So as everyone else has surely been stuck in their homes going slightly mad, I've been outrageously busy. I am a teacher so I've been trying to get everything ready for my kids to learn wholly online/out of my classroom (it's a nightmare. My worst nightmare).
With that said I've been missing for what feels like forever. But as I've been working on the paperwork for my evaluation (that is supposed to happen tomorrow..that I've done almost nothing for), this video popped up on my playlist.
(Key's BFF refers to this as the Turkey Song....I can't blame her because Hao definitely sounds like he's saying "like a turkey")
And it gave me made me insanely sad because MY BABIES AREN'T BABIES ANYMORE. Like Dino looks like an actual baby here. This hits me in the feels of when my motto for Seventeen was: "Performance team is everything".....I was right but so SO wrong with that statement.
Anyway. Things are finally starting to calm down with school so hopefully I'll be more present than I recently have been!
Love and Procrastination,
Maknae Minho
P.S. the Ateez concert got postponed and a bitch is HEARTBROKEN about it.
Welp. I was wrong... this was not the end of the aesthetically pleasing BTS videos.
This one is closer to a story than an acid trip. I think.
I have no idea what the hell I just watched.
As I am prone to do, I will just stick to the performance versions. The "Kinetic Manifesto Film" and this particularly wonderful version from grand central station.
This song has been popping up on my playlist all week. Which means it's been stuck in my head all week! (Not that I'm upset about this. I love my dreamie babies.)
**I keep singing the "like in Bom-bombay" part. That's the part that's been stuck in my head**
I am curious what will happen with dream though. The only ones left are going to be Jisung and Chenle (I keep seeing gifs of poor bby Jisung crying about everybody leaving and all I can say is: MY POOR SON). I mean are they going to debut new babies? How baby are these babies going to be? Are they going to let JISUNG LEAD THESE NEW BABIES?!?!
So many questions.
But I also heard a rumor of an NCT Q(??) being formed this year and maybe they're just making the dreamie babies a fixed unit? I mean what are they going to do with all the graduating dreamies?! Will they be finally paired up with some of the 127 boys. OR DARE I SAY THE WAYV BOYS? (I am aware of how unlikely this is but one can hope that Hendery, Xaiojun, and YangYang will be partnered with my dreamie idiots. The chaos would be unreal and I would love every second of it.) The possibilities are endless and I need more information.
Love and Dreamie Babies,
Maknae Minho
And this one because maybe Lucas will finally get
to live his Dreamie dreams and be a part of them.
I am seriously obsessed with The Tablo Podcast right now.
Not only is it hilarious, it talks about some serious stuff. I only just started it, but it's the perfect mixture of funny and serious that I love.
Tablo is such an interesting person. His sense of humor is amazing. His love for his daughter and family is amazing. I wish more people would talk about their family with the amount of love he does. It's really beautiful and heartwarming to hear how much he loves his family. I love it. He's so real about things and it's refreshing to hear. He has great views on the world and how things work/should work. I have really enjoyed this podcast.
Eddie Nam. Honestly. I feel like if I knew him in real life, we would not have been friends. But I think that I am him a little bit. He talks about why he doesn't like a movie and how he thinks it had a lot to do with the fact that he was hangry when he watched it. Which I get. It's 95% of the reason I hate anything (maybe that's why I hated seventeen for so long. The first time I watched them I was hangry...?). He's relatable. He starts telling a story and forgets halfway through why he's telling this story (which I do all the time). He's also Eric Nam's brother who Key's BFF apparently just recently discovered??? Eric Nam appears on an episode and it's wonderful.
I have been trying to limit myself in listening to it TOO much. Like half of me wants to binge listen to the whole thing. The other (sensible)half knows I need to not binge it or else I'll hate it after a week.
Anyway. If you haven't listened to it yet. Go listen. It's good. It's on basically anything you can think of that would have a podcast. Here's a clip of Tablo and Eddie making up the origins story of Red Lobster to convince you that you need this in your life:
I also just found out they have stickers. Specifically a "Just Go Bro!" sticker. They are sold out and I am HEARTBROKEN! If you listen you'll understand why I need that sticker. Like I was willing to buy like 15 of these stickers. I would have placed them everywhere. That phrase goes through my head constantly.
If you want someone to like something Kpop but know they won't really get into it have them listen to this podcast. They talk about it but not too much. It's also hilarious. My husband who cares nothing at all for Kpop enjoys this podcast. He won't admit he loves it but he does. He really loves Eddie.
Speaking of podcasts though Jae from Day6 just started his podcast and it is exactly what my roommate from college did. I'm trying to convince her to listen to it. After the Day6 concert my love for Jae has skyrocketed. After his introduction to instagram my love for him has gone up even more.
