Just A Little Fangirl Love

 Hello, everyone! At some point, I'm going to feel confident enough in my Korean skills to have part of this in Korean, but today and this month is not that point.  So the fabulous, amazing debuts for the month. The ones I covered were AxMxP and IDID for the groups, CxM for the Seventeen subunit, and soloists Haechan of NCT , Jinny of Secret Number , Junhee of A.C.E , and Nana of After School . The only group I didn't cover was DNA , which is a co-ed group. Songs I was looking forward to: CxM- You mean my Seventeen bias is debuting in an official subunit? You're expecting me not to be excited about this? Junhee- I've been looking forward to his solo debut since he dropped the Your Idol cover.  Woodz- First release post-military service I've covered because I was very lazy over the summer? Yes, please. izna- These are my girls, y'all. Strong rappers. Vocals that are consistently supported. Exactly what I'm always looking for. Catch the Young- Y'all, I ...

Release date: 2025 September 17 Album tracklist: Love Your Flower Album runtime: 3 minutes  Girl group time! Because I'm late on doing this, but it seems that I don't want to finish the September review without having done this one first. I think I could probably really like this group if I spent more time with them, but then we run the risk of what happens to girl groups when I really like them. I seriously have the worst luck, but unfortunately, I adored Steal Heart .  Ooh, that guitar is fun. The energy is good to keep the song going without it straying too close to being active. What I will say is that sudden energy drop was highly unexpected, especially because the song felt like it was going the route of consistency. Steady beat, a little bit of the grungy guitar, largely non-distracting to support the vocals. The chorus got the predictable uptick in energy, but then the way the instrumental just kind of gets cut out from underneath the song at the start of the second ve...

Release date: 2025 September 26 Album tracklist: Gravity , Gravity - instrumental Album runtime: 5 minutes  Look, I recognize that I'm currently behind work the October reviews, but this one has been nagging at me because I love this group. They're one of my new rookie groups. This one is their monthly minute for September (missed the ones for July and August), and it clocks in at a grand total of two-and-a-half minutes. That last part irritates me, as expected, but they have had longer songs and this feels like more of a project song than a full release. It's not an ideal world, but I am very much rooting for this group and I hope they can get some traction. There's a soft whimsy or wistfulness to the instrumental that I am fully on board with. There's not a lot of variation to the song, mostly consisting of the percussion backing off in a few spots, but with a runtime like this, I'm unfortunately not expecting a lot of it anyway. Still, it is very pretty, very...

Release date: 2025 September 30 Album tracklist: BLACK CROWN , Nine 2 Five, Ichigoichie, BLACK CROWN - Instrumental, Nine 2 Five - Instrumental, Ichigoichie - Instrumental Album runtime: 16 minutes  Okay, just because I don't want EPITHYMiA to be lonely in my sudden departure from my normal, I'll do another J-Pop group (and I'm going to do the JO1 recent release because I recently discovered that I love them). This one popped up on my YouTube recommendations, much like some of the C-Pop releases that have shown up but I'm not quite ready for that yet. I can't guarantee that I'll be doing more J-Pop groups, but the best way to get me to do one would be to drop the request in The Form . This is actually a group of former trainees from Produce 101 Japan , and they debuted back in 2020, with all of them being born last century. I too was born last century. It's fine. Actually, one of them is part of the illustrious 95z line and the other three are part of the eq...

Release date: 2025 September 14 Album tracklist: DUST ON YOUR MIND, No man's land (feat. Qim Isle), save me,  MIRROR , Put it back on, TO, Take pills, Another season with you, Karma calls, Lovers of Artists, Television star, you broke my heart but..., in the middle, Your Yerin (feat. Rejjie Snow) Album runtime: 48 minutes  So. A couple of things. One, she was the last member of After School to leave Pledis after fifteen years. Which, you know, good for her. I hope she's happy in her new home. (I have thoughts, but they're basically conspiracy theories because I don't have enough evidence to back them up (yet)). Pledis, for the record, never gave the official notice for After School and also, After School and Orange Caramel are both still listed on their website as current artists (you'll notice that Pristin, who got a disbandment notice that used the word disbandment about four or five times, isn't listed and neither is fromis_9, who is at a new company). Two, ...

