Category: KPOP ALBUMS

I’ve been a K-pop fan for at least seven years (and I’ve been a casual listener for even longer), but it’s only in the last few years when I’ve started spending money on official and unofficial K-pop merch. Here are just some of the things I realized (aside from happiness) when I started growing my collection.

An expensive hobby, especially as a multi-stan. 

It started with one…or four. The first official K-pop merch I actually bought weren’t even albums by idols. I bought four—yes, four—CDs of a ballad singer I liked, Sung Si-kyung, on a trip to Seoul in 2016. The following year, I asked a friend to buy Bigbang’s MADE concert tour DVD for me. And then, I stopped. I thought that as a fan of more than one artist, if I continued doing this, I might end up bankrupt. Plus, I didn’t even have a CD player—not that I would risk scratching the CDs by actually playing them. Besides, the music was readily available on Spotify and YouTube. 

Fast-forward to six years later, that initial collection of four CDs and one concert DVD slowly grew to include albums from several more of my favorite groups—Super Junior, EXO, VIXX, and Epik High (my playlist is a mixed bag of music genres lol). I’ve also since added several light sticks, unofficial merch, and magazines to my small collection. As a multi-stan, I knew I couldn’t possibly buy everything that my favorites released. So to keep myself from going into debt, I had to be very strategic with the items I wanted to buy—official light sticks, as well as full group albums and solo work by my biases are on top of my priority list. 

Joy in the waiting and unboxing your purchases.

I didn’t understand what the fuss was about albums, magazines, and light sticks—I got my fill of K-pop by listening to my faves’ music and watching their variety show/drama appearances. That is, until I started ordering merch myself.  

I’ve always found myself looking forward to new releases (music or other content), but the anticipation and eventual happiness in receiving the actual albums and merch gives off a completely different kind of thrill. After unboxing, I find myself flipping through the photobook pages multiple times as I listen to the songs off the album. And the high doesn’t fade even after a few days; I regularly still take out the albums and look at them to cheer myself up. 

Waiting for my purchases to be delivered at my doorstep is also part of the experience. The fear of not making the pre-order cut off, the anxiety over shipping delays—they only add to the joy upon finally seeing and holding the merch. 

Effort into creating albums is admirable

Albums nowadays are more than just CDs in plastic cases; they now come with beautiful photo books, posters, stickers, and the much-sought-after photo cards. The quality isn’t something to joke about, either. I’ve come to appreciate how albums have different concepts, which show beautifully in the music and the album inclusions. 

One of my recent favorites is Super Junior Kyuhyun’s latest album, Love Story. This mini-album is a compilation of the singer’s ballad releases under his Project: Season series in 2021-2022. The album I purchased was in a story/photo book format, with tons of pretty pictures of Super Junior’s maknae. Even the dust jacket is nice. I’m pretty sure this slim volume won’t look out of place on my bookshelf.

Inside the album, one can see that the story has a couple of chapters. In between the pages of text are photos of Kyuhyun and illustrations of the two characters in the Project: Season MVs. I assume that the narrations tell the story of the two characters, and I’m looking forward to reading that once my Korean language skills improve.  

Fan-made merch, a connection to the fan community 

As an introvert, I’m not really one to participate in fan events. Nor was I much interested in chiming in on conversations in stan Twitter. So to make myself feel like I’m part of the fan community, I buy (and use) fan-made merch! There are tons of talented fans who have created beautiful pieces that allow other fans to show their love for their favorite groups. When I started buying merch, I found myself browsing for fan-made stuff—and even bought a few pieces that I use on the daily!  

Collecting merch brings genuine joy

In my early days as a K-pop fan, I’d been happy with streaming my favorite soloists and groups’ MVs on YouTube and playing the songs on loop in Spotify. I don’t think having a collection of albums or other merch has anything to do with being a true fan—and I don’t judge those who click on the checkout button as soon as their ults drop their latest release—but I personally used to think collecting merch isn’t for me. 

That is, until the lockdowns hit and I found myself ordering albums on Ktown4u. And when I received my purchases, I realized just how much looking at the photo books and light sticks brightened up my days.

Today, I have a very modest collection of albums, light sticks, and merch. What I have might not fill up an entire room (it won’t even fill a whole shelf), but the ones I have right now spark joy—and that’s what makes my tiny haul special for me.

