daebakwhovian/ September 6, 2020/ ICYMI/ 0 comments

Day6 (Even of Day) Sticks Together All The Way To “Where the Sea Sleeps”

Popular band Day6 debuted its first sub-unit called Even of Day which consists of vocalist/bassist YoungK, keyboardist Wonpil, and drummer Dowoon. Their debut album is called “The Book of Us: Gluon-Nothing can tear us apart” with the title track “Where the Sea Sleeps”.

Review: I’m not quite sure what I was expecting Day6’s first unit to sound like, but it definitely wasn’t this. However, it’s nice to see them able to experiment with different sounds and instruments. While Day6 is known for more of a ‘raw’ sound, this album dives right into synth-pop. Dowoon explained “In order to overcome the limits of creating a full sound with only three members, we chose to use electronic sounds.” Yet at the same time it manages to sync with the band’s greatest draw, tracks and lyrics that are relatable and make you feel understood. I also like that all of the tracks on the album tie together, the theme of a long journey made by close friends connecting all of the songs. The title track feels like a throwback to the harmony and electronic elements of groups like Boyz II Men. The animated music video is one of my favorite MVs this year, with references to classics like The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and even included the two other members of the band (2 recurring shooting stars representing Jae and Sungjin). The entire album has a calming, relaxing feel that still leaves you wanting for more. Overall: A low-key debut perfect for a long road trip with friends or sitting around the campfire looking up at a starry sky.

When people run into unexpected things throughout their lives, they can end up falling apart. We wanted to express that even in those situations, we’re able to find special things and also that ‘nothing can tear us apart.’”

Wonpil (Even of Day) on their unit album name (Source)

Wonho Wants Us to Keep An Open Mind In “Love Synonym #1”

Former Monsta X member turned solo artist Wonho (Lee Hoseok) released his first solo album “Love Synonym #1: Right For Me” and a MV for the title track “Open Mind”.

Review: I’m only a casual Monsta X listener, so when the news hit last year that Wonho was leaving to protect the group (after a series of rumors and scandals) I was disappointed but didn’t know enough about him or the group to be as upset as diehard fans. Usually scandals mean the end of a career in K-pop, and companies are notorious for cutting all ties even for relatively trivial matters. So I was surprised to see his agency, Starship Entertainment, stand by him and eventually go on to sign him to one of their sub-labels as a solo artist. After listening to his album, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to waste this talent. From the opening title track with a seductive bass line backing his honey vocals to the heartfelt love-letter to his supporters, the album shows us his different sides and strengths. The music video for “Open Mind” is amazingly slick, featuring Wonho’s abs Wonho flipping a coin with the goddess of luck on it and contrasting scenes of his ‘dark’ and ‘light’ sides, indicating that he can go either way. Wonho, who was already contributing to the composition of several Monsta X tracks before his departure, had a hand in either producing or writing all of the tracks on the album. The album has a good variety of songs that are different enough to not get boring while still having his stylistic ‘stamp’ all over it. It’s rare to see someone get a second chance in the industry, and Wonho is clearly embracing it and giving us his all. Overall: How many crunches do I need to do to have abs like those? *continues to stress-eat ramen*

“From now on, my story starts again, and I’d like to say thank you and I hope you like my music.”

Wonho for Teen Vogue (Source)

A.C.E. Wants To Be Your Favorite Boys

A.C.E. released their fourth mini album “HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy” with the title track “Goblin (Favorite Boys)”.

Review: So A.C.E. has beeen around since 2017, but for some reason I never looked into them despite always seeing comments everywhere from fans saying how underrated they are. Then I started seeing these beautiful teaser photos on my feed, which prompted me to look up their discography… and why haven’t I done this before? I guess that’s the point behind the title track “Favorite Boys”, getting the public’s attention and becoming their favorite group. And for me, they definitely succeeded. The track is dramatic and bombastic, but never too much. I’ve criticized some of the ‘noise pop’ anthems that have been especially common this year for boy groups, not because it’s a genre that can’t be well done but because it seems that sometimes producers don’t know when to stop. “Favorite Boys” is a perfect example of how to be loud without being over-the-top, balancing the heavy guitar riffs while still being able to clearly hear each member. They styling for this comeback is stunning; I love the traditional hanbok/modern streetwear fusion in the music video and live stages. My only problem with the MV was the constant flashing lights, which instead of being used to highlight or build up to a particular scene just made it hard to watch the full video (or identify the members for any newer fans). Despite that, this is a really strong comeback for the group and there isn’t any tracks I would skip on the album. Overall: One sec, busy leaving a comment about how underrated this group is.

