Pretty Gay K-pop Music Video

[quote] Pretty Gay K-pop Music Video

What's pretty gay? It sounds like you are perpetuating a stereotype. Or are you going to make inflammatory remarks about Koreans?

It seems like they’re hot for each other. That one guy is a pretty good rapper.

No snark intended, seriously, but could you find your son in that group shot? They look like octuplets (or however many there are).

It’s a love song and they keep exchanging longing glances with each other. It’s gay as hell.

Plastic surgeried ladybois doing group aerobics to forgettable pop ditties. Every song.

r4 either you're young and ignorant or old and desperate

Anyone older than 14 or so can see they’re cruising each other. Except for the two guys with the drone, who seem to be stalking that third guy.

It’s not bad.

Ha OP you called that gay?! You haven’t seen nothing yet….

R8, you’re right. But those guys seem older and more mature.

Cute. It was so much fun to be young and pretty and cruising for sex and love.

0:40 is how I realized I’m gay: I was at my friend’s place and this other friend of his from church came and I just froze, stunned, when he walked through the door. I couldn’t get over his beauty.

That was a rough weekend. Lots of panic and angst. All kept inside.

They dance very well.

It's kpop. The straight fangirls like the implied homosexuality (provided it's not real homosexuality).

yes they really don't want to think about fudge packing.

Has Exo ever released something that gay, to tease female fans?

The younger groups, K-pop 4th generation groups, are the most gay.

They all get radical beautifying plastic surgery. Do they transform their junk, too?

R17, unless they're extraordinarily talented (which is rare), they're chosen for their looks, so usually there's been no surgery. Styling (hair, brows), and makeup are really important, too.

It's a thing for companies to release their childhood photos from babyhood on including yearbook photos, either directly or through fan clubs, so they prove they've had no surgery.

DLers, as gay as they are, aren't usually familiar with the power of makeup and styling to transform a face.

Even the eldergays here would get a lot more sex if they bothered to learn how to style themselves and skillfully use makeup, or pay professionals to do their hair and makeup.

If you say so buddy

This is about the quarantine. "We Lost the Summer" from TXT, the second group from BTS's company, Hybe.

It's helped many Gen-Z girls cope.

Very impressive dancing at R12 -- but amazing how Westernized the rest of the world has become. Miss Universe was fun for its diverse beauty but now they all look like Cher whether from India or Botwana or Spain.

R22, the culture is very different. The music and costumes might sound and look Western (usually—see link for a not atypical counterexample), but the guys are very East Asian in values (e.g., extreme personal sacrifice for their "teams" (groups), younger members' generally unquestioning obedience to older members), and behavior (e.g., polished politeness at all times, strong same-sex affection). That's something that makes the genre interesting.

Also there's much greater tolerance for "flower boy" beauty (the video is also pretty typical of that). The term came from Korea originally.

The shoot videos with robot arms handling the cameras. Why doesn’t that surprise me?

New TinyTan out today!

R10, you got to experience that? Lucky bastard.

I doubt if they do their own singing. It's the look and the dancing that are important.

Somewhere, a middle-aged Gackt sits back in his office chair, clicks a pen, and laughs derisively.

One of the ‘boyz’ (I don’t their names and can’t tell most of them apart) looks quite a lot like Ruito Aoyagi. Which is weird, cuz i didn’t think Rui had any Korean in him.

Jacob, R29.

Jacob Bae

Jacob is hot

When I see threads like this I wonder how many DLers are required by law to register with local law enforcement...Drooling over guys who look like junior high school boys is kinda sick...

Some fans joke that Jacob has a sweet boyfriend.

The most famous 4th generation ‘ship. Stray Kids members.

The Boyz are on a guy group competition show show that started two weeks ago. There are subs and it's pretty good.

Great. Now I’m sad thinking about SHINee again. Thanks a fucking bunch, OP.

R37 let this heal you. Soobin heals everything.

Here’s some G Dragon and T.O.P homoerotically fighting over a girl

From Stray Kids just now. Amazing.

R35.