If you haven't read YG's statement on iKON's comeback here's a Soompi article about it: Click here to read and ignite your anger (or at least have any idea why I'm so angry)! The Shinee Sisters rely on Soompi....I would say it's our favorite k-pop news source....I also have the guilty pleasure of taking their quizzes.
Now if you've read it. Then you might understand my title now. And honestly bitter is the calmest word I could pick for what I feel.
B.I DESERVES BETTER!
He always did if we are being honest. B.I was the backbone of iKON and if you don't believe me watch Mix and Match. I never watched the competition show they did with Winner, but I imagine the videos would give the same vibe. Without him they would never have made it as far as they did just on his work ethic alone. He is always the one analyzing their practices and making sure that everyone is exactly where they need to be. He kept everything and everyone in line so that they could be successful. And that's just me talking about him in the practice room clips that we see.
If we talk about B.I's compositional and lyrical contribution to the band....
Do I need to say anything else?
Sure. This may have been his best hit, but B.I wrote and composed all of iKON's track lists (I'm not kidding. Literally everything has his name on it). Which I listen to a lot!
Now you may be thinking "But Maknae Minho, Bobby is also really talented compositionally and lyrically! He's helped too!" And the key word there is helped. B.I is credited on every album for every song. He's credited for every song lyrically. He's credited for every song compositionally (please correct me if I'm wrong but I think I checked every album). Bobby is also credited on every album....for a few songs...for even fewer compositionally AND lyrically. B.I put his heart, soul, and every ounce of his effort into iKON. What did he get out of it personally? One solo track on one of their later albums (linked below). What did Bobby get? An entire solo album and more recently a solo song. Now don't get me wrong. Bobby is very talented and I loved this solo album! But when you compare the work put in, B.I should have gotten one first (I know the world isn't fair and the K-pop industry is even less fair. but maybe I am just whining because I never got my B.I solo album I was promised and I'm bitter). I think Key's BFF was the one who said it once, but Bobby works on what he wants and that's it. B.I knew he wouldn't make it far without his band so he poured his heart and soul into it. And it shows.
One and Only
He's wearing a sparkly jacket in this so I obviously had to choose this one to share this song with you.
The moral of this long story is: B.I deserves better than iKON using all of his work. He did everything for them and I hate that they are going to continue riding on his hard work. The more I think about it the angrier I get. I look at how Monsta X has reacted to a similar issue. They have made it clear they miss Wonho. They may not have said it outright but their actions have shown that. The only thing I've seen from iKON has been Bobby posting about his birthday. After everything he's done for them his band should be angrier and sadder about his departure..not using his work to continue succeeding after the success he gave them in the first place.
For now I guess all we can do is look to the future. He's already given us one track on soundcloud (which I won't lie I haven't listened to because I was too sad but I did read the lyrics...I'm not the best fan I know). As for his future I have what I hope happens for him:
After his trial I imagine B.I will go to the military (seems like something that he would do because why not?). Whether it happens before he goes or after he gets done with his enlistment, I hope AOMG picks him up. Why you ask? 1. No one there will care about the whole issue. 2. CAN YOU IMAGINE LOCO AND B.I BEING BEST FRIENDS?! Because I can. I have thought about this a lot actually. Ever since they sent June to be on It's Dangerous Beyond the Blankets and NOT B.I(which you can't convince me was a tragic mistake. Imagine B.I, Loco, and Minseok eating chips off the floor of the Jade palace(?) together. I think about it constantly). 3. He would do SO well with those artists. They would love him. Also Woo and him are the same age.....and me.....so let's just think about that...
I hope B.I is getting some well deserved rest and know that I'm here waiting for any diss tracks he wants to put out about anyone and everyone. I will support him when he does make his way back to the music industry in whatever fashion he does. I hope things turn out well for him in the end.
It's been a week over a week since my life has been completed.
I needed a week to coherently talk about this.
We saw Seventeen.
I'm more in love with them then I was before which I didn't think was possible
I was sad Coups wasn't going to be there but respected his need for getting better (I hope he is feeling better and continues getting healthy). I think it was good for my health he wasn't there though of I might have cried....or passed out. Who really knows
As for Wonwoo (who I will now refer to as Life Ruiner) I was unprepared. I thought I was but I was not.
I. Am. Dead.
He ruined me. I mean my life. Whatever.
To sum up the rest of the boys: Joshua stared into my soul (and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it but our relationship changed that night). Jun was a precious bby who just zoomed around the stage. Hoshi could make a crowd do anything (Literally. Anything at all.) Divaboo was hilarious and his English was amazing! Vernon was way more charming than I thought he would be (let's be real, the boy is weird. Don't get me wrong I love him for it). DK was a LITERal angel (his smile cured all my current and future ailments. Him asking if I was ready and then saying "are you sure?" made my heart melt into 5000000000 pieces). Hao was incredible (despite him definitely being sick but he's back performing so hopefully that means he's all better). Jeonghan was dramatic (and adorable with all the other members). Woozi was fucking ridiculously good (the Shinee Sisters refer to him as a Gremlin because he's annoyingly talented...we're bitter okay). Mingyu giggled all night and completely melted my heart (Consider me whipped jjak jjak). Dino was sassy and demanding (and honestly got the concert back on track).
