daebakwhovian/ September 14, 2021/ ICYMI, K-Dramas, K-pop/ 0 comments

Review: In case you somehow forgot how big of a deal this release is, Lisa spells it out for you- literally. BLACKPINK member Lisa made her highly-anticipated solo debut with the self-titled single album “LALISA” with the B-side “Money”. Although Lisa is one of my favorite performers in K-pop, I have to admit I was a bit worried about what to expect after fellow group member Rose’s solo debut not too long ago. For such a unique voice, her track ended up sounding a bit generic. I was feeling hopeful when hearing the catchy intro to “LALISA”, but ended up wanting more… or maybe less?

The biggest and most common flaw in the group’s solo releases so far is that they all sound like BLACKPINK songs minus the 3 other members. And with familiar names on the credits like TEDDY and Bekuh Boom, I end up having some of the same complaints that I do with other BP tracks; mostly the fact that they all sound a bit too similar. The repetitive trap-inspired background could be in any other track, and there’s not really a satisfying progression or ‘killing part’ in this song. I was also hoping that this release would show off some of her rap skills, perhaps in ways that you couldn’t do in a standard K-pop girl group track. But I feel like there were some missed opportunities, with a lot of similar lines repeated and some awkward phrasings in the second verse. The music video uses a lot of the same coloring and sequences of other MVs and doesn’t really have a clear direction or story (to be fair, Lisa looks good in every style, so who could pick just one? Also, why are there so many deserts in Korea?) It’s not all negative though- Lisa’s stage presence is no joke and I can’t wait to see even more of her live stages. I also love the how Lisa showcased her Thai heritage in the bridge; in fact I wouldn’t have minded a verse or so in Thai instead of her worrying over learning the English. I know I’m being a bit picky, but my standards for this release were incredibly high because I feel that Lisa is incredibly talented. If this was any other group, I probably would say this is a solid debut. But because fans have waited so long, and because I’ve always felt that YG doesn’t produce enough music that showcases the girl’s musical abilities, I was left feeling ‘whelmed‘. Still, it’s catchy, it’s hype (will totally be adding it to my workout playlist in case I ever actually workout), and Lisa totally owns the performance.

TL;DR– Say my name, say my name… wait, that’s a different song…

Comebacks & Releases

• Rookie girl group STAYC released their first EP “Stereotype” with the title track of the same name. It’s hard to follow-up a mega-hit like the previously released “ASAP”. Although it’s not quite as catchy, this is still a solid release. It’s light and breezy, but well anchored by relatable lyrics and a melody that’s actually in their vocal range instead of up in the stratosphere (I will always be a sucker for mid-to low-range vocals like J’s in a girl group). They’re not exactly reinventing the wheel, nor was expecting them to at this point in their career, but there’s sill an interesting vibe with this release. It has the dreamy, city-pop feel of a SUNMI song with the ‘just a girl learning how to grow-up’ lyrics of an IU song. Though, I could have done without the giant, disconcerting bunny in the MV…
  • Notable B-side(s): “Slow Down”

• What a time to be a rookie girl group stan! MAMAMOO’s label mates PURPLE KISS released their second mini-album “Hide & Seek” with the title track “Zombie”. Do I understand what this song is about? Do I understand the plot of the music video? Who cares; this song is just plain fun! Besides being stuck in my head all week, I appreciate that this sounds completely different from their last title track but still manages to stay in their style. A lot of newer groups (and honestly some older groups) seem to struggle with trying different genres without giving their fans whiplash, but props for them for being able to show their versatility.
  • Notable B-side(s): The groovy “2am”; “Cast Pearls Before Swine”

• After a series of pre-releases, soloist Lee Hi released the album “4 Only” with the title track “Red Lipstick” (feat. Yoon Mirae). I don’t really have much to say because I love absolutely everything about this release. Yoon Mirae’s feature fits in seamlessly with the vibe of the song and Lee Hi’s soulful, yet playful side that we saw a glimpse of in her “Seoulite” days. I’m really liking how her new agency, AOMG, is making use of her versatility. As seen in how varied her album is, I think she has a lot more opportunities to experiment across different genres of soul, blues, and hip-hop in a different way than she was able to when with YG Entertainment. The music video feels like a giant party, with a star-studded cast of cameos and uplifting messages written in red lipstick; it almost makes me want to care enough to wear makeup.
  • Notable B-side(s): “Intentions”; “Savior” (feat. B.I.); “What Is Love”; “Only”

