Daytodaebak/ June 23, 2020/ ICYMI, K-pop & K-drama news/ 0 comments

SEVENTEEN Takes Off (Literally) in “Heng:garae”

After recently celebrating their fifth anniversary, SEVENTEEN released their 7th mini album “Heng:garæ” with the title track “Left & Right”.

Review (daebakwhovian): I have been pleasantly surprised to see the rise of SEVENTEEN over the years. Despite some of my issues with Pledis Entertainment (*cough* NU’EST still deserves better *cough*) the group has steadily gained more and more fans and attention to the point that they are one of the top-selling Kpop boy groups. Now solidly in their fifth year, they continue to show how well-rounded they are in their vocals, performance, rap, and songwriting abilities throughout “Heng:garæ.” The title track, “Left & Right” promises fun from the first four beats. Energetic and fun, the description says it was “inspired by the hip-hop genre from the 2000s” which you hear a bit in the backing track. The lyrics (written by members Woozi, Vernon, and singer/composer Bumzu) encourage us not to get stuck on being pressured to go, well, left or right. Instead, keep up the momentum and keep moving forward confidently at your own pace. It’s like a K-pop version of “Hakuna Matata” (no, not that one). And the fun choreo will be added to my growing list of viral challenges that I will attempt only to receive awkward looks from my friends and family. The rest of the EP has a little something for everyone: the Imagine Dragons-esque anthem “Fearless” (which could easily have been the title track) for when you’re feeling like a boss, “I Wish” for the retro vibe, “My My” for when you need to hear lines like “You’re doing fine/just stay as you are”, “Kidult” for when you’re feeling sentimental, and “Together” for when you feel like starring in the closing credits of an anime. With “Heng:garæ” (henggarae means tossing up someone in celebration, explaining that one scene in the MV) the members wanted the album to encourage those feeling lost, and every song is overwhelmingly positive and warm. Overall: I’m already in too many fandoms, but now I’m in too deep to not stan SEVENTEEN. Please send help. *starts memorizing fanchants*

BLACKPINK Comes Back With A Boom (Boom Boom)

BLACKPINK (finally) made a much deserved comeback with a pre-release “How You Like That.” They will have another single sometime before their September album release.

Review (daebakwhovian): I like BLACKPINK, but after waiting about a year and 2 months (which is like 10 years in K-pop), I was kinda worried that this song wouldn’t live up to the hype and would fall flat. I should have known better; the first 30 seconds of the instrumental intro made me feel like quitting my job and telling off haters all in a slow-motion montage. I actually like the heavy EDM thrumming and the instantly memorable anti-chorus; but I think that some people might find it borderline repetitive. My favorite part was Lisa’s rap in the second verse. The thumping beat and dance break really show off what I think is BLACKPINK’s greatest strength- they’re great performers (as seen in their live performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon). The music video is beautifully shot, their outfits are on point, and it’s already breaking records. And it matched well with other BLACKPINK hits like “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” and “Kill This Love”… but maybe a bit too well? Having basically the same producers and songwriters for all the title tracks (in this case Teddy Park, 24, R. Tee, Danny Chung) can have its benefits. A consistent team would know the strengths and weakness of the group very well and be able to mold the song around them. You also get stability style-wise, and having a distinct ‘sound’ (even if you change up your concept and genre) is arguably one of the biggest factors in keeping fandoms happy in K-pop. That being said, I feel like BLACKPINK is able to show us so much more. I’m not saying they should immediately start doing only ballads and cute concepts; in fact I think they are one of the best groups at pulling off the ‘girl crush’ image. But if we were to play one of those ‘Guess the music video by a screenshot’ games, I think that only a few would be able to tell their top music videos apart, having the same coloring and director. Despite wanting more (and feeling like BLACKPINK deserves to be used more than models and YG should let their musicians actually make music), it’s a good song and I’ll definitely be playing it a lot and feeling like a boss. Overall: Hoping to see another side to BLACKPINK in their full album, but until then: “Bada Bing Bada Boom Boom Boom”

Other Headlines:

• Big Hit Entertainment and CJ ENM joint venture BELIFT LAB premiered its idol-making survival ‘observation’ show I-LAND this weekend. My impression of the first episode: Wow, they are loaded with cash and they are not afraid to use it. It seems a bit cutthroat already for me, but the level of talent for the contestants is amazing, so I’ll give it a try for now. US viewers can see it on Viki.com and access more content on Mnet’s YouTube channel and the Weverse app.
• BTS received a 2020 UNICEF Inspire Award for their “Love Myself” campaign in the Integrated Campaigns and Events category. Starting in 2017, the initiative aims to end violence against children and teenagers. This year 100 campaigns from 50 countries were eligible for 18 categories and the winners were decided via online employee votes and a panel. (Source)
• The KCON curse continues? ATEEZ’s Seonghwa and Mamamoo’s Hwasa were unable to participate fully in performances for the online KCON:TACT 2020 Summer due to injuries (hip and back respectively). Both are reported to be minor injuries that mostly need rest. Hwasa is preparing for her June 29 solo album release “María.”
• In other injury news, CIX’s Bae JinYoung hurt his ankle and has been advised to recover for 3 weeks. The group’s mini album “HELLO Chapter 3. Hello Strange Time” June 30 release date has been postponed.
• A.C.E. released the single “Stand By You” which is a pretty good song. Unfortunately, the music video included a scene of the group dressed in costumes to imitate indigenous people, and fans called them out for it (I didn’t get a chance to see the video before it was taken down, so I can’t comment on the content). BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That” MV is also facing controversy after Indian fans noticed an idol of the Hindu deity Ganesha used in a seemingly disrespectful manner, with fans asking YG (for the most part, it seems most realize that the actual members had nothing to do with set design) to apologize for carelessness (though, I would think that the fault would lie more with the set designing company than YG itself?) A.C.E.’s agency, Beat Interactive, released an official statement apologizing and saying that they listened to fans and would edit and re-release the MV in 3 to four weeks. I’m glad that they listened and took immediate action (and we’ll see if YG will address the issue), but it seems sometimes that companies wait to see whether they will be called out for doing something insensitive instead of just, you know, just not doing it in the first place?(Not saying this is the case here, just in general. I will save all the ways K-pop can be problematic for my next blog).

K-drama Corner

• Actress Jo Yeo Jeong (Parasite, I Need Romance) and actor Go Joon (Oh My Baby, The Fiery Priest) have been confirmed as the leads for upcoming KBS 2TV drama If You Cheat, You Die (literal title). They will play a novelist and a divorce lawyer in the affair and guilt-based drama. Former Momoland member Yeonwoo (Touch, Pegasus Market) has also been confirmed and Kim Young Dae (Extraordinary You, I’ll Go to You When the Weather Is Nice) has been reported to be cast but has not confirmed yet. I’m not into dramas about affairs, but it’s nice to see Kim Young Dae in talks for more roles. The drama is planned for later this year. (Source)
• MBC confirmed the leads for its upcoming The Spy Who Loved Me. Actress Yoo In Na (Touch Your Heart, Goblin, Queen In Hyun’s Man), actors Shinhwa’s Eric Moon (Eccentric! Chef Moon, Another Miss Oh), and Im Joo Hwan (The Game Towards Zero, Oh My Ghost) will star in the romantic comedy/ spy hijinks drama. The premise sounds fun and I love Yoo In Na, so I’ll definitely check this out when it premiers in October. (Source)
• Actress Park Yoo Na (Hotel Del Luna, My ID Is Gangnam Beauty), Moon Ga Young (Find Me In Your Memory, Welcome to Waikiki 2), and ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo (My ID Is Gangnam Beauty) are reportedly in talks to star in a drama remake of the webtoon “True Beauty.” Moon Ga Young would play the female lead who is a shy beauty expert who is afraid to show her ‘true’ face without makeup and Cha Eun Woo would star as the only one who knows what her bare face looks like. This is one of my favorite webtoons, so hopefully it will be a good adaption. You can check out an English translation of the webtoon (for free!) on Line Webtoon.
• In other remake news, popular drama Hotel Del Luna may be getting an American version. The writer, Alison Schapker has worked on sci-fi show Fringe, Scandal, and Alias. The real question is: will the female lead have an amazing wardrobe like IU did? We need answers.

What was your favorite headline this week? Let us know in the comments!