It was a top tier concert. I almost cried. Trauma is one of my all time favorite songs and those boys came out in leather (again it's probably for the best Coups wasn't there I would have passed out) to sing it.
Below is my picture dump of the concert (forgive me. We were fairly far back but the screens were amazing so I got some good pictures).
They started with Getting Closer which is exactly what I wanted (my boys know me. They know how to ruin my life too)
Someone behind us screamed "Oh my god! I'm ready to die" when Performance Team got into formation for Lilili Yabbay.
I'm whipped™ for Mingyu. He went from Hot and Sexy to Giggly and Dorky. He didn't let the jjak jjak joke die all night which I appreciated greatly.
This was adorable. They had so much fun during this set and so did I.
Wonwoo=Me
DK=Wonwoo attacking me
Seungkwan=the rest of Seventeen trying to save me but actually making things worse
Woozi is actually hilarious and doesn't get enough credit for that.
Like I said. Cured of all ailments. He's an angel. I would die for him.
Horribly pictured is when Jeonghan randomly grabbed Hoshi's handle while others were giving their final comments. He played with his hand for a while. It was adorable.
There were at least five glitter/streamer/confetti canons throughout the show. It was amazing and everything I wanted.
I've suddenly discovered Eric Nam.
2016 Man of the Year by GQ Korea.
Yes... I somehow had no idea who this guy was until last week.
Anyway, he will be in Dallas the first week of February, and I don't think I will be able to go.
His whole Before We Begin album is pretty great. It's also in English. (For you judgmental friends.) It's fun and poppy. He's definitely put me in a better mood here lately.
While the song is pretty good, and the music video is fantastic, that is not the song I have been listening to all week....
I ended up on a Block B spiral because of the adorableness of Mino and P.O. on Journey to the West.
We know I love Mino. This friendship is pure and adorable and I am here for it.
Anyway. I ended up watching a bunch of old Block B videos and I stumbled across this gem from 2014.
I know the chorus mostly sounds like it was cut and pasted from another song. I don't care though. The rest of it is so good. It's different, it's refreshing, it doesn't sound like anything else. I LOVE this.
Also, it gives me serious vibes from this particular SYTYCD performance.
Part 2 is here (finally)! I didn't feel I could do girl groups justice by making just one post. The last post covered the older or more established girl groups. This one will cover girl groups who are newer or sadly no longer together.
Let's start with (G)I-DLE! This is an incredibly talented group that debuted last year. I've been obsessed ever since their debut with Latata. They most recently came back with Lion and it's flawless as always.
ITZY are the new girls on the block and they know how to play the game. These girls are fantastic and I'm excited to see what else they have in store.
A girl group I've recently found but know nothing about is 3YE. (I'm not even sure how to say their name to be honest). These girls know how to DANCE though! Their song Out of My Mind has been stuck in my head for about a week now and I'm not even upset. I was less upset when I found their dance practice with their team of badass backup dancers.
The following girl groups are unfortunately no longer together but it doesn't hurt to love them still.
4Minute is another badass girl group (I just learned this was Sister Taemin's first ever kpop music video).
SISTAR was such an amazing and iconic girl group! I miss them a lot. They were the QUEENS of summer bops! (shout out to baby Monsta X making an appearance)
2NE1 was under YG and from everything I've heard they deserved better. They were badass that's for sure. CL is killing it recently (Key's BFF made a whole post about it).
This is far from an all inclusive list, just some of my favorites.
Ugh. This was hard.
My method for choosing songs on this list was: which videos did I find myself watching the most?
While these songs may not be the peak of the best of Kpop for the year, they are my favorites. Some of them I may be a little embarrassed about. But I tried to be honest in compiling this list. So. Here it is. In no particular order, because that would be impossible.
(I also could not actually pick just 10.)
1. "Dalla Dalla" by Itzy
Bad ass and sexy. I love this type of girl group so much more than the cutesy groups. These girls are rock stars. It's on my bucket list to learn this choreography. I can do the first two moves...
2. "Alligator" by Monsta X
Monsta X is the only boy band in all of Kpop that every member can wear leather pants and look hot as hell. (Except maybe Big Bang...) This is Evidence A. And all the evidence that is needed.
3. "Boy with Luv" by BTS
This video makes me so happy. It just looks like BTS is just enjoying themselves. I worry a lot about this group and burnout, so to see them having fun here makes my heart so so happy. Also. The visual aesthetics in this video. Stellar.
