Just A Little Fangirl Love

Release date: 2025 June 27 Album tracklist: Dirty Work , Dirty Work (feat. Flo Milli), Dirty Work (English Version), Dirty Work (Instrumental) Album runtime: 12 minutes  You know, I regularly forget when aespa debuted because they seem like such a visibly driving force that feel a lot older than they are. The temporary forgetfulness is held in check by the fact that I know they're younger than Red Velvet and I know when Red Velvet debuted. I'm also laughing a tiny bit over the fact that this is literally the bare minimum of a runtime that I like. It's kind of funny. Ooh, I'm already pegging this song as an action dystopia movie OST vibing song within the first ten seconds or so. Something like a cross between Mad Max and Divergent, you know? There's a barely restrained feralness to the instrumental track. It growls and scrapes as the song moves with occasional sharp spurts of energy and power, which is especially effective because it gives the song a much needed ene...

Release date: 2025 June 23 Album tracklist: FAMOUS , WICKED Album runtime: 5 minutes  I'm doing the review of this late enough that certain members of this group have already caused...a stir that feels unnecessary, you know? Did that need to happen with him? Nope. I'm not super cool with it. I don't know if it was him or the stylist, but either way, didn't need to happen. Let's do better. In other news, we've got a group of all adults, so as long as we don't have more issues in the future, they don't need to go on Underage Protocol. I believe that Woochan was part of Trainee A, which makes him the third one to debut from that group with another slated to debut in BigHit's next boy group next month. So, fingers crossed that Woochan gets a healthy career with this group. The runtime for their debut single is not ideal, but the title track is right at three minutes, so it could be worse. This is a heavy set of instrumentals. It starts off deceptively li...

Release date: 2025 June 25 Album tracklist: LIKE YOU BETTER , REBELUTIONAL, Love=Disaster, Strawberry Mimosa, Twisted Love, Merry Go Round Album runtime: 18 minutes  So as sad as I am that they left Pledis and are down to five members, I'm hopeful that they have continued and greater success in their new home and are well taken care of. This is their third company, and that can't be easy on the members or the fandom. Still! With new environments come new opportunities! And while I did have to round up, title track and half the songs are over three minutes, so I'm cool with this. Only took two listens for me to add it to my fave releases of 2025 playlist. Good news for the song, it's got lots of delicious and enthusiastic texture. It's also rock, which I'm naturally inclined to love. But it's the celebratory rock that we're getting for the song, and with the amount of energy it has, I'm perfectly pleased by this. I'm looking forward to the choreog...

Release date: 2025 June 16 Album tracklist: Movie Star, Episode , Love Game, One Call Away, Little Bit Lost Album runtime: 14 minutes  I'm late with this, but I've also been putting off listening to this until I could write the review. His voice is incredible, y'all. Ever song I've listened to by him has hit my brain so perfectly well, I'm glad I live in a time when I get to even hear it. Also congrats on the wins! Old timey and a little crackly. I like it. Now, let's see if we get that in other places in the song. And the answer is yes, so it's not a one off and I'm satisfied. There's a weird little quirk to the instrumental, and I mean this in the least insulting way possible, but in places, it sounds like Baby's First Midi Keyboard, or at least like a preset on a keyboard. You're obviously going to go, "But Fangirl, that's pretty insulting." To which I respond, "Yes. But it reminds me of my childhood and learning to make...

Release date: 2025 June 16 Album tracklist: little monster, Billyeoon goyangi (Do the Dance) , jellyous, oops! bamsopoong Album runtime: 13 minutes  ILLIT, I'm delighted to say, had all members at least sixteen or older at debut and now, a year later, they have all members as adults other than the maknae. I'm inclined to encourage this on principle. I do however have to say that I've enjoyed their music so far, which is nice. Plus, they're a March debut and my first five groups were (quite by chance) also March debuts (NU'EST, BTOB, NINE.i, xikers, Stray Kids), which is hilarious. I obviously have an affinity for them. The only good news about the runtime is that the title track is over three minutes, so, sadly, it could be worse and this is a step in the correct direction for HYBE. Bare minimum has been achieved. The combination of the classic movie vibes (which aren't just trapped in the intro so thumbs up from me for that) and the electro pop, synthy elements...

