Category: K-POP ARTISTS

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Five Amazing Boy Group Concepts That Left Fans Wanting More

kpop life - tvqx- boy group concepts
Picture credit: Youtube

K-pop music videos are always a delight to watch, not just for the music and the awesome choreography, but also for the concepts that will leave you in awe! Here we list down five unforgettable boy group concepts that had many fans clicking on the replay button.

School uniform

The school uniform concept is often used in idol group comebacks, but it’s the one theme that fans never tire of. It may be common in K-pop, but each group has put their own spin on it to make it fresh, fun, and unique! EXO brought this concept back into the spotlight with their music video Growl. (Fun fact: this music video was shot in one continuous take!)

BTS in their rookie years nailed the high school bad boy look in Boy in Luv. In the MV, the members act tough to try to get a girl’s attention. The boys also don school uniforms in their follow-up single Just One Day, which showcased a lighter, more mellow vibe.

Astro are portrayed as manhwa characters in their music video for Confession. In the video, a high school girl draws the members, and the boys come to life and start following her around as she goes about her life. And, Seventeen are cheeky schoolboys trying to impress girls in their MV for Mansae. 

Dark

This concept is masterfully brought to life by the undisputed concept kings—VIXX. Voodoo Doll’s heavy, intense beats paired with macabre imagery resulted in a music video so shocking, the group had to release a “clean” version. In the original MV, a woman used a voodoo doll to control and torture the members. The group’s music video Hyde also fits this concept well.  

SHINee’s Married to the Music is much less gruesome but hiding behind the cheery music and colorful visuals is a video where a series of unfortunate events happened to each group member while at a party. Meanwhile, their SM hoobaes, NCT127, ran with the vampire concept in their most recent release Favorite (Vampire). 

Block B capitalized on people’s fear of clowns and deserted theme parks in their MV for Jackpot. Rookie boy group Enhypen also joined the horror concept train with Drunk Dazed, featuring the members having drinks spiked with blood and dancing in a literal bloody shower. 

Check out the other music videos that have gone over to the dark side in our Halloween-themed K-pop MVs article.

Literature/Mythology

Global superstars BTS are known to tell stories through their music and reference literature in their albums. In Blood, Sweat & Tears, from their second full album Wings, BTS references the themes of temptation and growth, reality and illusion, and good and evil. The song—the entire album actually—is based on Hermann Hesse’s novel Demian. In the MV, RM even narrated a quote from the book: “He too, was a tempter. He too was a link to the second. The evil world with which I no longer wanted to have anything to do.” 

VIXX’s Scentist, a portmanteau of “scent” and “artist,” portrays the members as perfumers. The lyrics and the music video led many Starlights to believe that the MV is inspired by the 1985 German novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind. The concept kings also released a trilogy of songs inspired by Greek Mythology in their 2016 Conception project. The first of the series, Dynamite, was based on Zelos, the Greek god of jealousy. The second track, Fantasy, drew on Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. Rounding off the project is The Closer, inspired by Kratos, the divine personification of strength.

Super Junior’s Ryeowook took inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry‘s The Little Prince in his solo debut song and album of the same name. The music video is chock-full of references to the novel, and the lyrics tell the story of a heartsick man in a conversation with The Little Prince. 

Sci-Fi

EXO’s entire group concept is one big sci-fi universe. From their origin story in MAMA to fighting the Red Force machine in Power; battling against their sinister alter egos in Obsession and journeying through space in Don’t Fight the Feeling, they have consistently expounded on their rich storyline that keeps EXO-Ls hooked. Bonus: they also have a song called Lightsaber, a collaboration project with Star Wars! 

Bigbang has also dabbled in the sci-fi concept. In their music video for Monster, the members portrayed genetically modified beings trying to escape a ruined facility. And an ill-fated love story in the far future is the setting for VIXX’s Error. In the music video, Hongbin recreates a cyborg version of his lost love, only for both of them to meet a tragic end. 

Retro

Vintage has its charms, and K-pop groups know it! Idols have taken their cue from the catchy tunes and styles of the past and molded them to fit current music styles. 

BTS channels 70’s disco-pop in their feel-good record-breaking hit Dynamite. The group went on full throwback with a colorful video with retro-themed outfits, choreography, and sets! Seventeen also swings back into the past with Home;Run. The boys danced their way around an old-fashioned movie theater, a vintage train, and an old-school bowling alley in retro-inspired garb. 

Second generation Kpop legends TVXQ sends fans back to the roaring ‘20s with their jazzy hit Something. Bright lights, brass instruments, and intricate choreography add to the MV’s theatrical vibe. Finally, NCT U throws it back to the ‘90s with ‘90s Love. The song jumps right into the newtro trend, defined as adding a contemporary twist to the retro style. In the music video, the boys battle it out on the hockey rink—has anyone got The Mighty Ducks flashbacks? 

With these (and more!) concepts to play with, male idol groups will never run out of stories to tell through their music! Which male idol group concept is your favorite?  

Featured Image: A still from TVXQ’s “Something”. Credit: SMTOWN

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES VARIETY

Kpop Idols on YouTube: 11 Boy Groups You Should Subscribe To

We’re always on the lookout for fresh content from our idols—anything from music show performances to variety show appearances. But in the last few years, we have seen idols open their own YouTube channels, giving us a new opportunity to see our idols living their lives away from the stage.

Some idols open their own channels to post song covers, and several grab the chance to better showcase other aspects of their personalities. But above all, K-pop idols use the platform to better connect with fans.

