March 2026 Wrap-Up: Time is a Soup

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 So I'm awake at 1 am for literally zero reason. And while I could continue to write the reviews to be posted tomorrow, instead I'm going to get this started because as we know, these can take a minute. You know? You know. I'm going to add some plant pictures at the bottom after the section where I talk about what I was listening to.

I covered three group debuts this month: TUNEXX, SUCTION, V01D! I also covered two solo debuts: Yuna from ITZY and Kangmin from Verivery. Those links all go to my reviews. There were two virtual idol groups that debuted that I did not cover: Skinz and Owis.

Songs I was looking forward to:

  • BTOB: They turned fourteen this year, and the gift we got was a digital single from the six of them. They're always a good time, vocally.
  • EVERGLOW: You know, I've been listening to them more. I'm curious. And, they recently left their old company, so I'm hoping they continue on well and get recognition
  • Woodz: He's got an amazing voice. Please and thank you.
  • ODD YOUTH: These are my girls! I will continue to be so loud for them!
  • Dragon Pony: I missed their last release they did. I was not going to miss this one.
  • Stray Kids: Again, this is the month where almost all of my favorite groups debuted.
  • BTS: First group comeback post military? You bet your bottom dollar that I'm interested in this. 
  • Moonbyul (MAMAMOO): I think I might be half in love with her. It's fine. I'd be more upset if she wasn't wildly talented

Music Show Wins

Week of 03/04 - 03/10

Week of 03/11 - 03/17

Week of 03/18 - 03/24

Week of 03/25 - 03/31

And now it's the most wonderful time of the month!

Top Releases of the Month:

  • Big Ocean "One Man Army": Y'all. This song is a banger. It's like if EXO and The Kingdom had a child that was combat music with a violin.
  • EVERGLOW "CODE": I ended up adding it to the list because of the vocals. And the music video because that's so cool. 
  • TUNEXX "I'm Alive": The music video is bafflingly weird. I don't particularly like the song itself, though I do like that one of them sounds a bit like V. But that music video needs to be known.
  • Woodz "Human Extinction": This is Drowning's younger sister.
  • ORORORA "Hold My Breath": Y'all she reminds me of Enya, and her voice is gorgeous.
  • V01D "Tug of War": I'm still not sure if this is a yearning song or a heartbreak song or both, but yowza. 
  • ODD YOUTH "Babyface": I love beyond all expression how much they have cute songs and then the absolute strangest music videos. This time, we got a shoe vending machine, and that was the normal part.
  • E'LAST "Tame": We got all three things that I look for in a song and the instrumental is wonderfully dramatic. 
  • ALL(H)OURS "DEAD MAN WALKING": The song is boss fight in a video game, with a music video that could have come from VIXX or B.A.P.
  • AB6IX "BOTTOMS UP": This is an encore song and I love that for it, but more than that, it feels like a pre-enlistment song, and considering their eldest member is getting ready to enlist this year, I can't help but warm to this song.
  • BTOB "We Together": I desperately hope that when Minhyuk makes the fanchant, he makes it so that this song is like Tonight and takes up 3/4 of the song. Also, I think all six of them are singing at the end. It's so beautiful and Hyunsik made the song 3:21, which is the same date as their debut. 
  • P1Harmony "UNIQUE": It's been a long time since I heard a song that maximized the retail space like this. And also, this music video is incredible.
  • In A Minute "Broken Doll": I'm pretty sure we have a key change in this song, and that would have put it on the list regardless of anything else that was going on.
  • Baby DONT Cry "Shapeshifter": I decided I'm not going to put the group on U.P, which is a good thing, because the song wouldn't have ended up here. I absolutely adore the chorus and there's a flying pink gorilla in the music video.
  • Moonbyul (MAMAMOO) "Hertz": I can't think of a more appropriate song to have been reviewing while I was watching an old livestream of Dead Island 2. Also, Moonbyul is stunning.
  • Kep1er "KILLA (Face the other me)": That instrumental is phenomenal. Oh, I adore the instrumental and there are other great bits to the song, but that instrumental is just wow.
  • Stray Kids "Stay": I'm such a softie for anniversary songs. Also, I highly recommend you listen to this and then Stray Kids.
  • Nana (After School) "Black Star {OST}: It's a five minute OST for a drama that she's starring in. 

