Daytodaebak/ November 1, 2020/ ICYMI/ 0 comments

TWICE Is Unstoppable In New Album “Eyes Wide Open”

TWICE released their second full album “Eyes Wide Open” with the title track “I Can’t Stop Me”.

Review: Maybe I should automatically copy + paste the terms “retro” and “city pop” into each blog post, because I feel like I use them every single week. It’s definitely the trend this year in K-pop, but when it’s done right it can be amazing. Case in point? TWICE’s new album, and especially this title track. It’s been interesting watching TWICE grow and evolve as a group over the years, and I’m liking them More and More as time goes by (see what I did there? Sorry, I just wanted to Feel Special). This comeback feels like a continuation of their shift in trajectory that we saw with “More & More” and perhaps started with “Fancy” with a less cutesy and more mature TWICE in both sound and styling. Not that they weren’t good before, but you have to admit that we’ve come a long way from tracks like “Knock Knock“. The risk is that changing your brand may alienate fans that liked it when you were doing your debut style, but it’s worth it in the end. Groups that have lasted a long time while maintaining their popularity, such as queens of longevity Apink, have taught us that the key is changing things up every now and then. Besides the similar sound, “I Can’t Stop Me” also feels like a perfect sequel to the colorful and aesthetic music video for their previous track. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, from the throwback outfits, to the ethereal staging that complimented the choreography. The only thing I missed from these past two tracks is a really solid point move in the choreography that we used to get with each TWICE song (that “TT” move is a sure way to automatically identify other TWICE fans). There’s a fairly good variety in the rest of the album: the latin-inspired “Hell In Heaven”, the trap-leaning “Bring It Back” and “Go Hard”, the jazzy “Handle It”, and “Shot Clock” and “Queen” will definitely be on repeat when I need a quick confidence boost. Overall: It’s new, it’s beautiful, it’s…. One in a Million.

TXT Searches For Connections In “Blue Hour”

Review: 2020 trending music video checklist: Pastels? Check. Throwback sound effects? Check. Randomly placed cowboy hats? Check. While I still can’t explain all of these cowboy hats suddenly appearing in K-pop nowadays, there’s so much going on in this comeback that I almost don’t care (almost.) Since the album was created in the midst of this global pandemic, the songs are meant to be comforting and epitomize the feelings and thoughts going on in all of our heads right now. Whereas the group’s previous releases have centered on teenage angst and a loss of innocence, this dreamy album and music video is filled with nostalgia for what used to be and what could have been. That feels especially relatable given the year has been filled with regret over things that we may have taken for granted pre-COVID (remember the outside? Good times), cancelled plans, and a dash of isolation just to throw it in there. The track “We Lost The Summer” perfectly encapsulates these feelings and “Ghosting“, which is about lost connections, sets up the dreamy yet bittersweet atmosphere of the album. The title track “Blue Hour” translated literally means “I Discovered You and Me in the Sky at 5:53”, referring to when the sun sets in October. Member Beomgyu said in an interview that “It’s about looking at the sky and marveling at its beauty, but also feeling a sense of isolation and unfamiliarity. We wish for this beautiful sunset to last forever and that regardless of any thoughts of solitude, we will continue to feel the same as one another.” Despite that heavy sounding premise, I love how TXT manages to mix upbeat tempos and synth sounds without sacrificing quality or letting their stable vocals go to waste. The track feels like a mix of TWICE’s “More & More”, BTS’ “Dynamite”, and Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “September”, which maybe shouldn’t work but it does. I’ve often thought that TXT has some of the most interesting (and hard!) choreographies and the live performances for “Blue Hour” include a prop-filled dance break (featuring- you guessed it, even more cowboy hats!) that makes me really wish I could see them perform it live. Overall: *Impulsively thinking about buying a cowboy hat and dying my hair pink*

New Releases & Top Headlines:

https://youtu.be/eiZLe_TCcsQ

• I would say that I want to be as cool as CL one day, but I know that’s impossible so instead I’ll just write about how cool she is. Former 2ne1 member CL released two new singles “HWA” and “5 Star” ahead of her upcoming album in November. “5 Star” flexes her singing abilities, but “HWA” shows why she really is The Baddest Female. “Hwa” is a shortened form of the word “mugunghwa” or The Rose of Sharon, which is the official flower of South Korea. The chorus is a reference to the Korean version of the game “Red Light, Green Light”/Statues [in Korean you chant ‘The Rose of Sharon (mugunghwa) has bloomed”]. With this clever wordplay, CL is saying that all eyes are on her, trying to follow her movements. But even with so many trying to catch up, she remains alone in her spot and the pre-chorus reminds the haters “You know that you can’t kill me”.