Take a look at the personal YouTube channels of these male K-pop idols and click that subscribe button so you can catch up with their daily lives!

EXO

Baekhyun

Baekhyun’s KyungTube contains vlogs, behind the scenes footage of album recordings and music video shoots, ASMR and mukbang videos, and more. Before he left for his military enlistment, he pre-filmed lots of content to be released regularly, and it looks like he’s keeping his promise!

For the EXO fan club’s anniversary, Baekhyun uploaded a video of him preparing a rainbow cake to greet EXO-Ls a happy birthday:

Chen

If you’re missing Chen’s soothing vocals, make sure to check out his YouTube channel. Aside from his solo songs and OSTs, he also covers songs from other artists.

Chen hasn’t uploaded any videos recently, but you can still get your fill of his amazing covers such as his rendition of Breath by Park Hyo Shin:

Chanyeol

Chanyeol’s Studio NNG documents the idol’s life as he goes to recording sessions with his bandmates and collaborators, tries out baking, and builds a bar in his studio. There’s also behind-the-scenes footage from music video filming, and backstage videos from music show performances.

Like Baekhyun, Chanyeol also pre-filmed content to be released monthly throughout his military enlistment. Make sure to subscribe and click the notification bell so you don’t miss an update!

Lay

EXO’s only Chinese member, Lay, also has his own channel! Subscribe to Lay Zhang so you watch his amazing dance performances, cinematic music videos, and more!

iKON

Chanwoo

iKon’s Chanwoo posts a variety of content on his Chanwoo Sari channel for iKONICS to enjoy! From food reviews to gaming to car interviews, there’s a lot of stuff for fans to indulge in.

Chanwoo also gives fans a sneak peek of the new YG building. Check out his YG New Building Tour video below:

BIGBANG

Daesung

Bigbang’s Daesung tried to make his YouTube channel D’splay as anonymous as possible, but there’s no hiding from VIPs! In his channel, Daesung uploads drum covers of K-pop and western songs. He has also recently started uploading vlogs of his daily life and activities.

Watch his drum cover of Take My Breath by The Weeknd:

VIXX

N

Want to wind down and relax after a long day? Head over to VIXX N’s channel, Today’s Record, to watch soothing videos that give Starlights a glimpse of the idol-actor’s daily life.

Watch N as he drives around Korea for his drama Mine:

Ken

On the other hand, main vocal Ken’s YouTube channel, ! Ken Do !t, is rife with bright and cheerful energy! In his channel, the idol and musical actor posts song covers, mukbang videos, backstage footage from his musicals, and more.

Ken is still serving in the military, but his pre-filmed content is uploaded regularly on the channel. Watch his hilarious—and on point!—cover of Into the Unknown from Frozen 2:

Hyuk

VIXX’s maknae Hyuk only recently launched his YouTube channel H:Life. The idol posts vlogs about his daily life and work. In his first few videos, though, he never showed his face—but a lot of Starlights easily figured out his secret. On the 100-day anniversary of his channel, Hyuk finally revealed himself! Fingers crossed for English subtitles to be added soon for international fans!

Day6

Jae

Day6’s Jae also runs his own YouTube channel. Initially, the channel was called Jaesix, and he posted videos of him interviewing and playing games with fellow idols, as well as his a-day-in-the-life vlogs. More recently, renamed the channel to eaJ. The latest posts are now the singer-songwriter’s self-written tracks.

GOT7

Jay B

GOT7’s Jay B launched his channel in February 2021 as a way to communicate with his fans. His initial uploads were the songs from his mixtapes. But just last August, Jay B uploaded his first vlog—so make sure to hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss future updates!

Fans everywhere are delighted to see their idols show off their unique talents and fun personalities on YouTube! Who’s your favorite male idol YouTuber?

Categories
K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

Blackpink: A Quiz for Eagle-Eyed BLINKs

Blackpink MV for As if It's Your Last. Photo: BLACKPINK/YouTube

Who is excited for Lisa’s upcoming solo?

Lalisa’s first single album will be out on September 10, 2021. Photo: BLACKPINK/Facebook

Well, it’s not like everything in the YG family is confirmed until it actually happens, but after Jennie and Rosé’s solo debuts, it is almost inevitable that the Thai ace will have hers real soon. Even YG insiders have already “confirmed” this; so, while we wait for that, why don’t you take this quiz based on all the music videos they’ve released so far? Acing this quiz may require you to be detail-oriented, but if you’re a BLINK, the line between being just keen and an outright obsession with Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose is almost non-existent. So, let’s see how “detail-oriented” you are.

1. Boombayah
What was printed on Rosé’s crop top, the one with fishnet sleeves?
A. Brrrt… Rambo
B. Beyond Kawaii
C. Boom Boom Oppa
D. Sexy War

2. Whistle
In a number of scenes, what was between Lisa (who was wearing a headband) and Jisoo as they were seated facing each other?
A. A wilted plant
B. Nothing; only empty space
C. Jennie, sitting on a table
D. The video console controller Lisa painted pink

3. Playing With Fire
There’s a lot of fire throughout the video, but name the only member who was shown actually holding a lighted match?
A. Rosé
B. Jisoo
C. Lisa
D. Jennie

4. Stay
What letters were missing on the McDonald’s sign behind Lisa in the music video’s opening?
A. o and d
B. c and s
C. the two D’s
D. All the letters were present; it was the Golden Arches logo that was missing.