Full list of March reviews: here

Reviews for other months:

Greatest Hits

  • HyunA (Wonder Girls/4Minute) "Bubble Pop!": I wanted a very bright song to help balance out all the intensity and heaviness of recent posts. One of K-Pop's most iconic summer anthems fit the bill pretty well, and I've got this on a few playlists. Including my "pre-work so I can pretend I want to be there" playlist and my "post-work so I can loosen up and shake off Work Fangirl and go back to being Normal Fangirl" playlist.
  • RM (BTS) "Wild Flower": I had the problem of what to put in slot for the timing for the NU'EST anniversary, because I'd pushed back that post to combine with JR's discharge. Because I'm sentimental around this time of year (and also we were getting into my car accident anniversary time because two in the space of a week), I had been chewing on the problem for a while. And then I figured, "Why not do an artist that I wouldn't bias if it wasn't for NU'EST and JR?" Three birds one stone, because as I realized later, this was also right before BTS's first post-military comeback. I did pick one of his softer rap songs because I'm not a huge fan of rap, but I did really like this one. And the music video is gorgeous.
  • LUNA "Love Paranoia": This was my part-NU'EST anniversary and part-JR disbandment post from the band JR was the bassist for in the drama, Let Me Be Your Knight. This wasn't my best work, not going to lie, but it doesn't change the fact that you should listen to it, because it's amazing and JR wrote his rap for it and learned to play the bass for it.
  • woo!ah! "Catch the Stars": Again, I wanted something really bright, but this one I didn't actually want an emotional attachment to. So, I found something very cute that I tested out a little bit with a stage added to one of my Music Show Wins posts. Very cute. Very bright. The music video is a bit odd, but I was genuinely smiling for most of it. Perfect to start spring.

Battle of the B-Sides

  • xikers "Rockstar": What's funny about this one is I didn't realize until a couple of posts later that I could have used this for their anniversary at the end of the month. I just did it at the beginning instead when it wouldn't have the same competition. The music video is amazing. The choreography is amazing. That dance break? Amazing.
  • Gain (Brown Eyed Girls) "Paradise Lost": I've been circling this song for...four months now? Maybe. A while. This of course is despite the fact that I hadn't heard it yet in full. I just knew that I was going to be covering it at some point because of how many times it gets listed on compilation kpop videos. And that music video is a work of literary beauty.
  • AMPERS&ONE "I Know You": Submission from The Form! I deeply wish that this gets performed so that we can get a look at the choreography. But I'm also positively kicking my feet over the amount of vibrato we hear in this song.
  • BTOB "The Feeling": Happy anniversary, BTOB, my beloved emotional support group! When they performed it on Show Champion, there wasn't an in-ear to be seen, and if you're looking for some absolutely incredible vocals (from all seven of the performing members because they all sing for this song), this is where you should come.
  • Stray Kids "Pacemaker": Happy anniversary, Stray Kids! This was suggested by my Stay friend, and this song is actually surprisingly heavy for a song that's technically as slow as it is. There's also a spot in the choreography where I.N is framed as the backbone of the entire rest of the group. I like that.

Look forward to April because that's going to be chaos and vibes. It's going to be fun. And if you've got any suggestions for me, drop a comment or you can leave the suggestion in The Form. And if you've got a time-sensitive song you'd like me to post at a specific time, all you have to do is let me know when you want it done.


Honorable Mentions:

  • BIGBANG "Bang Bang Bang": Look, I'd been restless for three weeks. Nothing was fixing it. Couldn't find The Song to give me what I was looking for. And then, BAM! this song came up on my playlist finally, and I proceeded to throw it on repeat for roughly ten hours one day. 
  • NU'EST "FACE": As everyone knows, this song will come up a lot on these. Will this be the year she is finally dethroned? Who will dethrone her? 
  • EXID "Up & Down": What? You mean another song that I listened to on repeat for hours at a time because it was the only thing giving me the happy feelings I needed? No but seriously, this song is great and I genuinely enjoy singing it. Because this is another case of my learning most of the lyrics because of the fancy special post I did on the song. Link provided. Shameless self-promotion. 
  • Kang Daniel "Electric Shock": This is what I turned to after I got what I needed to from BIGBANG. Because my brain is a fickle creature and I only listened to it for, like, two hours. Only two hours.
  • SHINee "Everybody": Still one of SHINee's best songs, and they've got some powerhouses. I wish I could get the opportunity to see this performed live.
  • Seungkwan (Seventeen) "Serenade": Frankly, I'm a little surprised that this one won out over DK's, but I'm not mad about it. It's over four minutes of Seungkwan's vocals. How could I be mad?
  • 2013 SBS Gayo Daejeon "You Are A Miracle": This is basically one of the greatest songs to come out of K-Pop. This is the Avengers of songs, and I wish I was exaggerating about this. This is what G-Dragon was seeking to reproduce, which instantly elevates it beyond where it already was. Instantly. Immediately.



We are officially in spring, everyone! Popcorn has popped on the apricot tree! The pear and apple trees are leafing out and in bloom! Cherry and peach trees are doing their best (I affectionately call the cherry tree The Stick because there for a while it was just a single branch sticking straight up). Not featured are the plum trees that are starting to making my car look like it's come straight out of Ouran High School.







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