Featured Image: Official K-pop merch bought by the writer. Credit: Paula Abiog

In just a few days, Apink will be ushering in their 11th year as a Kpop girl group. One of the most successful idol groups to do so.

It has been a decade since the sweet and innocent fairies of Acube Entertainment (which later became Plan A, and now, Play M Entertainment) debuted and made their own unique niche in the rather competitive world of K-pop. With girl groups surviving for ten years being a rare feat, Apink deserves all the recognition they can get. 

So here it is, a rundown of Apink songs and title tracks, plus a trivia for each song about its music video:

2011: I Don’t Know

So we start off with the song that started it all: the song that made guys’ hearts flutter and girls want to be sweet innocent fairies. Mollayo was quite unique at that time because most girl groups at that time have already established themselves in different images and concepts that were far from the sweet and innocent image Apink manifested in their debut song. 2NE1 was girl crush, Girls’ Generation was getting more glammed up with The Boys, the Wonder Girls‘ sound became Americanized after staying in the US for an extended period, Kara was still sophisticated, After School had their gimmicks, and T-Ara was going full retro. 

It came as no surprise that Apink quickly captured their market because there wasn’t really a reigning group that owned a very wholesome image. It can be argued that Rainbow tried, but still not as cutesy as Apink. Thus, with no direct competition, Apink was THE quintessential innocent fairies of K-pop. For a debuting girls group that’s not from the Big 3, I Don’t Know and Seven Springs of Apink, the EP where the single is from, both fared well in the charts, with the song selling more than a million copies (quite a rare feat for a debit single) and more than 25,000 copies for the EP. 

And the music video! Definitely, something that brings us back to a different time, when we allow strangers who pass out (in the case of the music video, it was BEAST‘s Gikwang) in our front porch into our house to recuperate. Before you scream stranger danger, the girls actually nursed him back to health, with the music video ending with the guy leaving a thank you note as he exited the house. 

Question: 

Who gave Gikwang a cookie?

1. Yookyung
2. Hayoung
3. Naeun
4. No cookies were given. It was Eunji who gave him a bookmark. 

2011: My My

My My was one memorable song for both the Pink Pandas and the group. After all, it is the song that gave them their first-ever music show trophy. The group started 2012 great when they won their first music show award on Mnet’s M Countdown for this particular show. Suffice to say,  the announcement was met with a mix of disbelief and tears by the group. As it didn’t take the group a year since their debut in April of 2011 before they got their first music show win was telling – it showed that they indeed have a solid fanbase and they were not some nugu group. The next month, the group received the Rookie of the Year award at the first Gaon Chart Awards, which cemented their position as a promising K-pop girl group.

My My was also memorable for fans because it was the first time they saw the members’ parents through Apink News. On the episode that showed the group filming for the music video of the song, all their family members came to watch them behind the scenes. In season one of Apink News, only Namjoo’s mom made an appearance, but for this episode, all family members came, with Hayoung’s grandma crying upon seeing her in front of the camera, Eunji’s mom and brother Minki (who everyone will get to know more in a later Apink News episode) calling her by her birthname Hyerim, and Yookyung crying because she won’t be able to celebrate her mom’s birthday with her at home. My My continues to be one of the group’s well-loved title tracks. 

Question: 

Who wore the Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey in the My My music video?

1. Bomi
2. Yukyung
3. Chorong
4. Naeun

2012: Hush

For those who were still unconvinced that Apink is more than just a cutesy, innocent girl group that they perfectly showed in their debut single, Hush should have been a more successful effort. My My was still very wholesome, and although Hush still maintains this level of wholesomeness in the group, it also showed a different side of Apink. The song is faster, beat-wise, and the lyrics are a tad more mature than the first few songs of the group. Yes, it still talks about a girl’s hesitation to reveal or voice out her true feelings to the person she likes, but there’s something about the song that tells the listener that the group has definitely graduated from just singing cutesy, teenybopper tracks.

Even their outfits in the music video were a shift from the expected fairy-like attires they have worn on their previous videos. Half of the video had the girls wearing skintight baby tees and white jeans. Definitely not your “typical” wholesome Apink music video. 

Question:

What was the letter printed on the girl’s baby tees that they wore on most of the music video?