Release date: 2025 June 23 Album tracklist: On My Way; SWISH; SET NET GO?! ; Rendez-vous; PARANOIA; Straight Up To Heaven (Sung by Jungmo, Woobin, Seungmin); Stadium (Sung by Allen, Wonjin, Hyeongjun); Marionette (Sung by Serim, Minhee, Taeyoung); Underdog; Click, Flash, Pow; Love Me Again; Wish Upon A Star Album runtime: 35 minutes  I don't know how similar Kingdom 2 will be to Kingdom , but I'm going to guess that this is their "We're going to release a song and promote it on Kingdom before we have to do the new one" song. Congrats once again on winning Ace of Ace ! It's very exciting for the lot of them. Genuinely looking forward to that when it decides to get announced. I am also a teeny bit annoyed about the runtime.  So I don't know about you, but I kind of love the specific flavor of songs that feel sporty, specifically basketball flavored songs. This one may have a sample in there with the wooden blocks, but I don't actually know the name of...

Release date: 2025 June 18 Album tracklist: I'M SO SORRY, BUT I LOVE YOU ; if i ain't got you; CLOVER; BE There Album runtime: 13 minutes  This group has the first North Korean to debut as an idol! His name is Hakseong, he was a finalist on MakeMate1 (which I watched and was sad he didn't debut in NouerA , but couldn't be happier that he gets to debut now), and he has a gorgeous voice, you guys. And, best part, is that the whole lot are full adults except for the maknae, who turned seventeen less than a week ago, so the group passes both of my criteria. I actually would have been really sad if one of the two didn't pass because I fell so far head over heels for one of the b-sides. I'll talk about them later. Because I'm giving this group a little special attention. I'm rooting so hard for this group.  That guitar is loud and in front, very much a seventies sound. Actually I'm reminded of one of the songs from Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed soundtr...

Release date: 2025 June 9 Album tracklist: Dear , Be Happy, #QWER, OVERDRIVE, D-Day, Yours Sincerely Album runtime: 16  minutes  That is a Fall Out Boy level of album title. I like it. I also hope that's a literal translation from the Korean title because very little would bring me more joy right now. QWER is a fantastic band, and, actually, my first introduction to them as it were was from someone on Instagram talking about what Koreans were listening to and QWER was on that list. And then I started doing this and got to review and understood the hype. This track is surprisingly understated. It's got a lot of quieter spots, and even when the instrumentals are loud, they aren't at a full, knock-you-down blast. They just sound louder because of the quiet, and that's what we call effective sound design. I'm not fully enamored by the instrumental track, but I also suspect that will change within a month or so. I like it. Don't get me wrong. But even though I'm ...

Release date: 2025 June 19 Album tracklist:  at last , a millisecond, Movie, Weightless, Break Away Album runtime: 15  minutes  Sungjae's first mini album since his enlistment five years ago has finally dropped. It's a short one, but at least (pun only a little intended) the majority of the songs are over three minutes. I'm a little surprised he didn't put LIE onto this to make it at least a six-song mini album, but it's fine. If he does promotions, which I assume he will, I'm anticipating his group to be very excited if promotions for BE SOMEBODY  are any indication.  It's been a hot minute since I've been able to say that a song's instrumental is clearly designed to highlight and support vocals. But listening to that first verse, that's exactly what's going on. Of course, then we go to a soft rock ballad from the full ballad it starts off as. It's a very nice progression of sound, logical even. I wouldn't necessarily call it a full...

Release date: 2025 June 12 Album track list: Tell Me Why Album runtime: 2 mi nutes  These guys are a pretty recent debut . But I'm super into supporting this group in general that I'm more than happy to recap. All three of them are experienced idols, two of which debuted back in 2012 in the group C-Clown. So they're full adults with some actual maturity to their voices. I don't know who else besides me really likes to hear the more mature voices, but I'm super into it, even if all three of them are younger than me. I don't like the runtime, though. That's not what I'm here for. So at some point in my life since I started paying attention to movie soundtracks. there was a movie trend where songs like this were always featured. And because time is a soup, I can't be positive with it, but I think Spy Kids may have been one of them. I can't recall any specific song from that movie, nor do I remember when it came out, so this is possibly the least hel...