“I be them haters secret favorite

Check the handphone bet they got ACE up in the playlist”

A.C.E. “Goblin (Favorite Boys)”

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Other Headlines:

• SM combo group SuperM dropped a music video for their track “Tiger Inside” (previously performed during their BeyondLive virtual concert earlier this year). I’m just going to say it: this track, the fusion styling, the mysterious-sounding pre-chorus, the choreo >>>>>> so much better than their last release “100”. I know that basically every SuperM song leads up to Taemin in the bridge with Baekhyun singing a high note at the chorus, but honestly they do it so well that I’m not even going to complain about the structural similarities.

• GOT7’s Jackson Wang teamed up with Swedish EDM duo Galantis for the single “Pretty Please”. I love the 90s Hong Kong cinema inspiration for the MV, not to mention the dance break in the rain.

• CLC released a music video for their latest single “Helicopter”. This has such a throwback girl group sound that would make any second-generation K-pop fan happy (think groups like Girls Generation, Apink, etc.). The choreography is also full of memorable point moves and interesting synchronized highlights (at one point leader and main dancer Seungyeon is literally walking up someone’s back). I would love to see this performed at some award/end of the year music show.

• AleXa and German ‘glitch-hop’ producer TheFatRat released the insanely positive “Rule The World”, which feels like it should be the background to a hero’s montage scene. AleXa will release a dance practice to the track soon.

• Lovelyz released their seventh mini album “Unforgettable” with the magical and catchy title track “Obliviate”. (‘Obliviate is a made-up word from the Harry Potter universe which was a charm used to erase memories; and the song is about trying to erase a past lover from your heart). I usually associate this group with more cutesy concepts, so this was a refreshing change and I hope their company continues to promote their diverse styles.

