Just A Little Fangirl Love

 Sentimentality here. The fifteenth was their anniversary, and Baekho left Pledis on the fourteenth, and I had my car accident on the thirteenth. It has been a rough few days emotionally and while I had a plan to do another group, the car accident confirmed for me that I should just do this for their anniversary, even though typing for long periods of time (such as doing this) hurts my wrist. And I picked a NU'EST W song, because the W stands for waiting, and that's what we're doing: waiting for them to come back. And I'm not masochistic enough to do Where You At , which got them their first win at all since debut, or Deja Vu , which is so beloved that it also got performed as five later. NU'EST W is the subunit formed after their appearance on Produce 101 S2 until 2019 with the return of Minhyun to the group. The album, Wake, N, hit number on the Korean charts, and this song got a win on Music Bank, which makes it the subunit's fourth win. In 2018. In December ...

Release date: November 1 Album tracklist:  CLIK CLAK ;  DRIP ; Love Maybe; Really Like You ;  BILLIONAIRE;  Love in My Heart ; Woke Up In Tokyo; FOREVER; BATTER UP (Remix) Album runtime: 28 minutes  YGE and BABYMONSTER are doing an excellent job of using a full album to...well, the fullest. This is the fourth music video to drop from it, which is almost more than some mini albums have tracks, and is part of the reason why I prefer the longer albums, even if there's an increased wait for them. I've also avoided listening to too much of the album because of the maknae's age. Not cool when they've been out for over a year and she is currently fifteen. But, because of that, I also still haven't heard this song and it's been a hot minute since the album was released, so I'm curious to now if this song is going to be dumped into the playlist of songs I get to move into my regularly scheduled programming playlists once the members are all of an acceptable age. Intr...

  Release date: 2024 November 04 Album tracklist:  Four Seasons , Four Seasons(Inst.) Album runtime: 7 minutes  I was looking at some first gen K-Pop groups and found out that this one is both still active, and I missed doing a review for this song when it was released. Possibly because there are so many K-Pop groups that it's just not feasible for me to get all the names memorized yet. Also, excitingly, Koyote is a co-ed group, so this should be fun. Koyote is a trio which debuted in 1998, and unlike most groups now, has had multiple line-up changes, as a lot of the older groups had. Of the three current members, only Shin Ji is an original member, with Jong Min joining in 2000 and the maknae, Bbaek Ga, joining in 2004. I'm not kidding. If you want a look at what feels like a lawless time, look into the original K-Pop groups. There are some absolutely wild stories going on with them. They're on average less pearl-clutching-worthy as the sordid tales from the American hai...

Release date: 2024 November 01 Album tracklist:  Best Friendz , THAT'S ME Album runtime: 5 minutes  Guess who just found out there's a music video for ODD YOUTH's s-side!!! That's right! It's me! One of my favorite debuts from 2024 got a music video for the other song on their debut single! Also, guess who just found out she hadn't paid attention to the album information when she posted the debut review! Also me! That's fixed now. My apologies to everyone. So compared to the very cute debut track they had, THAT'S ME  has more of an edge to it. Also, a cowbell. I don't know about the rest of you, but having what sounds like a cowbell show up in a K-Pop song summoned the yeehaw in my ancestry, which was then also very confused because nothing else about this song requires the yeehaw. This is just some good dance pop with some fascinating variations to the instrumentals. There are frequent breaks where there's two or fewer instruments in play, neith...

 So this lovely group left their company after a little over two years, founded their own company, and are now going by the name Skye as of 2023. So, yes, technically IN2IT is disbanded, but it's more of a B2ST/Highlight situation. I also found out that they did a cover of SHINee's An Encore  a few months ago, which delights me to no end because that's my favorite SHINee song, and they did a great job. This one was also recommended to me, and because I've never heard of this group before, I'm genuinely delighted by the idea that I get to cover a group I haven't heard of. And the only group I've covered in one of these posts, going by some of the numbers, that's smaller is the ill-fated Chocolate, which I also hadn't heard of before I started looking into them.  Some brief background on them. They debuted in 2017 as an 8-member project group from the survival show BOYS24 under what is now WAKEONE and left at the end of their contracts in 2020, which m...