Release date: 2025 June 17 Album tracklist: It's Okay, Glue stick (Feat Hoody), Shall We Dance, You Call My Name, Scenario, Interlunar , Mine (Feat. Kirin), Set Me Free (Feat. Gaeko), Unconditional, Sweet Like - Interlunar Version Album runtime: 29  minutes  A lot of the GOT7 members have been pretty active lately, which is absolutely delightful. They've released a group album and now they're back to solo until their next group release. I'm a bit disappointed by the runtime, but to be fair to it, most of them are three minutes or close, and there are only two songs that round to two minutes.  I was pretty sure that this was standard trap, but there was a delightful energy shift in the middle that caught my attention in a good way. Throbbing bass makes up the majority of the song, but that section where we don't get it gives the song such a necessary texture. Without it, the song would be on the repetitive side of things, dully stimulating but somewhat monotonous. Bu...

Release date: 2025 June 18 Album tracklist:  어쩌면 Album runtime: 4  minutes  NINE.i have released new Korean music! I couldn't be more excited, even though this does come at a bittersweet moment, and it's really kind of a double whammy for me. First, my bias Jewon, enlisted the day before this dropped. Which I knew was going to happen because that's just what my life is now because of the number of boy groups I listen to and also his age and the non-popularity of the group (which deeply saddens me because their entire discography is incredible). Secondly, the sweetheart Seowon, who was the first one I knew by name, face, and behavior because of his time on Boys' Planet back in 2023, has left the group and the company and is also participating on Boys' Planet II. Please support my dude. He made it almost the end on the first one, the entirety of ZEROBASEONE seems to love him, and he got adopted by my man, Hui of Pentagon. So even though it's a bundle of very mixed...

Release date: 2025 June 9 Album tracklist: Girls Will Be Girls , Kiss & Tell, Locked N Loaded, Promise, Walk Album runtime: 14  minutes  I'm starting to get really excited about ITZY having new releases, which is the effect GOLD has had on me. Might need to add them to my list of girl groups I actively listen to, which isn't a long list, but I am always on the lookout for more to add. There's only one song on the album that's longer than three minutes, which I don't like, and one that's under two-and-a-half, which I also really don't like. So the runtime? I want more🎶. (The use of emoji is because there's no other way to indicate that I'm referencing a song here. I'm still a real person.) Ooh, the song has a section designed for audience participation clapping. Nice. Love that. We've got an EDM dance break as well, so sign me up for that too. I love EDM dance breaks. I'm really trying to ignore the lyrics and vocals, but I'm pret...

Release date: 2025 August 19 Album tracklist: Cotton, Goodbyes and Sad Eyes , Da Capo, Chocolate Tea, DRIP, Over You,  ICY BBY , Take-off Album runtime: 3 minutes  My girl, Moonbyul! I didn't actually see that this was being released until a few days before it was, and then finding out it's a pre-release caused all the emotions. I fear I still haven't actually moved on from Is This Love? , so I'm worried about my acceptance of the new album. But, you know what? It's good for me to have to accept a new song, and if MAMAMOO isn't releasing new music as a group right now, then I'll be looking forward to their new music as soloists. We've got some retro video game vibes to the instrumental, which is interesting to be hearing. I like the vibes. I just wish the different sections were a little more strongly distinct. With the exception of the intro and the first verse immediately following it, the skittering beat goes through the entire song and kind of takes ...

Release date: 2025 June 9 Album track list: Wake From The Dark, Memory , Be My Light, First Step, Just Friends, Luminous, Still, Sonnet, Sand Box, Eternity Album runtime: 37 mi nutes  Doyoung! The last thing I reviewed with him was, I believe, a submission for Perfume , which was an absolute delight. I know none of us want to think about it, but he is going to have to enlist this year. The sooner they go, the sooner they come back. Although it's possible that both Doyoung and Jaehyun will be discharged before Jungwoo enlists, so I don't know if that's something to look forward to or not for the NCTzens, but it is a possibility. In other news, I'm in love with the album runtime. That's almost four minutes per song. You go, Doyoung. You go, dude. Memory  has a delightful ebb and flow to it with the energy levels alternating between the softer, almost ballad-y soothe and the more energetic rock bursts with the only sometimes gentle guitar tying the two parts together. ...