1. Trick question: The baby tees were plain white with no print. 
2. A for Apink
3. P for pink
4. H for the song’s title

2013: NoNoNo

NoNoNo is pretty iconic. If you are going to ask any Korean which song they can relate to the group the most, they will most probably answer NoNoNo, for a number of factors. Some will say the unforgettable choreography where the members form a straight line then appear one by one, while some just love the unrelenting positive message of the song that has several idols choosing to cover it when they are assigned to sing an Apink song, including some people you won’t expect to cover a song from the innocent fairy group like Heize. 

NoNoNo is also the first song the group released after the withdrawal of Yukyung from the group. Although there wasn’t much of a controversy regarding Yukyung’s decision, as she opted to focus on finishing her studies rather than continue on her career as an idol, people were a bit anxious if her departure would result in a bit of the backlash for the group. 

Alas, this didn’t happen for a number of reasons. One, after My My which won them their first music show, the group was already on a steady rise to stardom. This was validated with the second reason when Eunji launched a career in acting with a lead role in the series Reply 1997, which eventually became a certified hit. Moreover, the group’s center, Naeun went on to new heights of popularity in 2013, when she appeared with SHINee’s maknae Taemin in the wildly popular reality show We Got Married, where they pretended to be a couple. 

So, despite apprehensions, the group’s popularity went on to skyrocket with this song. NoNoNo became the group’s highest-charting single until then, peaking at number 2 on Billboard’s K-Pop Hot 100. In November 2013, at the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Apink received the Next Generation Global Star award. 

There was really no holding Apink back since the release of NoNoNo. Even leader Chorong said in interviews that it was during the release of NoNoNo that she felt that she was really serious in her career as an idol. While she felt in the past that they were still room for fun and games, the NoNoNo era was really the time for them to get serious at work.   

Question:    

The candles on the cake that the members blew before the last repetition of the chorus spells:

1. A P I N K
2. I ❤ Y O U
3. P I N K P A N D A
4. H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y

2014: Mr. Chu

Who doesn’t know this song? Who doesn’t remember the dance to this song? Mr. Chu was simply Apink at the top of their game. During that era that started from Luv to Remember, everything that the group touched turned into gold. Apink won six music show trophies for this song, and the song went on to become the eighth bestselling digital song of the year 2014, selling close to 1.6 million copies. 

Pink Blossom, which was the EP Mr. Chu was part of, went on to sell more than 76,000 copies. If you’re a fan of Korean variety shows that have idols as special guests, Mr. Chu continues to be one of the most covered and danced to songs by any K-pop group. Who wouldn’t be addicted to this song anyway? It is the perfect representation of what an Apink song should be – sweetness and innocence mixed with a wholesome view of young love. 

The music video doesn’t disappoint either as it is more or less a great representation of the song. The girls all decked in tennis player outfits trying to outshine each other by stuffing gifts in the locker of the boy they all apparently like. If you are not familiar with the song, or the video, your K-pop fan card will be indefinitely revoked until you watch it (or know the answer to the question below).

Question: 

Which statement about the song and the video is correct?

1. The girls give Mr. Chu gifts in boxes colored purple and white. 
2. The member responsible for the high note on the song’s bridge is Eunji.
3. The D-Day in the calendar on the video is March 31, the release date of the song and EP.  
4. It was Chorong who stuffed the locker with a big white teddy bear.

2014: Luv

One of Apink’s most iconic songs, Luv was released when the group was at the peak of their popularity. After the wildly popular Mr. Chu, the group’s next comeback featured them in a mid-tempo song that is actually more sad than upbeat, as it narrates the singer’s longing for the days when their love was new. Though it is definitely not the usual uplifting and bright song Apink is known for, K-pop fans fell in love with the song, and the girls looked good singing it while adapting to this slight change in concept.

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luv era is so iconic… 17 consecutive music show wins and it STILL hasn’t been beaten for a girl group? OKAY APINK pic.twitter.com/xYr9ENMtDJ

— char 🙏 (@gotpinkvelvets) November 23, 2021

Maybe it was the lack of competition, or it may be because people just loved the song, but Luv holds the record of being the girl group song with the most music show wins at 17. The entire December 2014 had Apink win almost all music shows. It won twice in M Countdown, thrice in Inkigayo and The Show, four times in Music Bank, and a whopping five times in MBC’s Show! Music Core. Even up to now, only two male groups, EXO and BTS have surpassed this record. 

Sales-wise, Pink LUV, the EP where Luv is from, has sold over 79,000 copies, while LUV has accumulated more than 1,490,000+ in digital sales. 