Release date: 2025 September 29 Album tracklist: Wall Flowers Album runtime: 3 minutes  Okay, we've got a nice single from this group I remember being one of the ones that I forget I like until I listen to them, and then I remember that I like them. Progress. And , even more excitingly, there's a dance practice to go along with it.  The instrumental is basically easy listening jazz. If this was just on its own, it would be calm, chill, snoozy time music. But it's not, and normally you'd expect smoother vocals, maybe some husky singing, but instead, we get quite the dichotomy. This is a Christmas instrumental you just casually put on in the background while you open presents. What we actually get from the members is about as far from Christmas instrumental as you could possibly get. The rapping is slow enough that you get tricked into thinking that this is going to be a chill song, but the shouting in the latter half to a quarter of the song immediately negates the chill...

Release date: 2025 September 30 Album tracklist: Supercrush, Mamma Mia , Racecar, In the Rain, SIGN (Remix) Album runtime: 13 minutes  I actually really was looking forward to seeing what they'd have for me this time. I don't watch as much of their content as I'd like, because there are a lot of groups out there. But I do always look forward to their releases, even if the runtimes of the album and the title track disappoints me beyond the telling of it. There's a lot of beat happening in the instrumentals, apart of the delightful little plinking that happens, albeit rarely. It's supportive, which I like, and not overpowering, which I also like, but for the most part I'm not entirely wowed by it. However, the dance break at the end? I wish this was coming at the end of a big driving build of energy, rather than having it be a sudden shift. I want this song to have more, and it doesn't because the song is barely over two and a half minutes, which is frustratin...

Release date: 2025 September 29 Album tracklist: Arcadia, No Gravity, Help Me (Somebody 2 Love), In My Life, Deja-Vu Album runtime: 14 minutes  Spotify has been very helpful in reminding me about this album since it became available for pre-saving. I'm just very behind. Sorry, Chen. I do actually really like his voice, so I was looking forward to this mini album. This may also be the tail end of big activity while they prepare for their first comeback as a full group post-military. That is something I'm looking forward to. The angle on the album cover is interesting. Not bad interesting. Just worth pointing out. Ooh, that was not where I was expecting this to start. My strongest association with the word "Arcadia" is the level in the horror video game BioShock , which is one of my favorites even when I was too much of a scaredy-cat to finish it, but prior to listening to this, I was aware of that and trying to ignore the association. The thing is that the intro to thi...

Release date: 2025 September 29 Album tracklist: Fiesta; 5 4, 3 (Pretty woman) (feat. Lay Bankz) ; Worth it; For you; Young again; Earth Album runtime: 17 minutes  I'm going to do my level best to be normal about the review, especially when it comes to the music video. This is my dude, you know? Funny story. So I have pickets of Scoups and Joshua hanging up on my 95z section of my closet office. Joshua's is a little temperamental and likes to fall and be dramatic. SCoups's doesn't. Like, ever. A couple of weeks ago, I wore the Yunho jersey I have from the In Your Fantasy tour to work because I needed the emotional comfort because of the pair of Seventeen enlistments. I walked in, Joshua's had somehow fallen and rolled from behind my desk so he was staring at me when I came in. SCoups's had fallen as well. And I recognize they're inanimate objects and thus do not have any of the jealousy or accusation that they (especially SCoups) would be exhibiting, but th...

Release date: 2025 September 28 Album tracklist: In Your Arms , In Your Arms (inst.) Album runtime: 8 minutes  Well, my boys have dropped another single. I saw the preview for it and it sounds really good, so I'm excited to hear the song in full. These guys are a band who are coming up on their second anniversary in a couple of months and I highly recommend you look up their covers because they're quite impressive. And if you want to hear something funny, they're the bare minimum for not being on Underage Protocol because the maknae turned sixteen the day they debuted. The others were all in their twenties already, so at that point, I'm comfortable with my expectation that they can protect him from the icks of the entertainment industry, which is gross no matter the country. Also, fun fact, one of them was an idol trainee who dropped out because he doesn't like to dance that much. I laughed a little when I learned that. And moving back to the subject of this specifi...