• Day6‘s Young K released his first solo mini album “Eternal” with the title track “Guard You(끝까지 안아 줄게)”. If you’re a fan of TXT’s angsty pop-rock and/or a fan of faceless band members, this’ll be right up your alley. Into the drama, but want it to feel more cozy? Check out B-side “Come As You Are” (no, not that one). Young K announced before making his solo debut that he’ll be enlisting this October, making him the second member of the group after leader Sungjin’s surprise enlistment earlier in March.
  • Notable B-side(s): “goodnight, dear”

• PNation power couple HyunA & Dawn made their duo debut with the single “Ping Pong”. This is one of those tracks that people are going to have really strong feelings about, with no in between. It really all depends on whether or not you can vibe with the lyrics “Our steps in sync, feel like harmony/ Goes well together like guacamole”. Love it or hate it, I hope we can all have a new appreciation for that one annoying kid in class that always does the ping pong sound with his mouth for no reason. He may well have a position waiting for him at P Nation…

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• MONSTA X released the new English single “One Day”. Watch the MV here.
• Seven-member girl group Ferry Blue made their debut with the single “Call My Name”. The members are all students at the K-Pop Music Production department at the Paekche Institute of Arts. Watch their debut MV here and follow them on Instagram here.
• Rookies OMEGA X made their first comeback with the single album “What’s Going On”. If anyone finds out the answer, please let me know. Watch the MV here.
• Underrated soloist Baek A Yeon released the EP “Observe” with the super-cute title track “0%”. Also check out the calming B-side “Daydream”.
• ICHILLIN, a seven-member girl group from a smaller company KM Entertainment, made their debut with the single “Got’Ya”. This debut almost fell off my radar, but I see a lot of potential so far. Watch their MV here and follow all of their socials here.
• Six-member boy group MEGAMAX (aka MGX) made their debut with the title track “Painted Love”.

Currently Watching

• Hometown Cha Cha Cha: Not to be overdramatic or anything, but I would give my left molar for this dimple couple. It’s a classic ‘city-girl-meets-small-town-boy’ set-up, without the stereotypical frustrations. I love that our lead, Hye-jin, although a bit high-maintenance, isn’t vapid or cruel. And our jack-of-all-trades hero isn’t a naive simpleton, despite Hye-jin’s initial doubts about him. Since the first time he met her, he saw the best qualities in her, and slowly but surely the rest of the town will see them as well. I can’t wait to see our lead’s backstories, even though we already have a few hints to see that there is more than meets the eye with these two. I just hope the writing \ continues to keep the relaxing and breezy pacing which makes it such a fun watch. (Don’t ruin my weekend feel-good drama, Mr. Second Lead!)
• Hospital Playlist: *insert pterodactyl screaming* Take notes, drama-verse: THIS is how you write slow-burn romances. No meddling one-dimensional second-leads, no forced misunderstandings, no aggressive ultimatums-like confession from one lead to another. Just good old fashion patience with a satisfying emotional payoff. In true Playlist style, all of the advancements in relationships this week felt completely natural, not in a ‘we’re in the second-to -last episode of the season, so I guess they’ll get together’ kind of way. And it was important that we had that long wait in order to see how our characters worked through what was holding them back in the first place; whether it was fear of repeating of what happened in the past (like Seok-hyeong & his ex-wife), fear of the future (Song-hwa’s reluctance to possibly lose her best friend), or fear of possibilities that may or may not even happen (Gyeo-wool and Ik-sun’s concern of being a burden to their partners). I’m both excited to watch next week’s episode, and depressed that it’s the last episode of the season. *cue Min-ha’ s crying face*

What were your favorite releases this week? Let us know in the comments!