5. As If It’s Your Last
Which statement is TRUE about this video?
A. The video did not show Jisoo holding cotton candy.
B. Jennie sang while driving her ice cream truck.
C. The video ended with the girls spelling L-O-V-E with their arms.
D. No guys were seen throughout the video.

6. DDU-DU DDU-DU
This is not the video for Playing With Fire, but who was the member with things burning in the background during her part?
A. Jennie
B. Jisoo
C. Lisa
D. None; there was only a flame backdrop of flames on the second chorus.

7. Solo
Jennie was reunited with this item after first appearing with it in the As If It’s Your Last MV.
A. Plush toys
B. Roses
C. Her ice cream truck
D. Washing machines

8. Kill This Love
What was written on the wall of the room filled with cereal where Lisa rapped?
A. HEAVEN
B. LOVE
C. CEREAL
D. LISA

9. How You Like That
It was Jisoo’s turn to be reunited with an item she was last seen holding in the Whistle MV. What item is it?
A. A phone
B. An umbrella
C. A book
D. A disturbingly wide white headband

10. Ice Cream

In the scenes where the girls were dancing on a quirky version of a tennis/squash court, what was the color of Lisa’s hair?
A. Black
B. Pink
C. Rainbow
D. Green

11. Lovesick Girls
How did Jisoo end up in the Lovesick Girls video?
A. Wet while crying
B. Panting while looking straight at the camera, ala 4th gen idol ending fairy
C. Shouting at her male partner
D. Walking in a field of blue flowers

12. On the Ground
What did Rosé and Jennie both do on their debut music videos?
A. They both visited a laundromat.
B. They both threw roses while looking miffed.
C. They both ran in front of exploding cars.
D. They both tore pages of books.

13. Gone
Rosé usually interacts with mirrors in a lot of Blackpink videos. What did Rosé do with a mirror this time?
A. She wrote her name on it with lipstick, as per tradition.
B. She wiped the mist off it.
C. She smashed it in a fit of anger.
D. Trick question – There were no mirrors in the Gone MV.


Answer key

Boombayah
B. Beyond Kawaii
D. Sexy War was written on the pink jersey she wore in the latter part of the video.

Whistle
A. A wilted plant
D. The video console controller Lisa painted pink went into some tank with fishes.

Playing With Fire
D. Jennie, while inside a bathtub.

Stay
A. o and d

As If It’s Your Last
D. No guys were seen throughout the video.

DDU-DU DDU-DU
B. Jisoo has burning things behind her, along with sparks that look like someone was soldering something, all while our visual is being protected by an umbrella.

Solo
A. Plush toys. She wasn’t singing to them this time, though.

Kill This Love
A. HEAVEN, I guess for Lisa, heaven is a room full of cereal.

How You Like That
C. A book. But this time, she threw it instead of levitating with it like in the Whistle video.

Ice Cream
D. Green, a color we don’t normally see in BP videos, unless we’re talking about plants.

Lovesick Girls
A. Wet while crying
The video didn’t even have a male partner for Jisoo.

On the Ground
B. They both threw roses for unknown reasons.
In the middle of On the Ground, Rosé was playfully throwing flowers at someone. In both Solo (0:40) and On the Ground (0:23), Jennie and Rosé both threw a single rose with a noticeable degree of aggression.

Gone
B. She wiped the mist off it. Maybe to see herself while ugly crying? Sad not to see our main vocal happily writing her name on the mirror; as usual.

So, is your BLINK membership confirmed or do you need to spend more hours rewatching all BP music videos? Better commit to it fast before Lisa drops her solo debut!

Blackpink MV for As if It’s Your Last. Photo: BLACKPINK/YouTube
Categories
BTS FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

Five Boy Group Stages You Should Watch

BTS performs On at the Grand Central Terminal for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Photo: Live Nation Chicago/Facebook

Looking for amazing live performances so you can calibrate your standards. Here are five performances to start you with. Take note that the following were not considered to keep the options limited:

  • Performances in year-end concerts and music awards shows that are usually medleys 
  • Performances in a group’s own concerts
  • Collaboration stages with two or more groups

B2ST’s Memorable and Beautiful Night in Gwanghwamun

Only a few idol groups can boast of having performed in Gwanghwamun Plaza. An iconic Seoul landmark that boasts of monuments to Admiral Yi Sun-sin (remember the 2014 epic movie The Admiral: Roaring Currents?) and King Sejeong (of hangul fame), the public square has been immortalized in the 2009 KBS hit series Iris, where a long gun chase scene was filmed. And if you are an ELF, you may have listened to Kyuhyun’s debut song, At Gwanghwamun countless times. But although the area has been designed and renovated for cultural events, no idol group has had the chance to perform in it. 

That all changed in 2012 when B2ST filmed their comeback performance of Beautiful Night for Inkigayo in Gwanghwamun Plaza. On July 26 at 11 PM (an hour short of midnight, which may be a nod to their EP’s title, Midnight Sun), an estimated crowd of 4,000 fans flocked to the square to see Junhyung, Dongwoon, Yoseob, Gikwang, Doojoon, and Hyunseung stage a guerilla performance with the historic gate as their background. It was a beautiful night, indeed as the group’s performance on the makeshift stage gave a similar feel as the song’s MV, which showed them performing before an American crowd in a US location.

With their Gwanghwamun live stage, B2ST not only successfully proved themselves as one of the most popular groups of k-pop’s second generation, but also cemented themselves in the annals of Korean pop music history. 