Question:

In the video, Namjoo wrote which initials in a tree:

1. NJ and HS
2. NJ and AP
3. NJ and PP
4. NJ and EJ

2015: Remember

After the successive chart-toppers Mr. Chu and Luv, Apink staged their 2015 comeback via Remember, which completed the group’s triumvirate of hits in only their 4th year as a group. Pink Pandas were a bit scared after Mr. Chu and Luv both blew up, as those two were tough acts to follow. But as an old adage goes, the third time’s a charm, and Remember did not disappoint. 

Remember is actually the title track of the group’s second full-length album entitled Pink Memory. Pink Memory is to date Apink‘s most successful multi-track release, selling over 90,000 copies and peaking at number 2 in Gaon’s album charts. The song also sold more than 1.1 million copies and also peaked at number 2 in the national digital charts. 

As for the video, it is considered Apink‘s most experimental in an unexpected way – in terms of their hair! All members had orange hair, Hayoung sported short shoulder-length hair, and Bomi not only became wheat blonde but also pink in some parts! It was the peak of Apink hair supremacy, I dare say. 

Question:

Spreaking of pink-haired Bomi, in some scenes, she is seen wearing with _______________ printed in front. 

1. I ❤ COLD BEER
2. APINK ❤ PANDA 
3. DO YOU REMEMBER?
4. HAYOUNG HAS SHORT ACHILLES TENDONS 

2016: Cause You’re My Star

The first special album of the group, Dear, had Cause You’re My Star as its title track. Play M (Plan A during that time) stated that the album “would commend the unwavering love and invaluable support from their fans since their debut.” 

Although it’s not said, the move may have been brought about by the underperformance of the full-length album that Dear preceded, Pink Revolution, which had Only One as its title track. It was tragic that Only One did not perform well that the company felt like it had to erase that sad episode from everybody’s memory by releasing a “special album.” 

The song is sweet and okay and the music video may have continued the hazy filter the group first used in Only One, but that’s pretty much all that can be said about the song. Not particularly one of the most outstanding Apink tracks, but for us Pink Panda, we can’t really complain when we’re given any new music by the group. Full stop. 

Question: 

While Namjoo was carrying a pile of pancakes in the Only One video, what food was in front of her this time?  

1. Two cakes
2. A samgyeopsal
3. Jokbal (pig’s trotters), Apink’s favorite food
4. French fries, which she again encounters on a different video

2016: Only One

Alas, we have come to the song that cast doubts on Apink‘s longevity. The song that didn’t win a single music show trophy. The song that Pink Pandas waited for more than a year to be released (a year and two months, to be exact). The song that made the members cry because of how beautiful the song was, supposedly (or so they claimed in their Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook interview – or maybe they were just relieved of having a comeback at last). The same song that made Chorong cry because they felt they let their fans down because it didn’t win anything and had a lukewarm reception in the charts. 

So, what went wrong with this era of Apink? A number of things, actually. For one, the song was pretty, I’ll give them that, but it doesn’t have the catchiness all Apink songs are known for. The song is standard Apink, all right, with the group’s trademark mix of sweetness, femininity, and innocence, but quite frankly, Only One sounds like a B track. Well, Apink is one group known for having excellent B tracks, and Only One unfortunately sounds like one. Moreover, when Only One was released, other big hitters like Got7, Infinite, BTS, Monsta X, and Shinee released new music only days before and after Apink had their comeback. With the fandoms of these groups obsessed with giving their groups music show wins, it was not that feasible for Apink to squeeze in a win, especially since the song was not that strong in K-pop standards. 

All of that said, the music video had the girls at their prettiest. And yes, die-hard Pink Pandas will argue that Only One is the most underrated song in Apink‘s career. 

Question:    

The Gothic-style rooftop featured in the video, which was also featured in 2PM’s I’ll Be music video released only weeks earlier, is located in 

1. Kyung Hee University
2. COEX Convention and Exhibition Center
3. Myeongdong Cathedral
4. Seoul City Hall 

2017: Five

Five was the song that brought back Apink to public consciousness after the two 2016 comebacks after Remember, namely Only One from the Pink Revolution album and You’re My Star from the “special” album Dear performed below expectations. The song has Apink written all over it – the sweetness, innocence, and catchy chorus that harkens back to old school K-pop popularized by first-generation groups like Fin.K.L and S.E.S.   

