Musing While Cruising the Hallyu Highway
Back on Day 9 I was all swoony, hearts-in-eyes over producer Donghun and his self-composed track, Story from the Siren:Dawn EP. I am revisiting the swoon today to share more about the story behind Story. On July 4, 2021, Donghun fired up A.C.E’s VLive channel to chat with fans. During that broadcast, he talked about about Story.
A.C.E busking in the streets of Yeouido covering Adele? I’d say that is a good way to usher in this 55th day of Donghun’s military service. And, another great way to hear Donghun flex his vocal chops. A.C.E debuted on May 23, 2017 and have remained on the busking circuit since. On September 15, 2017 they were in Yeouido, performing, singing and doing what they do best, connecting with fans.
A little something playful for this DH Selca Magic post. Selcas run the gamut when it comes to poses, falling under various categories including: pensive or playful (or any other adjective that would fall within the realm of those two general categories). They could even fall into both simultaneously. I mean, there could be such a thing as ‘pensive with a pout’ ~ hehe. For the record and in my opinion, anything with a wink or a pout would most decisively be playful, even flirty. I offer playful today and leave you with the choice of captions: Good morning or Good night.
Ok, I will agree that Donghun in white is quite angelic. And this look is just on point. The beret, the jewels, the overall style, everything. He is just working this fit gloriously. This is how he showed up to an A.C.E fan sign on November 15, 2019. In fact, everyone in the group was a vision in white. If you are not familiar with A.C.E’s Slow Dive, then perhaps a nice introduction will be this focused Donghun cam from the fan sign.
It has been quite interesting watching our favorite idols navigate these strange days of having to connect with fans remotely. Online concerts where audiences were broadcast on jumbotron-like screens that served as a backdrop to the empty studio and/or venue stages, their only interaction coming via a live chatroom the hosting platform provided to both artists and fans. Sure, they adjusted. We adjusted. Uploading pictures on various sns accounts available seemed to ramp up and so did live broadcasts. It’s true our favorite artists had to work extra special hard to stay in touch. A.C.E, who have always worked hard to maintain a steady connection with their Choice, are by far perhaps one of the most entertaining while doing so. Take for example, a quiet night of sharing a dessert that turned into an arm wrestling match between Donghun, Jun and Chan.
I thought I would drop a little DH fan art today. Something from the Under Cover era from Philippines digital artist, Violetwister. Under Cover is an aggressive track that really showcases the innate strength of A.C.E as vocalists, rappers and dancers. Even so, Violetwister brings a soft touch to our powerful main vocal with her Under Cover inspired art.
Donghun is well known throughout the fandom for his expressively sad eyes. For me personally, I find them to be more gentle than sad, even when he opts for a pose that is more pouty or introspective. I have noticed that many of his selcas lean towards the more neutral. Not that he never turns the camera on himself when he is smiley or playful, he does (he has some wicked fine eye smiles). But, perhaps the depth of a capture that is more soft or solemn adds to his mystery. You know, those kind where you cannot fathom for a second what is on his mind, but are dying to know.
Going into the archives with this pre-debut DH moment. Remember how singing was Donghun’s first and foremost goal when embarking on a career in the music business. Dance was secondary but an idol’s gotta do what an idol’s gotta do. That includes some pre-debut legwork (100% pun intended) in the form of a back-up dancer. Yes….Donghun had a back-up dancer gig as part of the crew used in Korean solo singer Hi.Ni’s MV as well as live performances of her song, 클러치백 (Clutch Bag).
Let me just preface this by saying that this post is all about a Hunnie Cam you did not think you wanted, but definitely needed. I think it is particularly special because the fan sign from where it evolves happened last November. Yes, November 2020. We were still in pandemic mode at the time so there had to have been a very small number of fans in attendance which makes it all that more intimate and special. Nevertheless, there was a fan sign on November 20, 2020 which was two months after the release of A.C.E’s third EP, HJZM : The Butterfly Phantasy; the EP that includes one of my all time favorite tracks, Baby Tonight. The countdown gods must be pleased with me because there is a focused Donghun cam from the fan sign performance. Hurry…let’s have a look.
Technically this post can operate on two levels. First, it could easily fall under the category of Pre-Debut Donghun. Second, it could also land in the Vocal Magic category. Since I call the shots on this countdown, I am officially placing it in the Vocal Magic category because, it is pure magic of the vocal kind. Imagine getting to enjoy a virtual karaoke moment with one of your fave artists? Well, apparently the Smule app allows for this to happen in it’s own little magical way. Back in 2016 (before A.C.E debuted), Donghun logged into the Smule app under hooning1993 and chose to sing Heaven’s Door with the singer-songwriter who released the song, Eric Nam.
The Fangirl Lane 