September 2024 Wrap Up: We'll Meet Again, Don't Know Where, Don't Know When

- October 01, 2024

The official start of this little music review blog! I'm proud of it. And, again, thank you for everyone who has read even a single post so far, even if you aren't reading this one. I am simply happy and grateful and will endeavor to continue this honesty with love and recognition of the hard work of the artists. And for the one person who seems to be reading every single one, thank you and I love you. You make my morning every day.

September of 2024 saw a couple of debuts, a re-debut, and some comebacks I was very much looking forward to, as well as some I would have been looking forward to had I been listening to the group/artist already. The ones I personally was emotionally invested are as follows:

Vahn (NINE.i): They were the first group I saw in person, and the reason I watched Boy's Planet, after the fact of course because I didn't get into K-Pop until after ZB1 had already debuted. I love their voices, and I have yet to run into a song I didn't like by them. So when I found out that their writer and producer was putting out a solo album, I was all about that.
xikers: The second group I saw in person, but the first one I bought tickets for. It was my birthday present to me last year, and while they shout and rap too much for my taste usually, their stage presence is so overwhelming that I cannot help but want to watch them perform. Also, I was a little bit obsessed with just the title track before it even dropped because it just sounds spooky and I'm 1000% about that.
Onew (SHINee): This was his triumphant return after his hiatus last year, and after leaving SM. How could I not be excited to see what he'd be doing healthy and under new management? And I just love his voice so much.
Changsub (BTOB): This was supposed to come out back around April (or maybe the proper album was supposed to come out around April? I don't know, it's Changsub), but because of his voice/throat problems, that didn't happen. I didn't get a lot of warning to be excited about his pre-release album, not even just a song, but I know that I'm always in for a good time with his songs. And we have the album proper about to come out, so that's even more exciting! Twelve tracks!
A.C.E: Every time I bring them up, I bring up the fact that oh, my word, their voices are incredible. They need so much more recognition than they have. And the fact that when they drop singles, you usually get like five songs in one. Or more. Pick your own adventure. And it wasn't just one single. We got two.
Hwasa (MAMAMOO): Her voice is just stunning. I love it in the context of MAMAMOO. I loved last year's album. Strut it, girl!
Key (SHINee): Like with Onew, I was super excited about another SHINee solo (though for different reasons as Key is neither my favorite in the group in general, nor does he have my favorite voice; that would be Onew). The Shawols are well-fed right now. Also, happy birthday, Key!!!
Super Junior D&E: Do I have a soft spot for older groups? Yes. But also, I just genuinely like SuJu. They're not my favorite of the older groups, but a lot of their music is in a style that I normally like. Seeing them on the comeback schedule list just catches my attention.
Vanner: Like with A.C.E, xikers, and NINE.i, they're one of my win-less groups. Unlike A.C.E, xikers, and NINE.i, I have not seen them live. But between watching Peak Time and Build Up, I kind of fell in love with the group and their voices. So I was very, very much looking forward to their third mini album.
Peniel (BTOB): PENIEL JUST OVER HERE DROPPING THE NEWS THAT HE'S DOING A DIGITAL SINGLE THREE DAYS BEFORE IT DROPS. BTOB is literally just doing whatever it wants at this point, and I couldn't be more here for it, but that's not enough time for me to get properly excited about it!

Debuts for the month include: L5ST, MEOVV, Tzuyu, Yeonjun, Jinho, FIFTY FIFTY (sort of), Dragon Pony, and New-L.

This month was marked, for me, by the enlistments of JR and Ren of NU'EST, as well Jeonghan of Seventeen. So the songs outside of the ones I listened to for this blog are very much indicative of my emotional state. I was looking for The Soothes, or I was looking for high energy to make me forget how sad I am. Which is why some of the songs in the section for Honorable Mentions are there. Because I require emotional support and them enlisting is actually the reason I started this review blog. It's their fault I'm doing this. It's fine, though. They have to go anyway, and I wish they'd have gone sooner because the sooner they leave, the sooner they get back. Just waiting on Baekho now.

