Tag: Korean Popular Music

On My Playlist ~ NaNaNa [Imfact]

~ Michele ~ Leave a comment

I am so yesterday when it comes to K-pop. In fact, I am more like yesteryear. Hopefully that misfit quality is endearing, and this habit of stumbling across music that is not a product of one of the big three agencies, nor current, is not as uncool as I am apt to sometimes believe. Hehe. Anyway, when a song and I unexpectedly cross paths, I like to think it is fate. Maybe we run into each other at a moment when some emotional rescue is needed; when my drained psyche needs reconstituting or, at the very least, a dance break. Imfact’s NaNaNa with its retro EDM vibe, sweet vocals, and catchy chorus is fresh, fun and very dance break worthy.

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Playlist Roulette ~ For [June]

~ Michele ~ Leave a comment

Did you know that PLT soloist and collaborator, June, was once signed to Big Hit Entertainment and trained with BTS? True story. In fact, he is credited with writing and producing their songs Lost, Awake, and Not Today. Additionally, he has written and produced music for other groups/artists, including Suran and IU. If you are not familiar with PLT, it is a collaborative R&B/hip hop project (not group) of soloists under Planetarium Records. The Strictly Korean playlist decided this is how the new series would begin and I have to say, it has quite a sense of humor. It shuffled out the track For off of June’s first album, Today’s, a song he sings in English.🤷🏻‍♀️

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[New Series] Playlist Roulette

~ Michele ~ Leave a comment

I confess that I have far too many playlists occupying my iTunes/Apple Music account, the most robust of which I have entitled Strictly Korean. At 2413 songs (139 hours of listening time), and growing, it would be impossible for me to listen to every song on that playlist over the course of probably several lifetimes. But I think I found a way of giving it more listening love, and that is through tying it into a weekly blog series called Playlist Roulette.

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On My Playlist ~ IDEA:理想 [Taemin]

~ Michele ~ Leave a comment

At precisely 3AM (6PM KST) on Monday, November 9th, I woke up from a deep sleep, my inner alarm clock sounding its bell alerting me to the fact that Taemin released the second part of his third album, Never Gonna Dance Again: Act Two and with it, the MV for the title track, IDEA. I had planned to rise early to watch a 6AM (9PM KST) V-Live broadcast with Taemin in connection with that new release. However, it seems my fangirl-mired subconscious felt it a duty to disregard my normal circadian rhythms; and although I was awake to experience the album/song release real time, I cannot say I was necessarily ready. In fact, I wasn’t.

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On My Playlist ~ Salute [AB6IX]

~ Michele ~ Leave a comment

I am sure I am not the only one out there who was a little bit shaken out of my comfort zone when AB6IX began dropping teasers for their latest release, Salute. I mean . . . I felt the impending, ‘this is going to hit harder’ vibe immediately. And as this is the group’s first real official comeback as a quartet, it felt very new, and a definite departure from the Vivid era. Anyway, I suppose welcoming a new month with new music coupled with some grown up and sophisticated visuals is not a bad idea. Oh, and that premonition about this comeback hitting harder than the previous one . . . pretty spot on.

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On My Playlist ~ Daisy [Pentagon]

~ Michele ~ 2 Comments

The year 2020 is going to be remembered for many things, a lot of which is not so good. But on the K-pop front in way of new music and comebacks . . . there is where I have found a silver lining. With so many comebacks all happening pretty much simultaneously, it’s hard for a mature (translation: old) fangirl to keep up. Pentagon was one of many that came back in the month of October and in my opinion really stood out with the title track Daisy from their tenth extended play album WE:TH.

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On My Screen ~ Black Rose Eye Contact Cam Version [Taemin]

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In anticipation of the release of Taemin’s next album, Never Gonna Dance Again: Part Two, I find I am unable to curb my enthusiasm while I wait. The album will be released on November 9th, and although that is rapidly approaching, it is going to seem like 15 years. Ok, I am exaggerating of course, but I can’t help it, I am excited. To help move time a little quicker as I wait for teasers, the MV and ultimate album release, I am going to appreciate some of Taemin’s past performance videos. Because, why not? Lately, Black Rose from Never Gonna Dance Again: Part One has been demanding my attention, so I will start there.

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On My Playlist ~ Paradise [TRCNG]

~ Michele ~ 1 Comment

I never considered myself a person plagued by any kind of serious compulsive disorder but maybe I should rethink that when it comes to music. Heh. I admit that I often get fixated on an artist or group, or even genre when it comes to music. As a result, that fixation will keep me in a holding pattern where nothing else sneaks in for even a second. This can last for hours, days, weeks, even months. But then every so often, I move out of that compulsive mindset and just hit the shuffle button and let the music chips fall where they may. That happened this past weekend and I was pleasantly surprised when TRCNG’s Paradise shuffled its way out first.

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Musings ~ When Your Idol Invades Your Dreamscape

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I woke up this morning feeling a bit melancholic. I suppose it is not so unlikely an emotion given the current state of the world at large. It’s been a difficult year on so many levels for so many. Yet at the same time I also felt upon waking a sort of winsomeness. You see, often when I dream I rarely remember. True also is the fact that many, if not most of my dreams, fall in the anxiety interpretation column if analyzed. Last night, I dreamt about Taemin.

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