Release date: 2025 October 20 Album tracklist:  FOCUS ,  Apple Pie,  Pretty Please , Flutter, Blue Moon Album runtime: 15 minutes  They have an album coming out soon, beginning of October, so I want to make sure to get this one done before then. Hearts2Hearts is on Underage Protocol, which I didn't even have to look up because I remembered this. But! But! That is almost three-and-a-half minutes worth of song, which I am so excited for, so hopefully I really like the song and can add it to my playlist I have to keep track of songs I want to add to other playlists once maknaes hit eighteen. This sounds so pre-2010, especially between the beat and the sparkly sound effects in the instrumental. There is a change in the style of the beat, which does add a little bit of variation, but most of the changes to variation are to back off from the amount of sound in the instrumental, rather than adding on to what is already there. Actually I take that back. While I do wish we go...

Release date: 2025 September 25 Album tracklist: Called Game , Truth & Dare, As Much As I Love You, Summer Rain Album runtime: 12 minutes  Okay, so this is my first review for the group, which is always an exciting time, but because there are groups that also debuted in 2022 that I cannot listen to yet because their maknaes were fourteen, I do have to check. To my relief, it looks like the entire group was at least eighteen at debut, so I am good on that end, and the runtimes are also acceptable with everything under three minutes quite close and an average over three minutes.  I think this is one of those songs that are going to be described as refreshing, which hasn't made sense because I apparently use that word to mean something else (I use it to mean unusual in a good way, as in: "After having months of milquetoast songs, having a song released that has texture and depth is quite refreshing.") It also helps that I recently learned the word for refreshing in Korea...

Release date: 2025 September 24 Album tracklist:  I'll Never Love Again , Smashing Concrete Album runtime: 8 minutes  Welcome back, Woodz! You've been busy since you discharged from what I can tell. Funnily enough, this is not my first review for Woodz despite the fact that he was in the military for almost the entire time I've been listening to K-Pop because his song Drowning got a music show win a couple of months ago, so even though that song was a couple of years old, I needed to review it. While some might be upset with his first release in almost two years being only a single, he did just get out of the military. An adjustment period wouldn't be amiss. And he gave us two almost-four-minute songs. That's a yes. So, I obviously really like songs that are unusual in the current new-releases landscape, so novel in that respect though I don't need them to be novel in that there is no other song like it because that's unrealistic. It's been a moment sinc...

Release date: 2025 September 23 Album tracklist: I'm The One, MY PRIDE , I Don't Wanna Wait (IDWW), Every Ten Minutes Album runtime: 13 minutes  I have two of these to do for this release. Okay. Pre-release first, then the title track. Also, I thought this group was a lot older than they are. They're barely a year-old, and I apparently still do not remember who this group is. One day, I'll remember, I promise. There are just a lot of groups that debut and I have a lot in my head to keep track of. This is my first mini album with the group as previously, I've only done singles, so this will be interesting.  The song is very laidback and very chill. I did find myself zoning out a little bit while I was listening to this, which is not ideal, but it does mean that if someone is looking for a song to calm down to, to sleep to, to vibe to, this is probably a good candidate. It would also be a really good candidate for an acoustic version. Generally, the song has upbeat an...

Release date: 2025 September 22 Album tracklist: My First Love Song ,  Band-Aid , Crush, TIKI-TAKA, Gas On It, 404: Not Found, Secret Nightmare Album runtime: 18 minutes  The average of this album is quite low, which makes sense because of the songs, five of the seven are right around the two-and-a-half-minute mark. It's a big sigh from me, honestly. But, just as a reminder for those of you who care about such things, our illustrious maknae is eighteen, still in school but graduating next year (I think). I'm rooting for this group really hard. I want them to get a win. It's been terrible, terrible luck with every other release they've had, but this time they may have a decent shot at getting their first win. The instrumental startled me at the very beginning. If I used emojis in this, this would be a good place to put the laughing with the sweat drop emoji. The cat (PJ) did come over and try to lay on my phone, so I assume that this one is PJ Approved, which is actually...