Top Releases of the Month:

xikers's Witch- Y'all, I cannot express in any of the languages I speak or kind of speak how much I fell in love with this song. Of course, I also love Halloween best because my birthday is around then and I got a lot of Halloween themed stuff as a kid. Even if I didn't already like the group, this one absolutely would have ended up in all of the playlists, and even the choreography is spooky. Could have been written specifically for me. It wasn't. But it could have been.
Qwer's Fake Idol- Fun. Energetic. The perfect road trip song. What's not to love? Also, I really love typing out the name of this band.
ID:EARTH's A Cold Night- I don't know how much recognition she has in the general Korean-listening population, but if this song is a good sample of what she normally does, I'm all about her. This song has taken up residence in my brain and is living there rent free.
Kang Daniel's Electric Shock- I think if Witch hadn't come out this month, this actually would have been my favorite title track I've listened to of the month. The piano! The piano is so amazing! And how have I never actually listened to his voice before this! Past Me is an idiot. Again.
NCT Wish's Steady- I think this song made me a fan of this group, and I don't need another group! Am I whining about this like a child? Yes. Will I shut up about how much I love this song? Absolutely not.
Peniel's Daydream- With it as late in the month as it is, it feels a little disingenuous to include it. But, I have to think of it in terms of "If every song released on the first of the month, which ones would I have listened to the most for the month?" And in this case, with Peniel apparently in his boyfriend era, I'd have to include this one even though at this point I only have two days to get it to where the others on this list are at. Doable? Absolutely. But it would require listening to it to the exclusion of most others.
A.C.E.'s Anymore- I love the song. I love it to pieces. But I almost didn't include it in the list because I was writing the review for it when Jeonghan's enlistment was announced, and now I can't listen to it without crying. It's fine. I still love it. But I can't listen to it.
Also, A.C.E.'s Just Better- Fair warning, I can almost guarantee this is going to end up being an honorable mention for next month. The consequence of coming out on literally the last day they could have released it. Oh, well.

Honorable Mentions:

xikers's entire House of Tricky: Watch Out album- I'm not kidding when I say that if I hadn't accidentally fallen asleep to a couple of songs while I had them on repeat, the album would be single-handedly dominating my September streams. This is the first time a group other than Seventeen or NU'EST has ever taken the top spot since I started listening to K-Pop. That is what this album has done to me, and I suspect that next month will be largely the same because it's the Month of the Spookening. Since I've already reviewed both Witch and Bittersweet, I'm specifically calling out my other favorite track. Sandcastle is freaking amazing, and it's a strong example of what they can do when they let themselves be softer their music. It's no less intense. But it's softer. And I'm looking forward to seeing them branch out more as they continue to experiment.

Stray Kids's I Like It- Look, I recognize that the lyrics are...slightly problematic. But it's probably the catchiest song on this list and works incredibly well as a song to keep my emotions hyped up so The Sad is held at bay, and it's such a good car dancing song that I also was listening to it on my way home from work. Because I'm like that.

Stray Kids's Social Path- Again, this song works so well as a barrier between me functioning and me being emotional. It's also another one I'd put on repeat on my way home from work. Does it say something about me that I listen to Stray Kids on my way home so much? I have no idea, but the song is amazing, even if I do listen to the Korean version because I don't have the energy to learn the Japanese lyrics.

Lucy's Falling Flower- The violin and the orchestral sound at the beginning startles me every time it starts, but it's so gorgeous. This song made me review the actual title track from the album because I knew Falling Flower was going to end up in this list, and it didn't feel okay to do that. A violinist in a band? YES, PLEASE.

TVXQ!'s Rising Sun- Older groups are, in a way, incredibly comforting for me. Even though I definitely was not listening to the K-Pop when a lot of them debuted and were very active, I don't have to worry as much. If they're still active, then they'll be around for a while until they're done. They're survivors and I love that for them. So it's no wonder that I turned to TVXQ! this month while processing my yearlings enlistments, especially since a lot of NU'EST love them and that's why I started listening to TVXQ! in the first place, because I wanted to be able to trace their musical influences. Rising Sun is amazing. If it's not an anthem of some sort, it should be.