This guy is like 40 years old and very handsome. No sex crimes here!

What's the name of that really unattractive non-Korean chick with the tattoos and butch hair? The one who once was a member of a group and whose interviews are all about how the music sucks and the industry is evil?

Amber? She’s non Korean and butch she was in F(x). She’s the butchest person who was ever in Kpop.

R37, watch this at 9:25. It's recent. Sweet and sad.

Episode 3 with subtitles. It's great.

R44, yes, that's her. I can't look at her. So odd. She's worth $8 million though.

thug pop sounds a lot like Korean to me.............

The couples at R34 and R35 are insanely cute.

R47 who doesn’t like Amber Liu? I really don’t get that. She’s one of the only unique and interesting and self-possessed people to come out of the K-Pop scene. The rest all look and act like clones, but there’s no-one else even a little bit like Amber. Probably helps that she’s Taiwanese raised in America, but let’s not talk about that...

For that matter, f(x) as a whole were essentially the 5% worthwhile quotient in a scene otherwise mostly filled with forgettable robotic unartistic dreck. On a day I’m feeling generous and upbeat, I might also add Hyuna, G-DRAGON, SHINee (already mentioned upthread), and the short-lived AFTERSCHOOL to that list. Apart from that, it’s been predictably terrible music.

If you haven’t had exposure to K-pop yet but want to get into Asian contemporary music, spare yourself and listen to 90s-2000s J-pop/rock, Taiwanese fusion, or even Chinese neoclassical instead.

[quote] [R47] who doesn’t like Amber Liu? I really don’t get that.

R50, I like the machine and its vapid, inauthentic, or whatever-perjoritives-you-want-to-call-it output, and I really don't like Amber's constant harping about the industry. She's free to do it, but I'm just answering the question I'm inferring from the quote above (not just "Who doesn't like her" but in turn, impliedly given "I really don't get that", "Why?").

If she wants to be a "real" artist—gritty, authentic, etc., so be it, but I think she should take her millions, stay in LA (where she is now), and do her own thing there without riding on the "I was in K-pop and I know all about it, Westerners, and it's terrible - here's the dish" train (e.g., her extensive interviews in the new YouTube Original documentary seres on K-pop). It's her life, and she's free to do what she wants, but it's so Uncle Tom-esque: It's like that fat chick goth Asian vlogger Sherliza who searches for offensive stuff on Asian TV to run to YouTube and post it and feverishly tell Westerners how terrible Asia is, make them gasp, and get attention and money that way. She also does Amber's K-pop spiel but has no background in the industry, unlike Amber. It's like, with the latter fat chick, just shut the fuck up and stop running to foreigners to rag on something you have no relation to.

That's just my take. No anger towards you or anything.

One of Amber’s dearest closest friends and bandmates, essentially a little sister to her, committed suicide young due to industry pressure and bullying.

If my little sister or my best friend took her life over something like that, I’d want the world to know and be warned, too.

I like K-pop because it's a perfect combination of:

- synthesized/cultivated very cute idols with nicely crafted outward personas (polite, humble, cheerful) who work hard and sacrifice for their groups ("teams") and show obedience to their elders in the group and their companies

- extremely catchy music, colorful concepts for each new album ("comeback"), meticulous styling, and insanely well-crafted music videos

- very engaging media ecosphere (livestreams, music shows with voting on apps, variety shows, reality shows, survival shows, awards shows, the Idol Star Athletics Championships, dramas casting idols, fan-meets, concerts, merchandise including light-sticks, fan cafe message-boards with unique access to the idols, direct daily YouTube content, 3rd party YouTube content (e.g., fan-cams, airport arrivals, formal greetings outside the TV studios before the music shows, etc.)

- the symbiotic relationship of fans to the idols, where the latter knows that he/she must meet fans' expectations for quality output, politeness and outward humility, professionalism, appearance, and decorum in exchange for their celebrity status and wealth

- the intimacy fans have with the companies that produce the idols and their groups; it's like being a fan of Tesla, and reading up on their new production models, concept models, launches, branding, etc.