• Debut Alert! Four-member girl group from JPlanet Entertainment LUNARSOLAR made their debut with the single “OH YA YA YA”. I think this is one of the best girl group debuts this year, and I see a lot of potential.
• Former Produce contestant and X1 member Lee Eun Sang made his solo debut with the single “Beautiful Scar”.
• Super Junior D&E (a sub-unit made up of members Donghae and Eunhyuk) released their fourth mini album “Bad Blood” and a MV for the title track “B.A.D.”
• The original K-pop Star winner (we got a surprising amount of great artists from that series) and former 15& member turned soloist Jamie Park (aka Jimin Park) released the track “Numbers” feat. Changmo. Her voice is beautiful and works so well for this kind of song. I’m excited to see where her career takes her now that she’s left JYP Entertainment.
• Weverse (a fan community owned by Big Hit Entertainment ) announced that Pledis Entertainment’s group NU’EST would be the next artist to join the app. Big Hit recently became the largest shareholder of Pledis, although they still operate independently. I think Weverse is one of the best fan platforms out there, allowing fans to interact with each other and the artists and have all official announcements in one place. NU’EST will join BTS, SEVENTEEN, TXT, GFRIEND, and the I-LAND communities on the platform.
• Speaking of Big Hit, the agency recently filed to go public on the stock market. With shares priced between about $88 to $114, the company has an estimated market capitalization between about $2.99 billon and $3.85 billon (so basically, they are rich rich).
  • Each member of BTS has received 68,385 shares each (meaning they will be at least $7.7 million richer when the stocks officially go public). And yet they still compete on Run BTS for ramen cookers.
  • Big Hit is also reportedly in talks to acquire KOZ Entertainment, the company established by rapper/producer Zico. That’s pretty big, since it would put two of arguably the most influential producers (Zico and Bang Shi Hyuk) in the industry together in one place.
  • In a document including risks of investing in the agency, Big Hit revealed that it is possible to delay eldest member Jin’s enlistment until the end of 2021 based on the currently existing military service law. It’s important to note that this is just a possibility, and Jin has previously been quoted saying he’s willing to serve whenever his date comes up. Also, this is under the current laws. Some have expressed anger at current discussions by lawmakers that would allow certain pop culture artists who have made significant contributions to the country to delay enlistment until they reach age 30 (currently it’s age 28). Lawmakers have emphasized that the new law would only be a postponement of conscription, not an exemption.
• *Heavy sigh* Remember how I said that indie-pop band The Rose filed a lawsuit against their agency in order to terminate their contracts due to unreasonable scheduling and outstanding payments (as in, they haven’t been paid in the three years since their debut)? Well, the courts recently denied the request to end their contract and the lawsuit is currently going through arbitration (basically the court said you guys have to work it out). This is so disappointing for fans of the group, who recently received a touching gift of a self-produced track dedicated to them. We tend to hear a lot about problems in larger companies, but smaller agencies are actually a lot worse in terms of potential mistreatment of their artists, and this is by far not the worst example. I can only hope for the best and continue to support the group in whatever they do in the future.
• This has been a history-making week for K-pop! BTS performed their single “Dynamite”, the first South Korean track to top the Billboard Hot 100 Chart (Psy’s “Gangnam Style” reached #2), at the MTV Video Music Awards and won all four awards they were nominated for (Best Group, Best K-pop, Best Pop, Best Choreography for the song “ON”). BLACKPINK also won their first award from the VMAs for “How You Like That” for the Song of Summer. Here’s to getting even more recognition worldwide for K-pop artists.
• Nothing like being involved in a scandal even before you debut. Keeho, a member of FNC Entertainment’s upcoming rookie boy group P1Harmony, was involved in controversy regarding screenshots of social media accounts owned by him prior to his trainee days. The posts contained content such as racist staments, harassing people of color, and disparaging remarks about idol groups. FNC originally released a statement explaining that the account in question, although owned by Keeho, was actually used by a close group of friends who shared the password for it. And since many weren’t satisfied with that statement (which… seemed to imply that he can’t be racist because he’s Asian?….), later they released a handwritten letter from Keeho apologizing for owning the account and ‘not knowing what was being tweeted and posted’ as his fault. You can read the statement and letter here to judge for yourself. Whichever side you believe, I think we can all agree that FNC does not handle any scandal well.
• Did you miss out on KCON:TACT 2020 Summer? Well, get ready for KCON:TACT 2020 Fall! The virtual form of the annual KCON festival, with the first part held earlier this year in June, will be held from October 16 to 25 on Mnet K-pop’s channel. The event will have live concerts and meet-and-greets broadcasted to a worldwide audience. You can keep up with the line-up announcements on their website or Twitter page.
• MBN’s upcoming variety show/documentary about female singers looking for a second chance in their careers, Miss Back, announced it’s lineup. Baek Ji Young will be producer/mentor to STELLAR’s Ga-Young, Wassup member Nada, After School’s Raina, 9MUSES’ Sera, T-ara’s Soyeon, Crayon Pop’s Soyul, Dal Shabet’s Subin, and The Ark’s Jung Yujin. Miss Back will air in October.
• Woollim Entertainment revealed more details about its new boy group: DRIPPIN. The seven member group includew former X1 member Cha Jun Ho and will debut in October. You can check out their teaser on their YouTube and keep up with updates on their social media accounts. I’m not a big fan of this name but hey, Cravity name is equally bad and I like them so I guess we’ll see.
• Speaking of Cravity, the group released a picture of their new light stick on Twitter and Instagram, and it looks beautiful. Pre-orders will begin on September 7 and the light stick will be released on September 14.

