Just A Little Fangirl Love

Release date: 2025 April 30 Album tracklist: Gnarly Album runtime: 2 minutes  This one is going to be quick y'all. Reminder that the group still has a minor. Also, congrats, HYBE. For once, the 2 and a quarter minute runtime works in the song's favor. Mature language warning. There is a clean version, but... If I could get rid of the lyrics, I think I'd like the song. Abysmal runtime aside, it's got kind of a basketball game vibe in places, designed for energy and to pump you up, get you to move. Maybe even toss in a sassy hair flip or two. I was definitely responding well to the instrumentals, and then my brain would actually catch the lyrics and flinch.  I wouldn't even know where to begin with this. I don't think any of them were even alive when the word gnarly was actually used in the vernacular regularly. I'm not sure how much I was alive for it and I remember the 90s. Putting that aside, the things that are being described as gnarly... aren't gnarl...

Release date: 2025 April 28 Album tracklist: Chains , Endless Ending , Good Day to You, Follow Me Album runtime: 13 minutes  Am I really behind because this was the pre-release and the album is out now? Yes? Could I have just done the title track and gotten to this one later? Yes. The problem with that, though, is that I'd be delaying doing a song released under the name B2ST for the first time in almost a decade. Which I've already done and don't want to do any longer. Cube giving them back the name B2ST even though they said they were going to keep going by Highlight was one of the best decisions Cube made in the last few years (which also includes giving BTOB their name also, but I digress). Also, I listened to the album yesterday and it scratched an itch for me.  I really love the crackling at the beginning of this song. First of all, it reminds me of my favorite B2ST song ( Fiction ), and second of all, it's an aural clue to go back in time, something important whe...

Release date: 2025 April 15 Album tracklist: From a seed called 'Hey, what's up?', SWICY , DDANG!, Good Feeling, Spring rain Album runtime: 14 minutes  Congrats on the win!! I don't actually know anything about this group so I am going to have to double check on certain dates, so I know how to proceed. And, okay, project group from a survival show that debuted last March. So they're one year down out of their two year contracts. Project groups can be a mixed bag with ages, so this is where things might be unfortunate or delightful. Eldest is a member of cignature, which is really cool because I like listening to that group. And the maknae is... Okay, two months after I turned thirteen, I was in seventh grade. Seventh grade. I'm currently so outraged that I almost don't want to write this. So yes, even though we have a leader who is at a happy age, the rest of them were all underage, and the maknae was at a nauseating age to debut. Debuted at thirteen. I don...

Release date: 2025 April 09 Album tracklist: Oh My Album runtime: 3 minutes  Happy tenth anniversary!! That's super exciting for the group and for the fans as well to be able to celebrate ten years of hard work and good music.  Are OH MY GIRL's songs summery, strictly speaking? I don't know. I don't know enough of their discography to know that for sure. Is this one? Absolutely. It's a little bit funky, but in a light and bright way that feels like a mature summer day in the middle of July when the leaves are large, full, and deep green, the grass in shady areas is still lush and green, but yellowing and a little sunburnt outside of that, and the sky is that gorgeous blue you can only see in summer. It's settling down under some trees in a hammock with a book, gently swaying and completely at peace. Do you want to move with this song? Maybe? But it's too comfortable to want to put too much effort into. I love the rapping in this song. It does such a good job...

Release date: 2025 April 14 Album tracklist: poppop , Melt Inside My Pocket, Design, 1000, Silly Dance, Still 3PM Album runtime: 18 minutes  Okay, this song shouldn't make me emotional. I started a certain group's tenth anniversary release and realized that my current emotional space is not good for that. So I can't right now. Instead I'm going to go for a rookie group that I've liked so far, NCT Wish. They're adorable and with how much I absolutely adore both Dunk Shot and Steady, I'm tentatively hopeful for this one as well. Also, the title track is over three minutes, so the fact that I had to round up to the eighteen minutes (it was still pretty close) isn't too much of a problem for me. Also, I definitely need to get this review done because they've gotten wins, and y'all know what that means. Okay, so this song has more of the classic NCT sound than the two tracks they promoted with the last time, both of which I absolutely loved. The bass ...