It's all such a refined, ever-improving machine—and fans are aware that it's a machine, and that doesn't make its output, the product of sacrifice and lots of hard work, less fun/loved.

Scandals, suicides and the like are byproducts of the machine's output, and all the machine is iterating and focusing increasingly on looking after idols' well-being, with companies trying different things to make idols healthier and happier (e.g., JYP having psychologists on staff and serving healthy, organic food with an on-staff nutritionist and chef; letting idols take time off when they need to, as at an increasingly number of companies like Pledis, etc.).

The people who dismiss it, and say it's inauthentic, and say, e.g., "Japanese punk rock from 1982 is REAL music" don't get this "meta" perspective: we know what it is, and how it's made, and we're fine with it, because it's engaging and it makes us happy.

Being like Patsy and Edina/ a, sneering "In my day, we had real music: the Stones, baby — it was real and gritty: you'd wake up in a pool of your own sick dusted with heroin with Mick passed out on top of you" is tired and leaves one blind to the charms and distractions of the K-pop industry and its output.

It's like someone dismissing today's high-tech, refined luxury electric vehicles and saying "those aren't cars: you want a real car? Think the 1970 Camero, or the 1967 Mustang — those are REAL cars." It's just kind of needlessly closed-off and dismissive of the new music for what it is. It's not trying to produce classics: it's creating catchy songs that just get you through the week/month, with new stuff coming all the time. It's not haute cuisine from a tucked-away bistro in an otherwise obscure alley in Paris: it's more like ... Sweetgreen.

Disney movies are DIsney movies: we know what they are, we know they aren't high art, we know they're contrived and full of lies in their way, but they make some of us feel good when we watch them.

Or jazz. People say the same thing about jazz being "real" when they dismiss pop music. We get it: drama, race struggled and angst, addiction, Oscar-winning biopics. It's all serious and real and authentic. We just prefer other stuff.

I like groups' goofy-cheap holiday videos.

[quote] Disney movies are DIsney movies: we know what they are, we know they aren't high art, we know they're contrived and full of lies in their way, but they make some of us feel good when we watch them.

Unflattering comparison. Disney movies may be enjoyable and wholesome to some, but their films propagate many dangerous and unhealthy societal messages and insidious conditioning to young children. They also co-opt folklore and art and literature without compensating original artists, then using their own employees turn it into unpalatable claptrap that glosses over anything of real value. Then there’s the way their tonnes of plastic merchandise pollute the planet, the way their parks and resorts occupy and damage residential and green land, the way their industry eats into local tourism and takes profits away from smaller creators....

R56, I kind of (badly) included that with "we know what they are, we know they aren't high art, we know they're contrived and full of lies in their way". And of course images in K-pop make some kids feel bad about their appearances, and some or even much of it is culturally insensitive, sexist, etc. Most any popular media can be deconstructed and shown how from many angles it's harmful, exploitative, culturally problematic, etc.

We all know about the horrors of stuff like Disney, but I was trying to be honest. They're similar in some ways, and a lot of what they are isn't good. Pollution is the same in K-pop: tons of plastic merchandise and huge carbon footprints getting albums and goods shipped around the world. Lots of wasted one-time-use costumes, etc. Not so much the tourism/land use stuff, however. I personally don't like that they abuse octopuses during the "What's in the box?! OMG today it's an octopus - so gross and squishy!" games, or that they eat so much goddamn meat when it's "Yay! We're having a party with yummy food!" time in videos.

There's a lot that someone might not like. I'll make another unflattering but somewhat resonant comparison: it's like Amazon. Tons of problems that matter more to some than others, but for some it's what we like.

Again the meta point is that we "know"—we see the angles, too, and Western media with its angst and postmodern analyses make sure we do—but ultimately on balance we consume and enjoy, because it gets us through the day and makes us smile during our otherwise short, miserable lives.

And some of aren't just aren't smart or refined enough to find transcendent joy in classical music, 1920s jazz or "authentic" punk rock from, e.g., 1973 Berlin in 1973 or "authentic" pan-African hiphop 1999 Mali.