Fans who may have probably been alienated by the lack of catchy hook in Only One and the lack of promotions for the Dear album were too eager to embrace the distinct Apink sound that they felt went missing in 2016. Pink Up, the EP that had Five as its lead track, sold more than 50,000 units. After the dismal performances of both Only One and Cause You’re My Star that only sold 449,000+ and 121,000+ copies, Five peaked at number 4 in the Gaon Download Charts with more than 800,000 copies sold. 

Question:

What was the color of the cake that Chorong was decorating and putting the icing on?

1. Blue
2. Pink
3. White
4. ROYGBIV

2018: I’m So Sick

After the success of Five, which brought the group back to its default sweet and innocent concept, Apink staged their 2018 comeback in a rather surprising fashion. Goodbye, cutesy wholesome concept, hello more daring (with an unavoidable Apink twist) image with I’m So Sick. Casual observers pointed out that the slight tweak of the group’s image in 2016 during the Only One era was unsuccessful, so it was recommended for the group to return to their most popular concept for a couple more comebacks before risking alienating fans again with even the slightest of concept changes. 

Even a number of full-fledged Pandas (it was around this time that the fandom dropped “pink” from their fandom monicker and just go with Panda instead) threatened to leave the fandom if the group would go with even just a slight image revamp. Luckily, the disappointment of some fans did not cause a mass exodus, and the image change was well-received by everyone, from the majority of the Panda fandom to critics and even casual K-pop listeners. 

From singing about wishing to walk with a boy while wearing couple rings to receiving insincere phone calls from a drunk lover is a huge shift, but there wasn’t a huge disdain for the song. In fact, it was well-received and reintroduced Apink to a new generation of fans who prefer their girl groups with more spunk and who tone down on having saccharinely sweet public images. 

Question:

What did Eunji do to the negatives of the pictures from her camera? 

1. She submerged them in water.
2. She burned them.
3. She cut them into small pieces.
4. She gave them to the members.

2019: %% (Eung Eung)

After the wildly successful I’m So Sick, the pressure was on again for Apink to follow up their success with more success. Actually, the group was in their 8th year already and pretty much had nothing to prove already after surviving both the seven-year curse and the “drastic” concept and image change. But then, Apink is one of those groups that have always somehow felt that it had to prove something. After all, they are not from a Big 3 company, their innocent fairy concept has always been seen as a rather weak and easy way to maintain a fandom, and their songs do not actually require intense choreography like GFriend or intricate harmonization ala Mamamoo. 

But then, trust Apink to deliver. When fans expected them to go further with a more adult image, the group opted to continue with their sublime elegant concepts with a distinctly Apink flavor. That may be one of the secrets to the group’s steady popularity. Whether they sing of nostalgia in Luv, daydreaming of an ideal man in Mr. Chu, or an earnest declaration of love and encouragement with NoNoNo, there’s always something they always put their trademark Apink flair that other groups cannot copy. 

The song was a bop and underperformed in the charts, peaking only at number 17, but it was universally and critically acclaimed and loved. None other than Billboard Magazine ranked %% second in their annual list of the 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2019.  As for the song, the high level of production from I’m So Sick was maintained. It is a retro throwback track with very sublime beat drops and a pinch of trap and a dash of house. Very satisfying to the ears.

Anime fans will definitely appreciate the music video because its entirety is a reference, making it a tribute to Fullmetal Alchemist. The video has each of the members put a body part or an item like a watch, some honey, and a heart locket to a sort of altar and Chorong (in pink hair) and Eunji putting all of these in a clear container filled with pink liquid. Transmutation device alert. Finally, the members, housed in the “Pink Factory” produce a man. Based on the song’s lyrics, it may seem to be a man who possesses qualities of their own liking. Sounds like these six are just reminding everyone of how empowered they are. That’s the power of an 8-year group!

And yet, they were still disrespected. In a year-end TV station concert, the group’s performance of Eung Eung was cut short because the concert’s floor director allegedly thought the performance was running a tad long. So much disrespect for a senior group. Korean and even international Twitterverse expressed disappointment and even fandoms of other groups could not believe what the group experienced. The TV station public apologized the next day.  

Question: 

Who was responsible for bringing the heart of the man they were making?