Release date: 2025 April 20 Album tracklist: Candy House , Sunday to Monday Album runtime: 6 minutes  I had one heck of a time trying to find this group, so here's the Spotify link , the Apple Music link , the YouTube Music link , and the Melon link , because I'm an overachiever, but you all should be covered with one of them being useable for you if you like this song. Also, I really like how Melon is set up and I'm sad now. It even literally lists what the title track is. That's all I want from a music streaming service. That's it. Anyway, if you're looking to look up the group on your own, I had to search with SW:C to find them. So I'm not actually sure what the actual name of the group is (there seems to be some confusion between the streaming services, YouTube, and nearly every place I looked to see for more information on them in my search. But because of that search, I am happy to already report that the maknae turns 23 this year, which makes me a hap...

Release date: 2025 April 19 Album tracklist: Moon Album runtime: 5 minutes  I'm going to put this under ASTRO since it is spearheaded by them/Eunwoo. There is a very long list of contributing artists, and given the nature of what this is, yes, I absolutely am going to list all of them with group members in parentheses with their group: (ASTRO: JinJin, MJ, Rocky, Eunwoo, Sanha), (VIVIZ: Eunbi, SinB, Umji), (Monsta X: Minhyuk, Kihyun, I.M), (Seventeen: Hoshi, Wonwoo, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan), (IMFACT: HELLO GLOOM), (Weki Meki: Yoojung, Doyeon), (SF9: Chani), (Stray Kids: Bang Chan), and (Billie: Moon Sua) . It's a testament to how many people love Moonbin, really, because this is only a fraction. You can hardly go through the group pages of groups that debuted between 2014 and 2019 without finding a member or two who isn't friends with Moonbin. I genuinely don't know what form this review is going to take, but I highly doubt a lot of critical reviewing will take place. I ne...

 This group has a grand total of 2500 listeners a month on Spotify, so I'm super happy that the submitter decided to give this song to me. Let's see if we can introduce more people to them. I've also never actually heard of this group before so chances are, you and I are both going to be going on this venture into this b-side and group together for the first time. If you've already heard of them or listen to them, and there was something I didn't highlight about this song that you'd like to, go ahead and hop on over to the submission link, and I will make an addition with my focus on the thing you really enjoy about it. Debuted in 2021 under BY-U Entertainment (which is the most hilarious K-Pop company I've ever heard named, and that won't make sense for a lot of people, but that's okay. The ones who will get it, I see you. Me too.), they started out with six members, although it looks like they've had a few line-up changes over the years. The st...

Release date: 2025 April 29 Album tracklist: Pookie, ADONIS, Work of Art, Perfect Crime, Heartbreak, Midnight Special Album runtime:  minutes  I believe that this is a pre-release for the group because Spotify gave me a notification that the countdown for the album had begun. Which was amusing, but I've also got a suspicion that this one might get a win on a music show. Haven't heard it yet. But I've got a feeling that the possibility is there. If I'm right, I'm going to be rather excited for the group which is the Ship of Theseus. If I'm wrong, well, they have a title track coming out as well soon, so that can be another attempt by the fans. I understand things might be a little shaky, but I hope the seas continue to soothe as equilibrium is achieved once again. Okay, if you give me a song with the title "Perfect Crime", I expect an edge. I expect teeth. I expect either cold, calculating surgical precision or bold, unhinged chaos to the point where th...

 Hello, hello! Congrats to the winners this week! I'm fully in agreeance with who won. Excellent songs. A first time win, and then a couple of repeat winners, which is always nice to see them rack up those wins. Very nice.  Speaking of Very Nice, I'm delighted to share with you all this After School Club episode I found that has The Eric Nam, Jamie, and Kevin from U-KISS as the MCs. And while normally, because I like timing to work out well, I'd wait to have this closer to the group's tenth anniversary, I don't know how long ASC will be on hiatus, and I'd hate to miss the chance to share with you Baby Seventeen! That's right, gals, pals, and nonbinary pals! ASC for you all this time around is 2015 Seventeen, a month after debut! While I was watching it so that I had things to say about it, I had to keep pausing it because the cuteness aggression was making it hard to breathe sometimes. That or my posture was terrible. Either way, I want to squish them. Withi...