Lots of typos in the last sentence in particular. Sorry.

[quote] And some of aren't just aren't smart or refined enough to find transcendent joy in classical music, 1920s jazz or "authentic" punk rock from, e.g., 1973 Berlin in 1973 or "authentic" pan-African hiphop 1999 Mali.

Well, it’s a pity someone made you believe you have to be ‘smart’ and ‘refined’ to enjoy non-mainstream music & art. That’s pretty low on their part, and smacks of gatekeeping.

With more obscure cultural forms, it’s just about exposure to it and partaking of it with an open mind. Fine if you don’t like it, or it leaves you cold; not so fine if you just never try it, because you think you’re too dumb or trashy or you’re somehow culturally disallowed.

^^^to use myself as a personal example: I’m a university dropout from a low-income hillbilly family, and I like to watch or listen to an opera every now and then. I can’t understand the lyrics unless they’re in English, I can’t claim to ‘get’ the music (I play a little folk, but I’m no great shakes a player, and can’t sight read either), and I lack the enormous breadth of historical and literary knowledge to grasp all the arty contextual references. I don’t claim to be a connoisseur and I can’t have a lengthy deep discussion about it (well, not yet), but I know a little about the form and what to expect, which is enough to basically take in a show and find something interesting or enjoyable (even if it’s just one particular aria or set or costume).

As for non-theatrical music, I will throw on some jazz or some baroque or some experimental art/prog rock every now and again, really for variety and my curiosity more than anything else. I keep my mind open, but I also don’t force myself to listen for long if it doesn’t catch my ear or my mind or my heart.

My grandmother is the type to force-feed herself classical music and the Paris Review, because she wants to tell and show people she’s intellectually cultured. I don’t play that.

You do you. I was just wondering how fans of genre like K-pop square away the ethical stormcloud surrounding the industry (and it was a comprehensive answer, so thanks). Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.

I like Amber a lot too and was a fan of her group. I could never get into most k pop but I still listen to some of it. I like CL solo and wish she’d do more.

A fun recent awards show stage from TBZ. Very high budget.

I think CL is in the process of revamping her next solo album. I think she got some chances to work with different producers based on a few singles she had released so she pulled back its release.

CL is with Hybe now, so I bet she has many collaboration opportunities.

Any Stray Kids fans? They're about the biggest fourth-generation male group out there. I like that many of them are short (like me), and their visual, Lee Know, seems very sweet — he lives in a humble home near one of Seoul's airports, his family deals in furniture, he adopted three cats (he cleaned up after them, including their litter boxes), and he visits his grandma on those rare vacation days.

He has a sweet relationship with Han, also in the group. (R35)

KPop is so hit or miss for me. I really liked Rain’s latest release “Magnetic” but hated everything else he has done.

Jessi is pretty fun, and seems like a good person in real life. I just wish she wouldn't seemingly glorify some kinds of not-so-good things (vulgar language, overt money-hungriness, and like that American "girl power by showing your ass" thing).

Jessi is outrageous. I think it's because she's from NY/NJ and doesn't give a fuck. Jesus.

R29 cute Jacob.

YG has a new group that's 1/3 Japanese and extremely popular in Japan.

Amazing performance from self-producing top group Stray Kids from episode 3 of Kingdom.

BTS and LV.

I love how wholesome it can be. Cheerful, fun, and a reprieve from the miserable current state of things.

And there melody and key definitely sounds distinctly East Asian.

*the melody

Hyunjin from Stray Kids is beautiful.

Stray Kids. They’re in their 20s. Very sweet conversation.

I prefer Chinese pop.

Rain dancing to “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown.

Chinese pop lacks the immersive setup, as well as the same-sex affection and Confucian courtliness/politeness exhibited in K-pop.

Those kids were good at r78. I’m not at all familiar with any CPop.

R53, do you even realize you basically just wrote a cult manifesto? You really sound like a cult member.

Kpop is nothing more than the ultimate marketing machine and I find it so hard to believe that so many people willingly jump down the Kpop hole.