1. Eunji
2. Bomi
3. Chorong
4. Namjoo  

2020: Dumhdurum

What is there to say about Apink‘s latest release? Suffice to say that the group has done it again – releasing bops thrice in a row, just like what they did in 2014 to 2015, when they released Mr. Chu, Luv, and Remember one after another. To paraphrase a popular YouTube K-pop commenter, it is indeed a feat for a nine-year-old group like Apink to seemingly have caught lightning in a bottle not once, not twice, but three times. But then again, for Apink, good things come in three’s, so it’s not really a mystery why the group maintained their success after releasing I’m So Sick and Eung Eung.

What was so special about Dumhdurum, anyway? The song for one is catchy as hell. Moreover, it’s something that will grow on you, making you want to keep on tapping the replay button countless times. Alas, the peculiar sound effects sprinkled throughout the song are so interesting that it makes you want to keep on replaying the song to know what those sounds are. Right from the start,  there’s this instrumentation that starts off sounding almost like background noise until it grows louder and louder until the beat drops. Then, there’s this unique sound when the song transitions between verses that sounds like an alarm mixed with an ambulance siren.

Then, there’s the music video where so many colors were used that almost look like they took inspiration from some Wes Anderson film. The ladies start off the dance segment by power catwalking! The yellow eyeliner and eye shadow used on Chorong! Naeun in cornrows! A blonde Namjoo wearing a black Gucci tee! Hayoung wearing Gucci literally from head to toe (a Gucci hair clip to Gucci stockings) when the song hasn’t even started! Eunji is in a room full of lamps with her Chanel earrings and a corset dress in the dance sequence! Too much luxury. Too much sophistication. 

Everyone’s make up is definitely on point in this video. Also, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I felt the extra sound effects from the train on the music video (bell clanging, the sound of trains running on the tracks, to name a few) added more charm to the song that I sort of wished the sounds would be featured in a remix version.     

The song was well-received and charted high as well. The girls repeated their 2019 feat by ranking at number 2 in Billboard’s top 25 K-pop songs for 2020 with Dumhdurum. And the choreography, particularly the twisted arms of Bomi and Naeun, went viral on Tiktok.

Question:

Where did Bomi perform her dance break?

1. In a dark room with exploding light bulbs
2. In a room full of flickering lampshades
3. In a train car that has gone underwater
4. In a warm-lighted room with shallow water

So after the fan service song Thank You, released last April to commemorate Apink’s tenth anniversary, the group hasn’t had a proper comeback. It may be because of Naeun’s transfer to YG Entertainment as she pursues more acting opportunities, maybe it’s because of Chorong’s involvement in a bullying scandal. But since Naeun is still active with some Apink activities and the police has released a statement claiming there is insufficient evidence to implicate the group’s leader to the incidents, here’s hoping that comeback will happen soon. 

Answer key:

2011: I Don’t Know

Who gave Gikwang a cookie?

Hayoung. Eunji did give him a bookmark, but Hayoung also gave a cookie.. 

2011: My My

In the dance break for the music video of My My, the girls wore basketball jerseys. Who wore the Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey?

Naeun. Bomi also wore a yellow jersey, but it was an Apink jersey. Yukyung wore a dark blue jersey and Chorong wore a NY Knicks Carmelo Anthony jersey. 

2012: Hush

What was the letter printed on the girl’s baby tees that they wore on most of the music video?

A for Apink

2013: NoNoNo

The candles on the cake that the members blew before the last repetition of the chorus spells

I ❤ Y O U

2014: Mr. Chu

Which statement about the song and the video is correct?

The D-Day in the calendar on the video is March 31, the release date of the song and EP. The girls give Mr. Chu gifts in boxes colored purple and yellow, not purple and white. The member responsible for the high note on the song’s bridge is Namjoo. Finally, it was Eunji who stuffed the locker with a big white teddy bear. 

2014: Luv

In the video, Namjoo wrote which initials in a tree:

NJ and EJ. Not sure if it was Eunji. 

2015: Remember

Spreaking of pink-haired Bomi, in some scenes, she is seen wearing with _______________ printed in front. 

I ❤ COLD BEER. Who doesn’t?

2016: Cause You’re My Star

While Namjoo was carrying a pile of pancakes in the Only One video, what food was in front of her this time?  

Two cakes, which our Healthy Girl would have probably finished.

2016: Only One

The Gothic-style rooftop featured in the video, which was also featured in 2PM’s I’ll Be music video released only weeks earlier, is located in

Kyung Hee University, whose Cyber University has been attended by some EXO and Super Junior members. The university is also the alma mater of two Korean presidents, including the current one, Pres. Moon Jaein. 