The World Revolves Around BIGBANG

What can you say about BIGBANG, a group that treats each and every live stage performance like it’s part of their concert? Brash, high-energy, and loud are some words you can always use to describe their live stages. But when it comes to their ballads, how do they perform them? With intimacy and a lot of charisma, obviously. In the 424th episode of M Countdown, G Dragon, TOP, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri performed Loser very intimately, in a circular revolving stage, surrounded by VIPs loyally waving their yellow lightsticks. Watch this performance and dare say you’re not at the least impressed with their live performing skills. 

VIXX’s Shangri-La Remix at the 2017 MBC Music Festival

A list of memorable live stages would not be complete without the Concept Kings. VIXX has established themselves as a group that executes every single concept with so much slay that Starlights can only consider themselves the luckiest fandom in all of k-pop. Duality of darkness and light? Check with Hyde and subsequent Jekyll stages. A dark concept bordering on horror? Check with Voodoo. Sci-Fi futuristic love story? Check with Error. Polished but bordering on risque with chains and bondage? Check with Chained Up. Sexy nobility with aggressive hip-thrusting? Check with The Scentist. 

But nothing has been more iconic as a VIXX concept, at least in the aesthetic sense, than 2017’s Shangri-La. Six sexy men dancing in flowing robes? Check. Six sexy men dancing with fans? Check. Cherry blossom background? Check.  Each and every live performance of Shangri-La is simply beautiful to watch, and the 2017 MBC Music Festival performance with the group adding remix portions to the song only meant more dance breaks and aesthetic elements. As soon the group closed their fans and executed their ending pose, every viewer was left wanting more while being thoroughly satisfied. 

BTS puts ON a Show in Grand Central Terminal

How else can a groundbreaking group perform a historic song than staging a live performance in one of the world’s most iconic locations? And that’s exactly what BTS did when they performed the lead single off their album Map of the Soul: 7 in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. 

When the seven perform ON with dancers doubling as a post-apocalyptic drumline, even those who haven’t enlisted themselves as ARMY would surely appreciate this single-take live stage. As most, if not all of us, are quite spoiled with the work done by Korean music show camera operators, we may have a couple of items to critique with the American show’s shots, as some members get cut in some moments, but our nitpicking obviously doesn’t diminish our appreciation of this historic performance.

Thanks to SEVENTEEN

If you’re looking for excellent live stages, you can never go wrong with SEVENTEEN. Any and every single SEVENTEEN live stage is guaranteed to give you the best choreography, vocals, fashion, synchronization, and overall energy. And all of these factors are perfectly embodied in their comeback performance of Thanks on M Countdown in February 2018. 

The live vocals are flawless, the sharpness of the intense movements can cut anyone, the perfect balance between precision and flair of the transitions are glorious, and THE FORMATIONS! No words to describe the hard work displayed by the program’s cameramen in showcasing the group’s beautiful formations. The cuts from zoomed-in shots of some members to panoramic shots to overhead shots that show the formations in full effect are breathtaking. The 9.3 million views the video has gotten is a testament to the beauty of this masterpiece.

Watching these performances shows the amount of work and dedication our idols put into their live stages. A single performance is a result of countless hours of practice and vocal recording sessions all members subject themselves to.  And we haven’t even mentioned legendary performances from SHINHWA, Super Junior, EXO, and Infinite, to name a few. Here’s to more exciting live stages to come!

Feature image: BTS performs On at the Grand Central Terminal for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Photo: Live Nation Chicago/Facebook
Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

Red Velvet in Seven Songs

Red Velvet. Photo: 봄이왔서현/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

Is this the end of the road for Red Velvet? 

The group’s lack of activities for close to two years now has caused huge amounts of anxiety for the Reveluv fandom. Yes, Queendom, the group’s first comeback since December 2019’s The ReVe Festival: Finale will be out on August 16, but many can’t help but wonder if Queendom will be Red Velvet’s version of 4 Walls, f(x)’s last proper release before they disappeared into SM obscurity. Besides, aespa has finally had their breakout hit with Next Level. Really quite reminiscent of f(x)’s 4 Walls coming out months after Red Velvet’s breakout hit, Ice Cream Cake. So, the question is, will RV be shoved aside to make way for aespa? 

Let’s not dwell on such scary thoughts and instead name seven of the strongest Red Velvet title tracks. The list is arranged chronologically, for the purposes of fairness. 

2015: Automatic

Smooth, sensual, and elegant, Automatic is the perfect representative of the group’s “velvet” concept that counters the “red” side reflected in Ice Cream Cake, the title track that shares its title with the EP. Up until Automatic, Be Natural was the group’s leading “velvet” track, but with the inclusion of Yeri in the Ice Cream Cake EP, the group’s sound somehow became even richer, making Automatic a notch more refined than Be Natural. The stylish choreography displayed in the music video further cemented Red Velvet as a group perfect for those with a preference for more sophisticated sounds. It should also be noted that the Automatic music video was the first time the public saw Yeri with the group, as it was released two days before Ice Cream Cake. 

2015: Ice Cream Cake

If Automatic is polished and refined, Ice Cream Cake is unapologetically quirky, bright, and bubbly. The tinny beats and the airy “la-la-la” at the start of the song, coupled with the soft pastel filter used in the music video would eventually be a trademark of the group’s “red” tracks. Considering that the “purist” public was iffy with the inclusion of a new member starting with this EP, it is interesting to note that Ice Cream Cake eventually became the group’s breakout hit. Not bad for a group that, until that song’s release, had been considered SM Entertainment’s first failure. 