• DPR Ian (aka Christian Yu) released the single “So Beautiful”. The music video might be a bit disconcerting, but it’s super cute that he and CL keep popping up in each other’s videos. Is there a collaboration in the near future?

• CIX released their 3rd EP album “Hello Chapter 3: Hello, Strange Time” with the title track “Jungle”. There are some interesting effects used in this song and I like the bass drop in the chorus. It sounds like something I’ve heard before, but don’t necessarily hear a lot in K-pop. The group is only just a little over a year from debut, so I expect to see even more interesting concepts in the future as they explore and experiment.

• FNC Entertainment’s new boy group P1Harmony made their debut with the title track “Siren” on their first EP “DISHARMONY: STAND OUT”. Overall, I this is a pretty good debut. For a album about ‘standing out’ from the pack, my first impression of the title track was that it… didn’t. But the track is much more impactful when watching their powerful choreography in the dance practices and live performances. And for rookies, they have a stage presence that rivals some more experienced groups. Although “Siren” felt a bit lukewarm for me, I really enjoyed the funk inspired “Nemonade” and “That’s It” which felt reminiscent of BTS’ “Ddaeng“.

• Woollim Entertainment (home to girl groups Lovelyz and Rocket Punch; boy groups Infinite and Golden Child) debuted their new boy group DRIPPIN (still think this is an unfortunate name) with the mini album “Boyager” and the title track “Nostalgia”.

• WINNER member Mino released his second solo album “Take”. The title track just sounds like a classic YG song (meant as a compliment), and verses have an impressive flow without being too harsh for the casual listener.

• K/DA, the virtual girl group from the game League of Legends, released “MORE” ahead of their upcoming EP coming November 6. And speaking of CGI idols…

• SM Entertainment revealed all the members of their long-awaited new girl group: æspa (from the words “avatar,” “experience,” and “aspect”). The four member group will have both real-world artists and corresponding avatars that exist in the virtual world. Their concept will explore how the two versions ‘meet’ through the mysterious ‘SYNK’. Explaining the idea Lee Soo Man, SM Entertainment’s founder, said “The future that I envision will be defined by a world of celebrities and robots… a future world centered on celebrities and avatars, transcending boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.” It might be the future, but I still find it a bit creepy, especially when there are already some ‘fans’ who try to blur the line between reality and their fantasies about idols’ personal lives. aespa debuts November 17 with the single “Black Mamba”.
• Now for some old school news: K-pop legend Rain will be making a comeback with JYP founder Park Jin Young. Rain was formerly signed with JYP (the company) and JYP (the man) produced hits like his iconic 2000s track “It’s Raining“.
• The rhythm-tapping SuperStar game series is expanding! Plans for SuperStar YG were revealed this week, and pre-registration has begun although there hasn’t been an official launch date confirmed. Having learned my lesson from SuperStar BTS until it was discontinued, I will not be downloading this game unless I can devote a complete week to doing nothing but tapping my phone and earning cards.
• Jellyfish Entertainment announced that VERIVERY member Minchan will be taking a hiatus after experiencing “symptoms of psychological anxiety”. Health should always be the number one priority, so I hope he gets enough time to rest, recover, and get the supports he needs.
• B.A.P’s Daehyun will be enlisting for mandatory military service on November 17. Meanwhile, former group mate Himchan issued an apology after being caught drunk driving.
• Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk was fined 10 million won (~$8,800 USD) on charges of gambling (which is a crime for Korean citizens even outside of the country). Some see this as a small slap on the wrist after all the controversy that he’s been embroiled in for the past year. Prosecution requested this amount based on “factors such as his lack of previous gambling offenses as well as the number of times and amount of money spent on gambling”. The actual sentencing will take place November 27.
• Rumor has it that Mnet’s Kingdom, the promised follow-up to the boy group competition show Road To Kingdom aired earlier this year, will start filming in January. Kingdom was originally scheduled for the latter half of this year, but was postponed due to COVID-19. Although no premiere or filming date was confirmed, Mnet did say that they were currently casting groups to compete against the winners of Road To Kingdom, The Boyz.
• Speaking of rumors, SM Entertainment’s PR department can’t seem to catch a break this year. EXO member Chanyeol was in headlines after an anonymous woman accused him of cheating multiple times with different women while they were dating for three years (the original post has since been deleted). Many fans are defending the artist, noticing that the photos offered as ‘proof’ are oddly edited and some of the details don’t quite line up. And SM’s statement was literally ‘we have no statement’. I know you guys are busy, but maybe you could put a little bit more effort into it? Just a tiny bit? Enter fellow group member Baekhyun, who shut down a so-called ‘aquaintance’ of the alleged couple and Baekhyun who supported the claim while insulting Chanyeol and implying that the two members don’t get along. In a Twitter post, Baekhyun simply said “Ah…My acquaintance, who? (Oh it’s a mosquito, *huff*) You brat ~~ Ah *shake shake*” [an allusion to this habit].