Release date: 2025 June 12 Album tracklist: Click Clack, Only One Album runtime: 6  minutes  I actually wrote the other sections of the review first and am now typing it up. I didn't initially see a birth year for the maknae, so I put this on Underage Protocol just to be safe considering the age of the second youngest and their 2024 debut date. Turns out, I needn't have done so. Renewed sniffing around has revealed a birthday in February of 2007, which makes him eighteen right now, so we are good to go and I can move this song out of the playlist it's in and into the proper playlists. Spoilers. This is a genuinely bright and cheerful song. There isn't a whole lot of strong and distinct variation despite the three minute runtime, which is a little bit of a disappointment, but the song does have a tonally distinct section. I'm not going to grumble too much over the song, although there isn't a whole lot of things that make me a little grumpy. To be fair to the lev...

Release date: 2025 June 2 Album tracklist: Lady Marmalade Album runtime: 4  minutes  This will not be an overly long review as this is a cover. But after having discovered CREZL, I'm not about to pass up an opportunity to share how amazing their voices are. If I can convince even one more person to start paying attention to them, that will be good enough for me.  The instrumental of the track is somethow less interesting than the vocals, even though the instrumentals are richly textured by big guitar riffs, and the whole thing feels like jazz, but if the jazz was actually rock, which are two of my preferred genres to have as the underpinning for the song. My top favorite genre is unlikely to show up with any real representation, but Jin did manage it a little. He came close. The song has an intro with a single instrument, and it doesn't sound out of place because the intro still feels like the same genre as the rest of the song, which is something that I appreciate. Howev...

Release date: 2025 June 9 Album tracklist: Beep, Beep - Japan Edition Album runtime: 5  minutes  I'm hoping this gets added to a later album, both versions actually, but it's an interesting strategy to bundle their Japanese debut with their new Korean single. Is it their Japanese debut proper? I don't know. What I do know is that I'm actually really excited for this. I'm kind of annoyed about the runtime because I'm not sure what the actual point is to having a single that is so far from being six minutes long that Spotify is rounding down for it. I'm sure you're all tired of hearing it. I'm tired of having to say it. But I will continue to point it out in the hopes that enough people realize how much of a problem this is and speak up about it.  If I had to describe the instrumentals in two words, they'd be "fairy dubstep." Which is a weird combination of words to use, but I really can't think of any words that describe the vibe of ...

Release date: 2025 June 5 Album tracklist: Flashover, Bad Desire (With or Without You) , Outside, Loose (Korean Ver.), Helium, Too Close, Bad Desire (With or Without You), Loose Album runtime: 21  minutes  Eight songs. Twenty-one minutes. I was actually tentatively hoping that HYBE was loosening the reins on the abysmal runtimes they've been making their groups and artists do, but this one clearly dashed those hopes. I doubt this will be the last time I comment on the runtime, but, for now, I do generally like Enhypen's sound and I do look forward to seeing what they have for us each time. I am a touch concerned about their possibly being overworked, but I think things have settled down a little on that front? Doubtful because once groups start getting overworked, it's difficult to get the companies to slow it down. But, the standard remains TS Entertainment. As long as the company is not like them, there's hope. This very much sounds like an Enhypen song. That bass is ...

Release date: 2025 June 13 Album tracklist: Killin' It Girl (feat. GloRilla) , Killin' It Girl (Solo Version) Album runtime: 4 minutes  Another day, another J-Hope single. I for one am hoping that he'll put all of these singles into a possible upcoming album so that they can all be in one place. It'll make things a lot easier to find, and I think the fans would very much appreciate having them consolidated. Or maybe that's just me with my love of things being orderly. Either way, I've heard good things about this song, and I'm sorry that it's lateish. I do however kind of really dislike that runtime, though. I'm quite annoyed. That is proper hip-hop. It's got a hood strong beat with higher city-energy beats over the top of the driving beat.  While it doesn't ever really give the song a chance to rest, the relentless drive of energy does a remarkable job of keeping the song going even when no one is rapping. The shifts to the instrumentals are...