2015: Dumb Dumb

If you’re going to search for the term “earworm” in a K-pop dictionary, chances are you’ll find a screencap of the music video of Red Velvet’s Dumb Dumb. After all, the song starts off with the girls singing the line “Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb” eight times, which means the word “dumb” is drilled to the listener’s head 48 times, all in the song’s first 13 seconds. And the song just doesn’t let up. The lines keep coming one after another, the ladies managing to sneak a couple more “Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumbs” throughout the rest of song, and a rap portion with Michael Jackson references are all bound to overwhelm. I still remember watching the Dumb Dumb’s music video for the first time and wondering what hit me when I was done. 

2016: Russian Roulette

Here’s Red Velvet in full irony: The song boasts of such lines as “Aiming for your heart now, this place is the color of a dark night” and “I’m your sweet Russian Roulette.” Now, how are you supposed to aim for someone’s heart when you’re somewhere dark as night? And how can Russian roulette be sweet? Then, there’s this video in standard bright and pastel Red Velvet fashion with the girls on full deadpan, executing plots of killing each other a la Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. It is Red Velvet in full effect, the effect being it always makes the listener wonder, “What on earth did I just listen to?”

2017: Rookie

By 2017, Red Velvet had cemented a reputation for producing…confusing, if not altogether polarizing music. If you don’t understand the songs and their accompanying videos, chances are you’re going to be on the “not into it” spectrum of the Red Velvet world. Prior to the 2019 track Zimzalabim, Rookie took the cake as the ultimate “love it or hate it, no in-betweens” Red Velvet title track. The song is just so out there, so wild, almost like a cheering chant of a girl for a guy to pursue her. The video is an explosion of color, featuring the girls and some colorful creature that looks like Monsters Inc’s Sully covered in flowers. It’s incomprehensible, which may be the reason Koreans initially dismissed it, though die-hard Reveluvs pushed the song back to the charts.  The Korea Herald puts it perfectly when they opined that the song, like most eccentric Red Velvet “red” releases, is “weird at first, but addictive later”. 

2017: Red Flavor

With queens of summer SISTAR releasing their final song in the first weeks of summer in 2017,  girl groups were in a mad dash, releasing their own sun-inspired anthems with the aim of taking over the vacancy Hyolyn and company will be leaving. Red Velvet threw their hats in the race with Red Flavor, and with great success. The song eventually topped Korea’s Gaon chart and eventually became the group’s signature song. The song was so successful, it was one of the two songs the group performed in North Korea. That there were some smiles seen despite the generally stoic Pyongyang audience is a testament to this song’s power.

2018: Bad Boy

Red Velvet was not playing when they released Bad Boy in 2018. Coming at the heels of Peek-a-Boo, the group reminded everyone how masterful they are not just in their sugary pop “red” summer releases, but they are equally good, if not better, when displaying their “velvet” side. The moment Irene sang, “Who dat who dat who dat boy,” there was no doubt we would be listening to an iconic song in Red Velvet’s discography. 

2019: Psycho

The release of Psycho was perhaps one of the scarier moments of a Reveluv’s life. The group’s three previous releases, RBB out of the RBB EP and Zimzalabim and Umpah Umpah out of the first two parts of The ReVe Festival EPs, tanked, for lack of a better term. The last Red Velvet title track that charted in double digits was 2010’s One of These Nights, which was iconic anyway since it is believed to be a lovely tribute to the victims of the Sewol Ferry incident. By late 2019, the group seriously needed a hit. Prayers were answered with Psycho, as it brought the five to one of their strongest suits – mid-tempo R&B. Dark and sinister and haunting and elegant all at once, Psycho was a highlight to the group’s career before inauspicious events happened.

So, a few days after the welcome success of Psycho, Wendy fell from a platform into a shaft a few centimeters shy of 2 meters while rehearsing for SBS’s Gayo Daejun on CHRISTMAS DAY. Ten months later, Irene figured in a bullying scandal where she allegedly exhibited poor behavior with stylists and staff. The issue has since slowly died, with other makeup and fashion professionals vouching for Irene. Thus, the comeback on August 16. 

In the aftermath of these unfortunate events, Reveluvs can only hope for two things: That the girl’s close to two-year absence has made the public’s hearts grow fonder of Red Velvet, translating to success for the comeback and that Irene, Joy, Wendy, Seulgi, and Yeri will renew their contracts with SM Entertainment for the group’s continuation.

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

SEVENTEEN in Six Songs

SEVENTEEN. Photo: seventeen/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

It has been six years since Pledis Entertainment debuted the group SEVENTEEN, but their discography can rival groups that have been in the business longer. It may be because of their unique configuration of vocal, hip-hop, and performance units within the larger group that has provided them with more opportunities to release more songs, or it may be because the group is essentially a self-producing unit – most, if not all of their songs have been composed and produced by the members themselves. Finally, the group has released really solid songs originally in Japanese, which adds to their already-established catalog. Not bad at all for a 6-year old group. 

But whatever the reason is for their substantial musical output, we Carats are surely spoiled for choices, especially when it comes to picking out favorites. But then, it’s also a bit challenging when you are handed out one banger after another, so much so that Carats are often in a dilemma as to whether they should stay loyal to the group’s last release or move on to the latest track. Obviously, it also doesn’t help that the accompanying music videos of the title tracks are also works of art. A personal example: This writer easily dismissed Don’t Wanna Cry as one of those typical songs that heavily rely on the beat drop. Ten, I watched the music video. Those overhead shots of the group dancing in what looked like the middle of a desert silenced me. I was converted in 3 minutes, 26 seconds later (Disclosure: It helped that the first line was sung by my bias breaker Wonwoo.)