 This comes from my submission form, and it's the first one I'm doing from there! Whoo! I was going to put this off a little because I just did a 2012 debut for a Battle of the B-Sides post, but oh, well! I have a feeling that this one isn't like that song either, so I'm less worried about doing too much of the same. Variety, yes, but I can do what I want and the few songs I've already heard of theirs ( Chained Up is in many of my playlists) I've liked already. How much of that is because I know they're in the 2012 debut club, which automatically enters them into my category of groups I look upon favorably, I don't know. But I do know that even without that, what I've heard is very good. I've also heard some interesting and hilarious things about the group, and am curious to know if they're true or not. But! This submission came with the note that the submitter was pretty sure this song was VIXX's first win and that was why it was being ...

Release date: 2024 November 15 Album tracklist: What About Love Album runtime: 2 minutes  So, apparently this was originally released back on November. I apparently either didn't notice it, or I temporarily forgot which group he was with, but there's a music video out now, which I also just realized. Forgive me for not paying attention. I am not overly fond of that runtime though. Two and a half minutes? That's not comfy. And apparently it's an English single, which may explain why I didn't do anything with it in the first place. Although I do find it a little funny that Chanyeol just released a song in what looks like Chinese.  Ooh, I like that guitar. When it's on, before the vocals enter, it reminds me of a song that would be on Supernatural . It sounds remarkably familiar, even though it doesn't do what my ears are expecting it to do. I think the drumsticks were utilized in the instrumentals, as well as some version of audience participation clapping. It...

Release date: 2024 November 1 Album tracklist:  CLIK CLAK ;  DRIP ; Love Maybe; Really Like You ;  BILLIONAIRE; Love In My Heart ; Woke Up In Tokyo; FOREVER; BATTER UP (Remix) Album runtime: 28 minutes  I wasn't expecting a music video over a month late, but it's here, and I'm vaguely reminded that they were planning on doing several music videos for this song. But, a song that's longer than three minutes is what I'll almost always be here for. I really appreciate the quality of the mellow instrumentals, especially when put against CLIK CLAK  and DRIP . They're soothing in a way I'm excited to see from the group, even when the energy level spikes during the chorus related sections, being the pre-chorus, the chorus, and the post-chorus. The clapping during the pre-chorus definitely brings me joy. It's not quite audience participation clapping, which I've been very vocal about how much I love, nor is it quite clapping as I'm almost positive that it...

Release date: 2024 November 03 Album tracklist: Such a Day - Male Version , Such a Day - Female Version, Such a Day - Male Version Instrumental, Such a Day - Female Version Instrumental Album runtime: 17 minutes  Since I've got a little bit of time this month, I'm going to use it to hit some of the OSTs that I made note of but didn't have a chance to review because there are so many releases almost on a daily basis that it's hard to keep up with the required songs, let alone the OSTs. And I've been incredibly vocal about the fact that I love Hui and his voice so much.  The song starts off with just a piano and some strings eventually get added, but the solemn piano is both backbone and primary instrument for the instrumentals, even after the percussion joins in and the strings become a little more pushy. I really like the electric guitar that shows up just to texture the song. It's incredibly pretty and soothing. There's something sad about the instrumentals...

  Release date: 2024 November 29 Album tracklist:  Destiny,  RESET ,  Because of you, Sleepless Night, Destiny - Acoustic Version, Desiny - Instrumental, RESET - Instrumental Album runtime: 24 minutes  Grim Reaper Boy is back with a new album! (I call him this because this was the nickname I gave him on Build Up, because of his team's nickname for their performance of Pray ) I love the remake he put out recently and have been sitting anxiously waiting for this release to drop. Great run time. Huge fan of that. We've got a mellow R&B song going on that softens into full ballad territory occasionally, which is the general sound I have associated with him. The piano is beautiful. We've got some absolutely gorgeous strings. And frankly, the percussion is so well-bonded to the other instruments that often it fades into the background and just acts as a support rather than a defining feature of the instrumentals. The guitar that quietly bolsters his voice pops up...