K-Drama Corner:

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• Apink‘s Bomi and U-KISS‘ Lee Jun Young‘s new drama Please Don’t Meet Him confirmed its premiere date. Also starring Song Ha Yoon (Devilish Charm; Fight For My Way), Gong Min Jung (Sweet Munchies; Familiar Wife), and Joo Woo Jae (Love Alert), the drama centers on women who have an AI stethoscope that will warn them against dating the wrong man. Please Don’t Meet Him premieres November 10. (Also, where can I find this stethoscope? Asking for a friend.)
• Already missing Park Bo Gum? New photos have been released from upcoming film Seo Bok, starring Park Bo Gum (Record Of Youth; Encounter) and Gong Yoo (Goblin; Coffee Prince). A modern-day retelling of the story of Xu Fu, who was sent to find the elixir of life, Gong Yoo plays a former intelligence agent who is sent to escort the first human clone, played by Park Bo Gum (because if I was creating a human from scratch, I would probably want it to look something like Park Bo Gum too). Seo Bok will be released in December.
• Im Siwan (Misaeng; Strangers From Hell) and Shin Se Kyung’s (Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung; Bride of the Water God) upcoming drama Run-On revealed new posters and a premiere date. The drama will show the romance between Im Siwan’s character, a former sprinter-turned-sports agent, and Shin Se Kyung’s translator character, who feels like the pair were destined to meet. Run-On starts December 16 on JTBC.
• Webtoon-based drama True Beauty released new character posters for the upcoming drama starring Moon Ga Young, ASTRO‘s Cha Eun Woo,  Hwang In Yeob, and Park Yoo Na. In terms of visuals, the casting is spot on. True Beauty premieres in December. (You can watch its first teaser here.)
• Lee Seung Gi‘s (Vagabond; Hwayugi) upcoming drama Mouse has added Block B‘s P.O. (More Than Friends; Hotel del Luna) to its cast. Mouse is set in a universe where babies can be tested to see if they will be born as psychopaths while still in the womb. The drama will air next year on tvN.
• Currently Watching:
  • Do You Like Brahms?: We’ve finally reached the finale. The coda. The last movement. The final verse. *insert more music puns here* I’m glad that our main characters were able to find their own happiness, even if it turned out to be different than what others expected of them. Like I predicted, some of the character arcs and their closure felt a bit rushed or sudden. For example, we spent the entire drama hearing how much Song Ah loved the violin, only for her to sell it in the end. I get that not everyone can pursue their love as a career choice, but there is a such things as hobbies? Community orchestras? I am glad that our OTP ended up together, and we saw that they were getting better at really communicating with each other. I found myself tearing up a bit when Joon Young finally broke down with his mother about all the stress he’d been under- I just wish it happened 1 or 2 episodes ago. Like many dramas, this show was definitely better in its first half, where the relatable characters and their challenges were better explained. The last half suffered from slow pacing and filler angst, and at times felt like a long drinking game where you take a shot every time there’s a sad, longing glance or a character mopes by the window in the rain. Still, I will definitely remember these characters fondly (except for Jung Kyung, I still found myself hoping she’d slip on rosin) and appreciate their shy and awkward love story.
  • The Sixth Sense: This week marked the last episode of the first season. If you’re looking for a good variety show to unwind (or eat) with, I ‘d highly suggest this. The chemistry between the cast members was hilarious and they made their guests feel at ease. Not to mention, the production crew went above and beyond in surprising us each week, and now I have some places to add on to my bucket list when I finally visit South Korea. Season 2 please?

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