So, for their 6th anniversary this year, here are six essential SEVENTEEN title tracks. The temptation to do a list of 17 songs is strong, but I don’t intend to be overwhelmed, so six it is. This is in no particular order, because trimming them down to six has already broken me and I do not wish to further shatter my Carat heart into a million pieces by ranking my chosen six. 

1. Home 

AT the start, the title track of the band‘s sixth mini-album, “You Make My Dawn” may sound like this warm and cozy song about declaring that you are home to the person you’re singing the song to, vice versa. But after listening to the entire song, one couldn’t help but notice an overwhelming helplessness in the verses. With lines (translated) such as “What do I do? Without you, my heart has no home” and “You’ll struggle just as much, so what can we do?”, you can’t help but wonder if the repeated assurances of “Cause I’m your home home home home” in the chorus answers the uncertainties in the verses. The open-endedness of the song is quintessential Woozi, which means it is quintessentially heartbreaking.  

2. Very Nice

“Very Nice” is a high-energy track and therefore is textbook SEVENTEEN. From Vernon’s multilingual countdown at the start to Mr. Boo’s stratospheric high notes, this song is a sure mood improver guaranteed to perk you up when you’re in a sluggish mood. This song unfortunately did not win any number 1’s in music shows. That’s okay, because Wonwoo wasn’t able to join the promotions anyway due to acute gastric problems. A curiosity in the music video: The featured girl moves closer to only one member – Mingyu, on the swing. The other members either get ignored (poor Jeonghan even had to spin her around in a shopping cart) or get stared at as almost all of them burst into confetti, including Mingyu.      

3. Pretty U

Pretty U is one of those songs that maximized Carat’s anticipation for the group’s live stages because the music video did not feature any choreography and only showed the group goofing around in the video’s entirety. Of course, the 13 did not disappoint come music show promotions, as the choreography showed the group in their quirky and entertaining best. From Jun introducing his members sitting on a couch, some book from Wonwoo being passed around, The8 air typing in the aforementioned couch, to Seungkwan delivering a 4-note, 8-second explosion, the live stages were an absolute treat.

As for the mysterious book, it was last seen with Woozi at the second repetition of the chorus, who passed it to its seeming owner, Wonwoo. 

4. Don’t Wanna Cry

As mentioned earlier, I was not a fan of this song when I first heard it. That was until I saw the music video. That Hoshi had to study contemporary dance to choreograph this masterpiece is mind-boggling. Basically, the choreography sold me to the song, which otherwise I had dismissed as just another Chainsmokers sound-alike. We can’t really blame Woozi and the boys for taking this direction that time; those heavily “drop the beat”-reliant songs were all the rage in 2017. But those drone shots of the boys in perfect synchrony on the music video coupled with the balletic movements make this song a thoroughly satisfying experience.

5. Adore U

As SEVENTEEN’s debut song, Adore U is a testament to the huge potential the group had. After all, not just any group can boast of such a strong debut single. Come to think of it, Adore U didn’t (and still doesn’t) sound like a debut song at all. That Wozzi, Vernon, and S.Coups wrote the lyrics to their first song also set a precedent to the group’s future as self-producing idols. Quite memorable as well during this era were Jeonghan’s long hair and a lot of members getting carried or lifted in their live stage choreo – Dino fainting and carried by Joshua; Jeonghan, The8, and Seungkwan carrying Vernon off to the side; and DK getting lifted by the leader while singing “Baby you’re my angel.” As the song that would preempt a lot of things about the group, this also presented maknae Dino as the group’s multiple threat – dancer, vocalist, and rapper. 

6. Thanks

The lead track off of the special album, “Director’s Cut,” is special and memorable indeed. The song is also a first of sorts for SEVENTEEN – Thanks is their first melancholic-sounding track, a departure from their usual bright and upbeat songs. The message of thanks to people who showed them love and helped them grow may sound uplifting at first, but since the recipient of the song’s gratitude appears to be no longer around, both the song and the music video take a darker turn. Referring to the choreography as intense may also be an understatement. 

One thing Carats can take comfort with: All 13 members have re-signed their contracts with Pledis Entertainment a full year before their expiration. This means the group has already officially avoided the 7-year disbandment curse that has afflicted even the most iconic of k-pop groups in the past. Therefore, we are assured of at least a couple more title tracks from SEVENTEEN in the coming years.

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

EXO: The Essential Playlist

EXO at the KBS Song Festival red carpet, December 29, 2016. Photo: 티비텐/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0

As one of third-generation K-Pop’s top groups, EXO boasts of an impressive discography—from sweet ballads to aggressive dance tracks—that will never be boring. Are you ready to dive into their universe? Here are 10 songs that are well-loved by EXO-Ls that even casual K-Pop fans can truly enjoy.

Top 10 EXO songs

1. Growl (2013)

Growl is EXO’s representative song—and is essential in any EXO playlist. This dance track won many year-end awards, including the Disk Daesang at the 2013 Golden Disk Awards and Song of the Year at the MelOn Music Awards.

2. Miracles in December (2013)

This ballad song is from the group’s second EP of the same name. The Korean version features main vocalists Baekhyun, Chen, and D.O. The track has a beautiful, flawless melody, accompanied by smooth vocals on piano and strings.

3. Overdose (2014)

Overdose is that strong, loud, and fast dance number that cannot be left out of your EXO playlist. This song is perfect for going all out on your last five minutes on the treadmill. Also, this is EXO’s last release as a 12-member group.