2017: Five

What was the color of the cake that Chorong was decorating and putting the icing on?

Blue. Namjoo had a rainbow cake in the You’re My Star music video, though. 

2018: I’m So Sick

What did Eunji do to the negatives of the pictures from her camera? 

She submerged them in water, making them unusable. Or maybe they were blackmail pictures. 

2019: %% (Eung Eung)

Who was responsible for bringing the heart of the man they were making?

Eunji brought the heart from the container with the pink liquid (where she dropped a heart-shaped locket which apparently turned into a glittered heart) to the table where a suit was laid. 

2020: Dumhdurum

Where did Bomi perform her dance break?

In a warm-lighted room with shallow water. The darkroom with exploding light bulbs was where she got stuck in the end, the room full of flickering lampshades is Eunji’s, and the train car that has gone underwater was where Hayoung was and had no choice but to look at fishes passing by like she was inside an aquarium.

Featured image: Listen to these Apink songs to celebrate the wildly successful Kpop girl group’s 11th anniversary! Photo:@Apink_2011/Apink Official Twitter

I have been a K-pop fan since at least 2015. I’ve always enjoyed jamming to the songs—my Spotify playlist is 80% K-pop. For most of my stanning years, I was okay with just supporting my biases by streaming their songs. The last couple of years, however, found me buying my favorite artists’ physical albums. 

My first few purchases gave me pure, unrestrained joy—I loved seeing how concept ideas and storylines are brought to life, not just in the song and the music video, but also in the album jackets, photobooks, and other inclusions. 

EXO, in particular, has been very consistent over the years with their storyline, incorporating elements of their origin story and superpowers in every comeback—whether as a group or in their solo endeavors. Their most recent special album, Don’t Fight the Feeling, just added to the group’s already rich lore. The album was a pleasant surprise to all EXO-Ls—and I didn’t waste time getting my own copy of the physical album (even if I had to wait for more than a month to get it because of shipping delays). 

The special album commemorated the group’s 9th anniversary, and their first comeback in 19 months after 2019’s Obsession. It also marked the return of Xiumin and D.O from the military, and the participation of Lay (who last participated in 2018’s Don’t Mess Up My Tempo/Love Shot album). 

The album jacket and photobook show the EXO members go on a journey across space, and with each member landing on a different planet. The photos are stunning, and I am so happy I decided to order a copy! 

Looking at the photos, I think the storyline of this album concept is a continuation of, or parallel to 2016’s Power. So, after I’ve basically admired each and every photo, I tried to figure out the story behind them. All of EXO were traveling together in a spaceship, but somehow, they were separated and they all landed on different planets (or alternate universes?). Where were they going? Kwangya? Were they trying to escape the Red Force, or were they pursuing it? Honestly, SM Entertainment needs to release a book that details everything—from EXO’s origins to the present! 

Now onto the music—and this album didn’t disappoint. The mini album has five songs, and opens with the title track Don’t Fight the Feeling, a snappy, energetic number about believing in yourself and looking ahead towards the future even in the face of difficulties.

The rest of the tracks are perfect easy listening songs. Paradise is a catchy song about not being afraid to be with the person who’s stolen their heart. And D.O’s “Thank you” at the end of the song was so adorable. No Matter is another laidback song that’s perfect for lazy weekends—I just wish they’d laid off the skrrt skrrt bit (why is this even a thing?). The song reminds me of 90s R&B jams. 

The mood shifts from upbeat to moody with Runaway, a track that encourages the listener to make that leap towards a fresh start. Wrapping up the track list is the sweet and sentimental Just as Usual, which is a nice song to listen to when I’m relaxing with a cup of coffee. 

This lovely mini-album—and the equally beautiful package it came in—proves EXO‘s staying power even as the members enter mandatory military service one by one. It’s a wonderful present to all EXO-Ls (including me). It quenches some of the thirst, but ultimately, it leaves everyone hungry for a full OT9 comeback. 

2022 update: Main vocalists Chen and Baekhyun, and main rapper Chanyeol are all still in the military, but EXO’s beloved leader, Suho, was discharged from his military service last February 13. With Suho back, will there be another album this year? I (and all EXO-Ls around the world) sure hope so! 

Featured Image Credit: Paula Abiog