Release date: 2024 November 27 Album tracklist: Baby, if you, Make Me Right, Chosen, Take it easy,  Crash , Preview, °C(Temperature), Right back, Inside, Cloud nine Album runtime: 34 minutes I find it kind of hilarious that both Minho and Jay B, both of whom dropped full albums, released b-side music videos at about the same time even though the original album releases were three weeks apart. It's the little things, you know? I know my R&B recognition meter is broken, but even if it didn't outright say R&B, which is a line I kept missing the first time I heard this song, I still pegged it as R&B. I could be wrong, because like I said, my R&B recognition meter is broken, but I feel slightly confident about it. The guitar here for me is a very good thing and scratches the country music itch I have a little. It's the wrong kind of guitar to fully scratch the itch, but it's good enough. The slow, mellow beat rolls through song like ocean waves, and the audie...

Release date: 2024 November 04 Album tracklist:  CALL BACK ,  Slow Down, FIREWORKS, Came And Left Me, Something About U , Round Kick, Affection, I Don't Miss You,  Because Of You,  Would You Mind Album runtime: 31 minutes  I was not expecting him to drop a b-side music video a month or so after the album release, but I should have guessed one would eventually given the length of the album. Hello again, Minho. Glad to see you back, and glad to review this one. At the risk of being a little explicit, there are sections of the instrumentals that can only be described as "throbbing." They don't last through the entire song, which is a little bit of a relief as the pre-chorus and the bridge mellow them out, but a lot of those sections also have a grinding synth. There's not a lot of change from the chorus to the verses, if any, and the post-chorus is much of the same, but more intense, although it's also easily my least favorite part of the song. The slight tempo a...

Aespa got the triple crown on Inkigayo this week! ATEEZ and WayV got their first wins with their new songs. There were no performances on either Show Champion, nor MCountdown, nor were there any wins for either program. Jay spent a lot of time singing on ASC, and there wasn't an MC Challenge, which I'd be upset about, but he sang so much that I can't be upset. Also, he did a quick cover of Mariah Carey's Christmas song, and his vocal runs and the quality of his tone just makes me melt a little inside.  Just as a reminder, the links in the chart go to my reviews, and the link down on ASC is for the full hour program. And I include the stage for the music shows, unless the winner didn't perform it on that day, in which case, I pull usually another live performance. Show Champion: N/A MCountdown: N/A Music Bank: ATEEZ "Ice on my Teeth"  (note: I don't think they're still promoting, so have the performance from 20241115) Show! Music Core: aespa "W...

Release date: 2024 November 22 Album tracklist: Paper Cut,  LaSalle Ave , Four Seasons, What You Need (feat. TAG) Album runtime: 13 minutes  I was not expecting a second music video to come out of this, but I'm okay with it being the song he did with his groupmate. Although, after seeing Bitsaeon with his group for the single, I'm a little concerned for B.D.U, not going to lie, and more concerned upon learning that Jay is doing a solo thing across the US. I know it's not a permanent group, but I really like them. Don't mind me. I'm worried and a little sulky. Hello, funky guitar. This is certainly a fun song, and I suspect one that will be well suited for car dancing. It's got brief patches of respirator percussion and whistling, but the fun and flirty synth added in during the quieter sections of the instrumentals does a lot to keep the energy going. They're not overly ambitious, but very satisfactorily support the vocals and provide enough contrast to prev...

Release date: 2024 November 30 Album tracklist:  See The Light , See The Light - Instrumental Album runtime: 6 minutes  I saw this while I was glancing through the new releases and internally sighed. I don't do a lot of OSTs, although I have done a few, but my mother wouldn't forgive me if I didn't, because this guy over here is her ult from her ult group. Yes, I did this to my mother. No, I'm not sorry about it. I don't disagree with her about his voice though. Wow. The inclusion of the instrumental means I get to ignore his voice for the time being, something I appreciate, because I know it'll be distracting. My first impressions of this are John Wick and Looper , both of which are very intense movies but for different reasons. I don't know anything about what this show is, but the ticking clock and the respirator percussion, not to mention the quietly intense vibes, make me think this isn't some cute little rom com. I'd almost call it a "last...

