rolling kpop 2024

Magnetic is good but their pitch feels a little less solid than NJ - or they haven't carved out their own space.

speaking of not being able to carve out their own space... spare a thought for Babymonster, doomed to be a Blackpink clone because YG has run out of ideas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wA_b6YHjqQ

That's a little embarassing yeah. At least Blackpink didn't totally sound like 2NE1, even though their sound never developed. This is just throwaway BP.

The reliably good and underrated ONF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOR8CUeTJpc

This is solid if not going to set the world on fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey53EQhkLY8

yeah that's fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9nP3qXQA4o

pretty catchy & endearingly weird vocal effects!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phsDrsw-tzc

a more hyperactive version of that one soaring girl group sound

Loving the last few posts, and that QWER track is fantastic. christian horse girl hyperpop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft70sAYrFyY

this isn't exciting in the way that newjeans have been at their best but it's still lovely, i love the little flute touches

It's a very sweet song. There's a ton of mess and power struggle between HYBE and ADOR now so NJ's promotions this year are now quite uncertain.

i think there's another single next month and two japanese singles planned for june still, but yeah i hope all the corporate drama doesn't get in the way of the album that's planned for later in the year.

this isn't all that great but I like it, a throwback to a time when idols could sell a mediocre song on sheer charisma and personality alone. zico still knows his way around a good hook.

also nice to see/hear Jennie clearly having fun outside of YG/Blackpink - probably the most enthusiastic performance I've seen from her in ages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfqBQ2XhBCg

For those who miss the big girl groups

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bufoKYZXpKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phuiiNCxRMg

"supernova" is pretty good but lol at the "trans europe express" interpolation that gets dropped in there for just a moment?

that's probably the best aespa single

They've had a good streak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3K0TOvTOno

another good newjeans single

Finally got around to watching the BBC documentary on the Burning Sun scandal that came out a couple of weeks back - I won’t post the link here because it’s harrowing and a very difficult watch, but you can easily search for it on youtube.

It gives a good and clear account of how the story unfolded, who was involved, what they were each responsible for. Disgusting that none of the key offenders got anywhere close to a deserving sentence, and most are already out of jail and attempting comebacks.

I hadn’t known that the late Goo Hara, from KARA, had played a pivotal role in uncovering a key figure in the scandal. Bittersweet but glad that it’s now part of her legacy (along with the Goo Hara Act )