4. Call Me Baby (2015)

Exo’s got dance tracks down to a fine art. Call Me Baby, the lead single from the album Exodus, is a fun, charismatic, energetic, and addictive tune that only gets better with every listen.

5. Love Me Right (2015)

Love Me Right is equal parts funky, sweet, and smooth. This gem from 2015 is a well-produced single with catchy lyrics that showcase each of the members’ vocal colors.

6. Monster (2016)

Monster is one of two lead singles off the EX’ACT album. Its heavy, intense sound is accompanied by powerful choreography that is a delight both for your ears and eyes. It was also a big hit both in Korea and internationally and was even named one of the best K-Pop songs of 2016.

7. Ko Ko Bop (2017)

With its chill, reggae-inspired sound, Ko Ko Bop is the group’s signature summer track. It’s the perfect song to listen to on a road trip or a beach outing with friends. Plus, Ko Ko Bop was so popular in 2017, it inspired a viral dance challenge.

8. Tempo (2018)

Tempo is the lead single in the group’s Don’t Mess Up My Tempo (DMUMT) album. It’s a dynamic track that can hype you up even on a gloomy day. And that a capella bridge…*chef’s kiss*

9. Love Shot (2018)

Love Shot will make you attempt to copy Kai’s body rolls. But more than that, it’s a slick dance track with just the right amount of sexiness. This is also EXO’s first music video to hit 400 million views on YouTube.

10. Don’t Fight the Feeling (2021)

The group might be on hiatus at the moment as most members are currently enlisted in the military, but they haven’t forgotten EXO-Ls. This special album—the first to feature Lay since 2018’s DMUMT—is a gift from the boys to all fans. Don’t Fight the Feeling is a cheerful and exciting song that will remind you why EXO is one of the best K-Pop acts around.

EXO Songs – Honorable Mentions

Lucky One (2016) 

Lucky One is the other lead single from the group’s third studio album EX’ACT. It’s a great, energetic pop song that will automatically make you move to the beat.

Artificial Love (2016) 

EXO has tons of B-sides that deserve equal billing on every fan’s playlist, and Artificial Love is one of those tracks. The hard-hitting beats can get you up off the couch and busting out your club moves in no time.

Power (2017) 

Want a shot of confidence to help you through the day? Put on this song for an instant energy boost! Fun fact: EXO performed this upbeat track at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It was also featured at the Dubai Fountain Show.

Gravity (2018)

This song is a B-side from Don’t Mess Up My Tempo that would’ve done well in promotions. The sound has a retro electro-pop feel that, coupled with the group’s vocals, you won’t get tired of hearing.

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS K-POP STYLE LATEST STORIES

SEVENTEEN: Birthday Boy S.Coups in Numbers

SEVENTEEN. Photo: 붕어의 느린걸음/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

August 8 marks the 26th birthday of SEVENTEEN‘s leader and oldest member, S.Coups. On the occasion of this momentous day (and by momentous, I mean I am counting down the days until he celebrates the birthday I, along with the rest of Caratland, dread: his 30th birthday, which, unfortunately, may come earlier because his Korean age is more advanced), let’s not dwell on sad thoughts and instead be merry and mark Mr. Camel’s day with some numbers.

Here are some significant digits in our birthday boy’s life:

10: The length of his eyelashes, in millimeters

Obviously, S.Coups doesn’t have humps to store food and water, so we can attribute that nickname Mr. Camel (a nickname he doesn’t particularly appreciate as he has indicated on some episodes of Going Seventeen) to those attention-grabbing lashes. I can still remember him balancing a toothpick on top of those lashes in Weekly Idol years ago, a true testament to how long and strong those lashes are. 

12: The number of SEVENTEEN music videos with S.Coups sporting noticeably colored hair

Since debuting in 2015, SEVENTEEN has released more than 30 official music videos, including three Japanese and some by the sub-units. Of all those videos, there are 12 where leader-nim has noticeably colored hair. This doesn’t count dark brown hair like in Pretty U, which looks natural. A bit few, considering some members (I’m looking at you, Jeonghan) are known for their aversion to dark-colored hair on their MV’s. When S.Coups’ hair isn’t black or dark brown, he usually prefers light blonde and silvery hues, with his most “adventurous” color being metallic light blue in Left & Right (THAT video where he was supposed to be in a car to be launched into outer space). 

Speaking of hair color, it should also be noted that while he donned an ash silver color on top of black tresses in the 아주 Nice video, he reverted to black during the group’s promotions. The other videos that have Mr. Choi in noticeably colored hair are Adore U, Healing, Check-In (that bluish-violet hue that can even turn brown depending on the light), Clap, Oh My!, My My, Ready to Love, and the Japanese releases Happy Ending, 24H, and Anyone.

6: The number of years he spent as a trainee before debuting in SVT

Actually, he was slated to debut in other groups of Pledis before finally debuting in SEVENTEEN. This means he trained with the members of NU’EST, but he was not included in the group’s final line-up in 2012. He was also included in another group TEMPEST, which was supposed to debut in late 2012-early 2013, but the plan fell through. But Carats would agree everything was a  blessing in disguise because SVT ended up being Pledis’ most successful group. 