Release date: 2024 November 30 Album tracklist: Runaway Album runtime: 3 minutes  Ooh, he dropped another surprise single. He's been a busy bee this year. I don't know if this was actually a surprise, and I'm sure people in the fandom could tell me if it was or wasn't, but it was a surprise to me. What a way to round off the month than with another entry into his singles series. I'd be more upset about the run time, but these are his pet projects, and he can be as experimental as he wants for them.  These instrumentals remind me of country music, which is the primary genre I listened to up until fairly recently. The vocal styling is not, but the instrumentals themselves feel familiar. This is lovely and a bit of a hug, but ultimately the instrumentals don't change too much. The only variation we get is at about the two minute mark, which means that the instrumentals are meant to take the back burner for the vocals.  I don't know what the words mean, but ther...

Release date: 2024 November 02 Album tracklist: Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Bomb - Instrumental Album runtime: 7 minutes  Yes, this was released at the beginning of November, but the music video was just released, so I'm counting this one as a pre-debut single. They're the newest SM boy group, all of them at least 25 or older, and they're a trot group. Even though I'm generally deeply displeased with SM in general for a lot of reasons right now, I also deeply love trot, which was not something that I was expecting when I started listening to K-Pop. I don't know why I didn't when I traditionally love the more traditional music, but I am an established dingus. This is a pre-debut single from their reality show they've got going on that I know literally nothing about, but according to the album, this actually came from episode 5/8, so we might be seeing more music videos coming out of them before February and their actual debut. If we do, then I'll get those...

 🎉🎈🎶 Happy birthday to meee! And also my best friend! She's amazing and smart and talented, and I love her.  Thank you all to everyone who has read any of the posts or offered suggestions for my GH or BBS posts! I really appreciate it. And, excitingly for me, I've got a couple more regulars, so I'd like to personally thank y'all for finding my posts before I get them either on Tumblr or Reddit.  This post is always so long. Oof. But it's also thirty days to cover, and I still have to leave things out.  The debuts that happened this month that I covered:  Yuta (NCT)  as a soloist and with his Japanese debut,  Sungjin (DAY6)  as a soloist,  Jin (BTS)  as a soloist, Irene (Red Velvet) as a soloist, The CrewOne , ODD YOUTH , LOVEONE , and izna . Some debuts that happened this month that I've mentioned:  ToTh6y ,  13Found ,  KELT9b , and  KJRGL . Some debuts that happened that I didn't know about: UN1CON , W!TCHX , and...

  Release date: 2024 November 29 Album tracklist: Destiny , RESET , Because of you, Sleepless Night, Destiny - Acoustic Version, Destiny - Instrumental, RESET - Instrumental Album runtime: 24 minutes  So, I didn't check which one was the title track for the album. Good news, my review of Destiny is basically done. All I have to do is do the music video section when it gets that, as I assume it will since it's a double title track. Going by the tracklist, you can see why I was mistaken. Bad news, I saved time for future me, but that doesn't change the fact that I still have to do the actual title track. It's fine. I'm an acknowledged dingus. As an obviously unrelated side note that clearly has nothing with the mix-up, you should totally listen to Destiny because it's definitely getting a review, and I love it. It's gorgeous. Also, mellifluous? That's an expensive vocabulary word right there and so wholly fitting to this album that I'm just pleased. ...

Release date: 2024 November 29 Album tracklist:  Winter Ahead Album runtime: 4 minutes I don't listen to a lot of BTS. Not because I don't like what I've heard, but I don't want my algorithm to be nothing but them. However, V's voice? Wow. He has such a gorgeous timbre. And I'm so excited to hear what he has going on with this, and later the Bing Crosby collaboration.  And look at that masterpiece of a song length. There's nothing like a saxophone and a piano to set the mood for holiday music. This is such a quiet, gentle slow dance kind of song, with audience participation snapping. That's also not to mention the way that even though this song is what it is, it still has a gradual build in energy, and the addition of a violin about halfway through the song. I wish I could have the instrumentals for the song. I really do. It's just so pretty.  As expected. This is my first encounter with Park Hyo Shin, so I didn't now what to expect from him, but...