Release date: 2025 September 23 Album tracklist: Last Flower , Festival, Forget, Last Flower - Instrumental Album runtime: 14 minutes  First of all, they've had an unfortunate little run the last little bit and I'm still upset that one of their members was removed from the group for having a job, but I was worried that this group would be facing a disbandment. I'm tentatively hopeful that I won't be going through one with them for at least a little bit because we're getting this. If you're unfamiliar with this group, they're a concept group where each of the members represents a different king, of sorts, who basically have to unite to fight off the growing darkness. Genuinely, so cool. They don't have a title track I don't love (although my favorite is either Long Live The King or COUP D'ETAT ) (links go to the music videos), and, fun fact, the spines of the history series of their albums form an image when lined up together. Cool, huh? Also, th...

Release date: 2025 October 13 Album tracklist:  Head Shoulders Knees Toes,  OVERDRIVE ,  HOT BLUE SHOES, Caffeine Rush, overthinking, Here For You Album runtime: 16 minutes  So the fun thing that Pledis is doing with TWS that they do not do with Seventeen is TWS gets pre-release singles. Every single one of their mini albums so far have included one. It's a good strategy and they're young enough to have the energy for it, though I do worry a little considering the maknae, Kyungmin, is still in school. Which I don't think will be a problem come the new year as I think he'll be graduating. In other news, I am also tentatively hopeful for the whole album given that this one is almost three minutes long. Also, can I just say that I'm kind of in love with the marketing for this? Tearing off the old albums to expose this one? Like saying that this is what was hiding behind their cute image? Very nice. I'm impressed and pleased with this. The instrumental for this one ...

Release date: 2025 September 12 Album tracklist:  Umbrella (10:00) , Tattoo (12:30) (with Lee Jiham, BK, Kang Yuchan & WoW), Too Bad (15:00) , Sugar (18:00), You should come (21:00),  Supernova (00:00) , Night (02:00), 호랑이 장기 가는 날 (10:00) Album runtime: 25 minutes  Are there new releases I need to take a look at? Yes. But this is Junhee and I'm going full steam ahead for him because he is wonderful and the album is a banger. I also wasn't expecting him to drop this one as a presumably promoted b-side, but here we are. I will get to the others, but Junhee, y'all.  For a song called "Too Bad", this song is surprisingly upbeat. With how mild the instrumental already is, it would make a good candidate for an acoustic version, and there's also not a lot to be said about it because it is incredibly consistent. But, and this is an important but, it stays out of the way of the vocals. The instrumentals are there to support and emphasize the vocals.  Junhee has gre...

Release date: 2025 September 16 Album tracklist: M.O. , Gone - Korean ver., Gone - Chinese ver. Album runtime: 9 minutes  When I logged in to vote and get my login stuff, I saw that one of the potential wins on Show Champion this week is this song, so rather than wait to see, I'm going to get this review done preemptively because that's a lot easier for me when it comes time to do my weekly music show wins post. The other song, I've already done a review for. Have I fully learned this lesson? Absolutely not. But I am having a moment where I apparently am being preemptive? I'd be more preemptive if I'd been able to do this when this was released, but I will take what I can get. I'm in love with this instrumental. Sold. Done. Ten seconds. We didn't lose that fun, old piano plinking even with the addition of the more hip-hop elements, and I'm gonna be honest, this feels a like something Destiny's Child would have done back in the 90s. But I genuinely l...

Release date: 2025 September 15 Album tracklist: CHAN-RAN , SLOW TIDE, STEP IT UP , ImPerfect, So G.oo.D, STICKY BOMB, Taking Off - Through Your Dreams, Blooming CROWN Album runtime: 24 minutes  I'm not sure that I ever did their pre-debut song. I'd have to go look. Oh well. In other news, even though I thought they were very nervous at KCon LA, I also thought they did a great job for being pre-debut rookies. And both because this is a debuting group as well as a survival show group, the odds that I'm going to be upset about ages is a little bit higher than normal, but I'm also pleased to report that by the end of October, all but two will be eighteen. As a side note, all but two members of the group were born in either April or October, and the October birthdays are kind of stacked on top of each other. 3rd, 5th, and 10th. The choice to basically start off with just an acoustic guitar is a really interesting one and one I'm pleased with because it highlights vocals...