4. "Ah Yeah" by Winner
One of my summer jams. This song came just in time for me to listen to it obsessively all summer. I also really love Mino's hat at the beginning. This is also the video that convinced me Seungyoon is underutilized. Also. They have a moment where they are all wearing leopard print. I've been going through a leopard print phase.
5. "Mola" by Winner
For me this was the song of the summer. (I was also listening to "Mama" by JHope during this time.) Either way. This song is amazing, and furthers my argument that Winner is underrated.
6. "Humph!" Pentagon
This year I discovered my deep love of Pentagon. These guys are on their way up. I feel like they are getting ready to hit it big. This song great and the video is clever and fun.
7. "Jopping" by SuperM
This was everything I wanted it to be. I was so worried it was going to be terrible. But it was perfect. I loved all of it. I went to the concert and screamed like a 13 year old all night. Taemin, Kai, Baekhyun, and I all breathed the same air. This also made me a bigger fan of Mark and Taeyong.
8. "Super Clap" by Super Junior
While there is nothing wrong with the music video. This dance practice is amazing. This song is a bop. You can't help but dance along. Worthy of nothing here: Yesung's shorts.
9. "You Calling My Name" by Got7
This is my favorite Got7 comeback in so long! I love the leather suits. I love the song. I love the choreography. Well done boys.
10. "Psycho" by Red Velvet
I wish this had come out earlier in the year. This song is fantastic. The music video is brilliant. It's been on repeat since it came out. Ugh. I love this so much.
11. "Ahora te Puedes Marchar" by Super Junior
I'm ashamed this is on my list. But I have to be honest. I have seen this music video a million times and I have laughed at it like two million times. Super Junior proves once again why they are all over 30 years old and still relevant. This is so clever and fun. My mom even loves this video.
12. "Hala Hala" by Ateez
I LOVE THIS VIDEO CONCEPT. I've shown this to non Kpop people and they think it's cool. I have big hopes for this group.
Honorable Mention
"I'm Ok" by ikon
It was our last ikon comeback and we didn't know it. It wasn't treasured enough.
"I Wanna Be" by Key
My bestie. Giving us this right before his enlistment was a gift. I've worried a lot over the SHINee members. I'm so happy Key gave us this. And he seems to be living his best life in the military.
Here's to 2020!
Hopefully a year with healthier and happier idols.
I tried REALLY hard to cut it down to 10 but I couldn't.
All of these songs were songs that made it on repeat in my car. The order is the order they were released in because I could barely make this list let alone rank them.
1. Twit -Hwa Sa
February 13th
This song is iconic. She's iconic. That's it.
2. Alligator -Monsta X
February 18th
These boys have been through a lot this year. I love them and everything they do. I couldn't put Follow or Middle of the Night on here because I'm a big fat baby, but also this song goes hard....and Monsta X in leather pants is ALWAYS a look I'm on board with.
3. Vibe -1Team
March 27th
I've recently fallen in love with these boys. These rookies are on the track to do great things! This bop is adorable.
4. No One -Lee Hi Feat. B.I
May 30th
I love Lee Hi and YG has been sleeping on her. She's stupid good. I love her a lot.
5. Humph -Pentagon
July 17th
These boys have done amazing since the departure of e'dawn and I love them all the more for it! They are stars and deserve all the love.
6. Boom -NCT Dream
July 25th
My Dreamie babies are growing up and I couldn't be more proud of them!
7. Famous -Taemin
July 26th
This needs no comments. He's a god.
8. Snapshoot -Seventeen
September 19th
I love these boys with all my heart and I will start my new year off strong by seeing them 12 days in. Are they ready? Probably. Am I? Absolutely not.
9. Lit -Oneus
September 30th
Sister Taemin and I both were obsessed with this song. We almost killed it but we stopped ourselves.
10. Wonderland -ATEEZ
October 8th
I don't think I'll ever not be obsessed with this comeback. It ruined my life in the best of ways.
11. Tattoo -The Boyz
November 6th
Look. I've been singing this song since it came out. Green overalls rap part is the best part. I admit I don't know The Boyz names all that well but I love their music.
12. Blue Flame -Astro
November 20th
My Astro babies have done nothing but amazing things. Another set of babies growing up
13. Obsession -EXO
November 27th
Another one I don't think needs words. Suho made sure I didn't forget him this time though so good for him and his red hair....and abs. Whatever.
This is far from all of the good songs that 2019 gave us. 2019 was such a great year for kpop and I'm amazed by all the work all these idols have put in! Let 2020 be another successful year for kpop....but also one where these incredibly hard working people get the rest that they need and deserve!
P.S. the Ateez concert got postponed and a bitch is HEARTBROKEN about it.
