I liked the aesthetic and the lyrics, I liked the bsides and the fact that Jiyoon (who has become one of my most prominent ult biases) drew the album art, I liked how much everyone seemed to like the song, etc. This was such a huge moment for Weeekly. It’s their most successful song so far, and their most viewed music video (it’s over 100 million, which is kind of insane). It’s fun, it’s catchy, it’s got a great concept and vibe. This was a really fun era to be a part of as a fan, because they really were on top of the world. 

But... the song itself is something that I still feel fairly mixed on. All in all, I don’t think it’s as catchy as a song like Tag Me, which is still my favorite song of theirs, and it was my 2nd favorite song of last year. It’s not as energetic either, and I think it has a lot more parts that don’t add a lot to the song for me. Nothing that takes away from it in any major way, but a lot of little nitpicks, like the “yo yo yo zigzag chumeul chwo yo yo yo yo tag me tag me tag me” lmao. I love Jiyoon, but I really am not sure why that part is in this song haha. In a way, it’s kind of endearing, I suppose. There is a lot that I like about the song too, of course. It’s a really lighthearted, carefree kind of song. It’s what Weeekly seems to do best! 

I’m really glad it seemed to catch on with people. It’s a little unfortunate that Holiday Party, their next comeback after After School, didn’t seem to catch on in that same way, though. Holiday Party was kind of a weird era... with a member (Jiyoon, who I’m mentioning for the third time in this review because seriously, she’s absolutely one of my ults at this point lol) absent from promotions because she was on hiatus for mental health reasons, as well as music shows getting cancelled because of the Olympics and because of covid scares, and Holiday Party itself just not drawing in as many new people as After School did. I liked Holiday Party, but it seemed kind of like a lot of people just forgot about it after it happened, or didn’t notice it in the first place. That’s kind of what it seemed like with Zig Zag too, with the hype from Tag Me not necessarily translating over to it. Oh well, it happens. 

In any case, After School really was a breath of fresh air in kpop, even though it only landed as number 10 on my list. Still, I’m very happy with it, and I’m excited to see more from Weeekly in 2022! I fully expect them to put out something that I like way more, I just feel it in the air lol. They put out my 2nd favorite song of last year and my 10th favorite song of this year, but I really think they’re one of the prime candidates to put out a number 1 next year, haha. I hope they do!

links to the rest of the list: 10 - After School (Weeekly) 9 - Love So Sweet (Cherry Bullet) 8 - Odd Eye (Dreamcatcher) 7 - Eleven (IVE) 6 - Rub-a-Dum (TRI.BE) 5 - Holiday Party (Weeekly) (surprise! didnt see that one coming huh?) 4 - Ring x Ring (Billlie) 3 - Zombie (Purple Kiss) 2 - ASAP (STAYC) 1 - First (Everglow)