Release date: 2025 April 20 Album tracklist: Lucky to be loved, Countdown! , Random Play, Freestyle, Now Playing, GO BACK Album runtime: 15 minutes  This is a really minor thing, and I don't know if it's just me, but I actually prefer when the English titles follow the literal translation more closely than matching the vibe. The members are stepping into their next era after their school-hood debut era now that they're a whole year old, and with the maknae turning eighteen this year, the English title does make sense in that regard. But I like the flow and lyricism of the original Korean. Which I understand mostly. Yay me. Progress. But if you've been following these reviews for any amount of time, you'll know that I have a soft spot a football stadium wide for all Pledis groups, and TWS feels like the softer side of my beloved NU'EST. I desperately want TWS to be on ASC with Aron. It would feel so full circle. However, because I generally like songs released b...

Release date: 2025 April 20 Album tracklist: SINKING, FADE OUT, Attention , END OF TIME Album runtime: 13 minutes  I kept sending the concept photos for this album to my Stay friend, complete with key smashing and insane gibberish. That's it. That is the note I have for this song, other than the title track is two and a half minutes long. I had hope from the album runtime. Alas. That does mean that the other songs have some heft to them in the length department. Happy one year anniversary, Big Ocean! I've been enjoying watching you on your journey, and to celebrate them and TWS who released the next day, I painted my nails blue. The song is best enjoyed in the context of the rest of the album, for the record. This has moments where it gets rather slinky, but it doesn't stay there too long, because that build in energy through the pre-chorus courtesy of the drums and the guitar stepping out to take some spotlight does well to come often enough to provide some much needed ext...

Release date: 2025 April 08 Album tracklist: Kick Start , My Mistake, Who Are you, I Know You, Knock Knock, WYD Album runtime: 17 minutes  Do I listen to this group a lot? No. Am I still somewhat fond of the group? Yes. They were on Boys Planet and it's been delightful seeing the former trainees debut and grow as artists. Also, I love their names. They make me smile. I did take a brief look at the maknae's age just to double check, and he turned eighteen last year, so it's all good. For the runtime, the title track is barely over three minutes, but it is over three minutes, so that's fine. And all the songs are hovering near the three minute mark if they're shorter than that, but there are enough that are under that, combined with the ones that are over being barely over, result in a runtime that I refuse to round up to eighteen minutes because it feels disingenuous even though technically it would. I'm struggling a little with this song. It's a solid song. ...

Release date: 2025 April 09 Album tracklist: BANG OUT , Still typing.. (subtitle: blank) Album runtime: 6 minutes  I covered WHIB's song Rush of Joy when it was released last year, and apparently hadn't realized the Underage Maknae Problem was as widespread a problem as it is. Not that WHIB falls under that, because the maknae was seventeen or eighteen at debut. I'd also like to point out how much I love the title of the other song on this single, because it's pretty hilarious and I will definitely be listening to the song at some point because how am I supposed to resist that? Rush of Joy was more TWS, and BANG OUT is a lot more xikers, and in fact, this one specifically reminds me of Rockstar  with the instrumentals. They went for the grungy, street music vibe to start off the song, and while there are sections that definitely make the song smooth out, the guitar getting absolutely shredded in spots does a lot to keep it from being too flat, especially after how int...

 Okay, so, Koyote is a co-ed group that originally debuted in 1998, and since has had line-up changes like they're one of the Doctors. The current line-up is Kim Jongim, Shinji, and Bbaekga. Also, I just learned that they did a Killing Voice a year and a half ago (2023) so I recommend you all go check that out. They're there to have fun, and also sing. First gen idols are just built different, you guys. Also also, if you look into their history, there's a really good reason for all the line-up changes. It's a miracle the group has made it this long, even with these members, because it has just been one thing after another, so I'm really happy that we have a current line-up that is stable, long-lasting, and a lot less problematic. And I know I said on the review for Four Seasons  that I'd be doing a GH post for this group, and I still intend to do so (so let me know if there's a title track you really like), but I'm doing one of these instead. 웃자 comes f...

Release Date: 2025 April 04 Album tracklist: Light It Up, BURN Album runtime: 4 minutes  I just want everyone to know that the album runtime is deceptive. This song, the title track, is over three minutes long. The other one is little more than an introduction to the title track. This song also got delayed by a week because of the wildfires that were ongoing during the original release date and it would have been highly insensitive given the title of the song. Understandably. This is also the first review I've done of this group that I kind of consider to be a subunit of LOONA due to the composition of the group. I don't know if they technically are or not, but in my own personal classifications, they are. Also, I love their lightstick. It's one of the coolest ones out there. I don't know if I will ever get to go to a concert, but I think they're cool enough that I still want one. Seriously. Go look those suckers up. I'm kind of jealous of their fans. Normally, ...