K-Drama Corner

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• OCN’s upcoming drama Search released new stills and posters. The drama, starring f(x)’s Krystal (The Player; Bride of the Water God) and actor Jang Dong Yoon (The Tale of Nokdu; School 2017) will be a thriller about a military search troop that must investigate mysterious incidences in the DMZ (demilitarized zone between North and South Korea). Search will premiere in October after currently airing drama Missing: The Other Side.
• COVID-19 cases have been making a rebound lately in Korea, impacting much of the entertainment industry and causing many dramas to be pause filming.
  • KBS, who put their main dramas on hold, announced that Go Ara’s (Hwarang, Reply 1994) and Lee Jae Wook’s (Extraordinary You; I’ll Go To You When The Weather Is Nice) upcoming drama Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol has resumed filming after all of the cast tested negative for the virus. Originally scheduled to premiere on August 26, the new premiere date is still being discussed.
  • JTBC also put its dramas on hold and has resumed filming for scenes that can be filmed following the current guidelines. Go Kyung Pyo and Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun’s drama Private Life scheduled for September 16 is now reviewing the new broadcast date. 18 Again’s September 7 premiere date is also under review and More Than Friends September 18 date has been pushed back to September 25.
• The team behind hit drama While You Were Sleeping (also involved in Hotel del Luna and I Hear Your Voice) released a poster and teaser for their new tvN drama Start-Up. The drama, set in Korea’s fictional Silicon Valley ‘Sandbox’, stars Suzy (Vagabond, While You Were Sleeping), Nam Joo Hyuk (The Light In Your Eyes, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo), Kim Sun Ho (Catch The Ghost, Feel Good To Die), and Running Man regular Kang Han Na (Designated Survivor;Familiar Wife) as dream chasers in the world of startup companies. Start-up is scheduled to premiere in October.
• SBS confirmed the cast for upcoming drama Penthouse about the complex competition to be the top of society in a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors. The star studded cast includes Lee Ji Ah (My Mister) Kim So Yeon (Secret Mother), S.E.S.’ Eugene (Can We Love?), Uhm Ki Joon (I Am Not A Robot), Shin Eun Kyung (The Last Empress), and Yoon Jong Hoon (Find Me In Your Memory). Penthouse will air after SBS’ current Monday-Tuesday drama Do You Like Brahms?
• Upcoming tvN drama Vincenzo added Kwak Dong Yeon (My Strange Hero; My ID Is Gangnam Beauty) to it’s cast. The drama, starring Song Joon Ki (Arthdal Chronicles; Descendants of the Sun), Jeon Yeo Bin (Be Melodramatic), and 2PM’s Taecyeon (The Game: Towards Zero, Save Me), is about an Italian lawyer with ties to the mafia who moves back to Korea and teams up a tough lawyer to take down villains who are untouchable with the law alone. Vincenzo will air next year.
• Netflix confirmed the lead cast for upcoming original drama D.P. (Deserter Pursuit). The drama, based on a webtoon, will star Jung Hae In (A Piece of Your Mind; One Spring Night), film actor Kono Gyo Hwan (Peninsula), Kim Sung Kyun (The Fiery Priest), and Son Seok Koo (Designated Survivor: 60 Days) and is about a special team whose mission is to catch deserters.
• The team behind hit drama Kingdom is gearing up for a new drama with the working title Mount Jiri. The mystery drama has so far confirmed actress Jun Ji Hyun (You Who Came From The Stars, Legend of The Blue Sea) and Joo Ji Hoon (Kingdom, Mask) as park rangers who rescue people at Mount Jiri. The writer and director have worked on dramas including Signal, School 2013, Descendants of the Sun, Goblin, and Mr. Sunshine. Mount Jiri will start filming this month and will premiere next year.
• Currently Watching:
  • I-Land: The difference between the rankings when the producers are in charge vs. the global voting results are so different, but I was honestly shocked at the elimination this week. I’m still mad about certain members getting barely any screen time (*ahem* Hanbin), but it was nice to see the trainees actually get to interact with SEVENTEEN and see their relationships with each other. I’m really looking forward to their performances next week because I think we’ll get to see a new side of some of the contestants (though I hate that they eliminate people after all that practice but before they get to perform). And although *spoiler* Taki got sent home, he has so much potential and I think he will use the time to grow into it.
  • Flower of Evil: The good news is that I finally caught up with all the episodes. The bad news is that I caught up in a week with only one new episode. Although there were some well-placed red herrings here and there, I’m not too shocked that the accomplice *spoiler, obviously* turned out to be the actual Hee Sung. Melodrama aside, I’m absolutely in love with this female lead. Too often shows make it seem like to have a strong female lead, they have to be emotionless, but Ji Won is proving them wrong. I love how we were able to see all her emotions, from betrayal and hurt, to resilience and trust, and finally realizing that love is more than just a word, it’s shown in actions. And she was the one who finally got through to our protagonist that he wasn’t a monstrous empty shell, since all of his actions showed that he loved her from the very start. But now that she knows, and he knows she knows, and her detective partner knows that she knows, I’m scared that a happy ending is near impossible. Also, I’m convinced that his sister is the gullible one that would be the first to die in a horror movie, since her actions are liable to mess up everything.
  • Do You Like Brahms?: Is this the fluffy rom-com I need in my life right now? Although it’s filled with potential cliches, there’s something about this drama that is captivating and charming. I don’t know if it’s the chemistry between the cast, the adorably awkward meet-cutes between our leads, or the relatable feelings of not being sure of your next step, but I had a smile on my face the entire premiere. Don’t let me down, show!

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