2: The number of times S.Coups has been absent from SEVENTEEN’s promotions

Throughout the group’s six-year history so far, the leader has had to beg off twice from participating in promotions for various reasons. In 2019, he took a hiatus from the group to deal with his mental health challenges. During the Ode to You tour that supported the group’s third studio album, An Ode, Pledis released a statement that the group, including S.Coups, have decided to allow him to take time off so he could rest and cope with the symptoms of anxiety he was diagnosed with. Considering that mental health is not commonly discussed in the world of k-pop, S.Coups taking a break from activities to address his issues was quite brave and welcome.

Just a few months ago, S.Coups had to be excused from the tail-end of promotions for the group’s latest single, ready to Love, because he sustained a shoulder injury while participating in an event.  It should be noted, though, that S.Coups covered a majority of Wonwoo’s parts during the Very Nice era, as the latter suffered from acute gastritis before the broadcast promotions of the song started.    

57: The number of days in between S.Coup’s and Jeonghan’s birth dates

Jeonghan was born on October 4 in the same year as S.Coups, 1995, which means S.Coups is only 57 days older than the group’s second oldest member. On the other hand, 1,283 days (or 3 years, 6 months, and 3 days; or 42 months and 3 days), separate the leader and maknae Dino. 

Many happy returns, beloved leader Choi Seungcheol, aka S.Coups! May you have more happy birthdays to come. Since you were instrumental in making all 13 of you renew your contracts with Pledis (a year before the contract is set to expire at that), we Carats are already assured of more years with SEVENTEEN, so we can’t ask for anything more than your happiness and stable health. 

Categories
FEATURES K-POP ARTISTS LATEST STORIES

Celebrating 15 Years of Super Junior: The Essential Playlist

Super Junior. Photo: KNTV/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0

Super Junior has been on the K-Pop scene for 15 years. Since their debut, they’ve tried everything from energetic dance tracks to melodic ballads to Latin-infused sounds. To celebrate 15 years of Super Junior, here are 15 of their songs that deserve a permanent spot on your playlist.

15 must-listen songs from Super Junior

1. Twins (2005) 

The boys came out swinging on November 6, 2005 with Twins (Knockout). The song’s got everything a K-pop record should have—powerful vocals, signature rap, robust choreography, and a fiery (literally) music video. Fun fact: fans know Twins as Super Junior’s debut single, but not many know that this is a cover of British boy band Triple 8’s song Knockout.

2. U (2006)

Go on a nostalgic early 2000s sound trip with SuJu’s classic pop offering. The track is their first as a permanent group, after maknae Kyuhyun joined in 2006. It is also the song that gave the boys their first music show win.

3. Sorry Sorry (2009)

No doubt about it, this is THE Super Junior song. Even non-K-Pop fans have at least heard of this 2009 mega hit. The repetitive, chant-like chorus gets stuck in your head without being annoying, while the choreography continues to inspire numerous dance covers from rookie idols to regular people.

4. It’s You (2009)

Super Junior isn’t only known for their energetic dance tunes—they also have beautiful mellow numbers as well. One of those songs is the soft dance track It’s You. It’s a lovely song, one where all 13 members got the chance to showcase their vocals.

5. Bonamana (2010)

This track is the lead single off the group’s fourth studio album, and follows the funky, upbeat, electronic pop style of Sorry Sorry. It was the group’s fastest song to win first place in a music chart show (KBS Music Bank), and went on to stay on the top spot for three consecutive weeks.

6. Mr. Simple (2011)

Mr. Simple follows the trademark “SJ Funky” sound—dynamic, in-your-face, and unique. It still feels fresh even 10 years after its release. This is also the first Super Junior music video to reach 200 million views on YouTube.

7. This is Love (2014)

Super Junior’s shift to a more mature sound is captured in this pop-jazz ditty. This is Love feels like a serenade to E.L.F.—which is why the song needs to be included in every fan’s SuJu playlist.

8. Evanesce (2014)

You can truly feel the song’s message of love lost in this emotional track. It also highlights the guys’ vocals. Plus, Eunhyuk’s dance segment in the music video is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking.

9. Devil (2015) 

Devil is part of Super Junior’s special 10th anniversary album. It is the laid-back sibling of Sorry Sorry, with a similar catchy and cheeky hook, but layered with smooth vocals.

10. One More Chance (2017)

Written and composed by Donghae, One More Chance is a sentimental pop-rock ballad from Super Junior’s eighth studio album Play. It’s a great song to listen to on cool rainy evenings.

11. Black Suit (2017)

After a two-year hiatus, SuJu returned with Black Suit. It’s a great comeback song—it’s a dynamic, playful pop dance track that showcases the group’s crazy, fun-loving personality.

12. One More Time (2018) 

Super Junior x Latin pop? Yes, please! The group collaborated with Mexican pop-rock band Reik for an appealing, classic Latin-infused sound. The release also marked eternal maknae Ryeowook’s return from military service.

13. I Think I (2019)

I Think I is one of the pre-release singles from the group’s ninth studio album, Time_Slip. This song—the whole album—is special as this is the first since all the members completed their mandatory military service. The track is a fusion of Latin pop and R&B, built for easy listening on a chill afternoon.

14. Burn the Floor (2021)

Burn the Floor is a pre-release single that could have worked well as a title track. The song fits the concept of their most recent album Renaissance, with orchestral sounds for its opening, and verses that bring out the guys’ vocals. Plus, the music video is stunning—a great reminder that the men of Super Junior are amazing performers.

15. House Party (2021)
Yes, people still need to mask up and practice physical distancing! With House Party’s catchy and relevant lyrics, the K-Pop legends remind all of us to continue following health protocols. This song even earned the approval of the World Health Organization’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Exit mobile version