  Three of the Big 4 are represented this week in the music show wins, but they're not the only ones, which is also cool. I like diversity in an ecosystem because that indicates healthiness for the ecosystem. We've got a couple of first song wins, which is delightful for all of us, and mostly them because those wins are important. And I was waiting for one of those songs to get a win. Also, I couldn't be happier about Close Your Eyes for getting a second (very well deserved in my opinion, that album is amazing and incredible) just about two weeks after debut. Whoo! I did a random scroll to grab an After School Club for this week as they're still on hiatus (which is fine and I'm happy to wait for them; I'm doing a lot of waiting), and after I finished watching it, I found my next one because it was the next recommended for me to watch. It's a group who is regularly a top listen of mine every month and they were on ASC exactly one time. This week, however, fea...

Release Date: 2025 April 15 Album tracklist: Spooky, I Like You , Bubble Bubble, Hot Chicken, Bestie Album runtime: 15 minutes  First comeback from my girls! Yes! You can find my reviews of their first two songs ( Best Friendz and THAT'S ME respectively), and Best Friendz has an English version, and I just love them so much. That's a run-on sentence technically. I don't think I care. I still love Best Friendz so much. ODD YOUTH are still in their first six months, so to recap, by the end of their first year, they'll all be adults except the maknae who will still be eighteen by the end of this year, so I'm allowing myself to err on the side of ambiguity, and I really like them.  Okay, I did a quick listen of the whole mini album, and I gotta say that Hot Chicken is a delight . It's so weird and also is such a strong song, and yes, I'm now partial to it, but I kind of wish they'd gone with that one for the title track because it's so weird. Would ...

Release Date: 2025 March 31 Album tracklist: LOVE LINE , What if? Album runtime: 6 minutes  The cool thing about how I'm trying to get myself caught up is I'm under 0 obligation to do any of the reviews in order. Takes the pressure off me to do any given review, but also gives me flexibility in case a song gets a win in a music show before I get to actually doing it. Like in this case, where it's part of the March releases that I'm putting a pause on for the moment to wrangle the April ones. Congrats, NiziU! Super exciting! And until or unless this gets added to an album later, I'm just going to treat this like the single it currently is.  This song feels very J-Pop. Like, if you told me that this was the opening theme to an anime, I'd so fully believe you that knowing it isn't makes me feel a little weird, like the world isn't what I expect it to be. It's a very bright track with high amounts of cheerful energy, and quirky little synthy bursts and w...

Release Date: 2025 April 07 Album tracklist: Toronto's Window, 1999 , Flight to NYC, Righteous, Fraktsiya , Raincouver, Loser, Watching TV, +82 Pressin' , 200 , Journey Mercies, Mom's Interlude, Too Much Album runtime: 36 minutes  Okay, Mark. We had a trial run for you to get a taste of the solo life accompanied by one of your members so the pressure was off a little. You did very, very well, so let's see how you did with the training wheels taken off. And for the record, I'm very much in support of his decision to Pre-Debut with Haechan so that he can ease into it. After all, it's much easier to put a frog in cold water than it is to put it in boiling water. Although I'd just like to point out that although the runtime seems like it's long, it's slightly longer than 2 minutes per song. But at least the title track for the album and his debut song is a good length, so I'll take it. So, I'm sure you know by now that I have a slight love affair...

 I'm calling this a title track because it was a single, even though the version two wasn't a title track on the album it ended up going on. Thank you to the fan over on Reddit for suggesting this one. You also gave me a few others that I put into my "To Do" playlist so that I have that organized and I won't forget to do it (that playlist is also where I put anything that gets submitted from The Form , fun fact, so don't worry about it getting lost somewhere or me forgetting) Okay, some basic facts about this song. It's actually a rearrangement of their song, Call , from their first mini album, HIPPITY HOP. Written by member LE and produced by LE and Shinsadong Tiger, it looks like it did fairly well on the charts, although unfortunately it didn't get any wins. Okay, that would be leading into this on a downer, which I don't like, so, instead, I'm going to say congrats to EXID for winning Super Rookie of the Year from Arirang's Simply K-Pop...

Release Date: 2025 April 02 Album tracklist: Comedy , Comedy - Instrumental Album runtime: 7 minutes  If you think I'm not giving this kid back to his group, I haven't been blatant enough in my opinions. He leaves the group to keep from harming its reputation and he was found innocent of the claims against him. Am I angry about this, especially when they just released an album of five-member versions? Yes. And I'm going to sulkily be thinking about this whole situation for five more minutes before I try to shake it off and listen to this song with a clear head. This is apparently a pre-debut release, but I have no idea when his solo debut is scheduled for. Also, yay for those of us who are me, the instrumental track is also included so I get to simply enjoy that without having to dig underneath the vocals, and there's a segment, not sure what it specifically is, that reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy X , but if that part of the soundtrack was more synthy. You know? It...

Release Date: 2025 April 08 Album tracklist: Beautiful Life, Us Before, Universe , Last girl (with Han Yo Han), JUMP, Fly Away, Wolf, Umbrella - Bonus Track Album runtime: 28 minutes  Apparently this is his first Korean mini album, which is both entertaining and adorable. It's nowhere near his solo debut, because that was almost two decades ago with trot, but the time gap is kind of precious. I'd also like to say that I'm a huge fan of how long these songs are, with only one of them under three minutes and that's barely. I'd also like to add that one of the places that Baekho has signed with is the company that has Daesung's company. So they're sort of at the same place now (like how Baekho and V were both under HYBE, just not in the same company). We're definitely leaning more towards the rock and the ballad for this, though by the prevalence and drama of the drums and the electric guitar I'm much more inclined to call this a rock song, and I couldn...

Release Date: 2025 March 30 Album tracklist: Moment , Moment - Instrumental Album runtime: 8 minutes  The group hasn't been exceptionally active the last few years, although they did release quite a few singles last year. Still, a series of singles does not an album make. On the other hand, I can generally rely on them to be beasts, much like their twin group is. Speaking of 2PM, I want them to release a new album too. It's been too long since we've been graced with an album from either group. Let's have the powerhouses have a full comeback this year. Both sets. I'd be absolutely ecstatic and over the moon if that happened. The amount of soft acoustic guitar throughout the song gives me life. The beat is slow and soft. And you know what this song has that I love when it shows up in music of any kind? The violin. Violins for some reason instantly make any song about 80% more dramatic and cinematic, but this one has an electric guitar to bellow alongside the acoustic ...

Release Date: 2025 April 08 Album tracklist:  NERDY , IRL, BUBBLE UP, NERDY - ENGLISH VERSION Album runtime: 12 minutes  This is apparently a digital mini album, which is interesting for a debuting group and implies a few things. But, I'm only here to judge members' ages, song lengths, and trendiness, as it were. Also, I'm here to gently point out that "ifeye" stands for "Imagine & Find Energetic Young Eyes" which makes about as much sense as "New Establish Style Tempo," but you know? It's fine. Nonsensical acronyms are part of my jam. Okay, but in terms of ages, the eldest (not the leader) turns nineteen this year, which is a little worrisome but it could have been fine except for the fact that the maknae is currently fifteen and turns sixteen next month, which means I go into Underage Protocol, listening once for the instrumental, once for the vocals, and then up to twice for the music video. I'm here to help informed decisions ha...

Release date: 2025 April 21 Album tracklist: Wait On Me , Walls Don't Talk , Pressure, Ridin', Off and Away, Adult Swim , Flight to Paris Album runtime: 19 minutes  And because I'm so far behind, I'm going to start with them as I want to. And since I saw a gifset of Kai this morning on Tumblr, what with him being too pretty for words and whatnot, I went "Hey, who says I have to do any of this in any sort of order? Who cares?" And just because Kai is too pretty, but also because I'm actually excited to see what he's up to post-military and I've been depriving myself. Happy thirteenth anniversary to all the members of EXO, by the way! I don't know precisely when it was The run time is not it though. That's not even two and a half minutes. Please, SM. Please don't be doing this too. Please do one  thing right for your groups and artists. We've got a really good beat to the song. I particularly like the build up at about the minute fort...