R82, I thought my explanation was pretty down-to-earth and straightforward.

Have you even listened? It’s catchy. It makes cleaning one’s home, driving, laundry, and the like go faster.

There’s no special esoteric knowledge largely inaccessible to the “non-chosen”. That’s a cult. This is just catchy music and engaging media offerings accessible to anyone and essentially free, if you just want to listen and watch videos.

S. Korea and Taiwan preserve the mannered and courtly threads of Confucianism long ago overrun in Japan by militarism, and somewhat lost in China to Marxism.

Some fun girls watching r84.

SKZ sleeping at 10:00. 🥺🥰

I find Chinese male celebrities to be more attractive. They look more natural and are more masculine.

There’s concern in China about K-pop being a threat to traditional masculinity.

They will fail. Nobody can stop the influence of pop music.

That’s cute r85.

Can anyone tell those lab created robots apart. It is like ken dolls with no testicles came to life.

Kingdom episode 8 just out an hour ago.

Just out. I like BTS, but this isn’t doing it for me.

Editor's Note: Rani Neutill is a professor of creative writing and Asian American literature at Emerson College and Harvard University.

R98 take your fangurling about those ladyboys somewhere else.

Wang Yibo, who is a Chinese actor, also sings.

Many Chinese entertainers sing, R100.

R100, that’s some sloppy dancing. The stage is a mess.

K-pop is a package: singing is maybe 20% of it. China’s entertainment companies, like Japan’s, still lack most of the remaining 80%.

Lay Zhang, who is a Chinese rapper, has worked with Alan Walker, who is an English-Norwegian record producer and DJ. Alan Walker wrote the song, 'Faded', as sang by the singers in R78.

R99 is just old.

I bet he has forehead lines.

R104. I am not old dumbass and not everyone who is not a fan of cheap manufactured foreign pop is old.

Anyone who automatically labels put-together Asian guys “ladyboys” is old.

Your forehead lines say everything: ragged, grizzled, tired. And a flyover.

R106 is for R105.

Biden is so endearing. I like this.

I am rooting for GOT7 and hope they can continue with the band after leaving the odious JYP.

I’ve been including this in my makeout etc. playlist lately.

Of this is the actual MV.

No one wants to talk about Jackson Wang? I don’t think he’s been mentioned once on this thread. I think he has the potential to really crack the American market as a soloist. He is relentless. I know he’s not Korean but he was/is a KPop artist.

Are there asians now posting on DL. I miss the days you will never see threads like this on this site.

R113 is an eldergay flyover.

Eldergay flyovers, most English-speaking K-pop listeners aren't Asian.

R112, I'm more into 4th-gen groups, plus Exo and BTS.

What generation are BTS?

3rd, R116. TXT, also from Hybe, are 4th.

R114 I am a young person but I don't understand the fascination with less masculine looking male. It must be a fetish because they all look trans.

You're hilarious R19!

More please!

It’s just the styling for pop groups in Korea. Oddly you get used to it even if it looks so over the top at first.. It’s really for when they are dressed up for stage.

R118, are you a flyover?

They're just stage looks for "comeback" concepts. "Comeback" in K-pop means a new release of a song, album, etc. They happen every 4 months or so. The looks change every time, and they don't look like that offstage. They're not styled like that in everyday life. That should be obvious.

This guy is gorgeous.

I like how they take every existing pop musical genre or subgenre (e.g., Latin house, dubstep, etc.) and emerging look in makeup, hair, costume, and video production style, polish and combine them in interesting ways to make up "concepts", and then deploy them, commodified and packaged, in mere month-long promotions for new track/album releases. It puts cultural trends in their place, as just ephemeral novelties, rather than how the West elevates silly things like a hairstyle, dress, or particular pop culture era into stuff worthy of an biopic, etc.

And I love how foreigners freak out when they engage in cultural appropriation. They don't care about that stuff, unless it affects sales, in which case they make an apology and the controversy evaporates.

*a biopic

The entire K-pop band should take a very close look at Michael Jackson's face as an example of what happens when excessive extreme plastic surgery is performed and then has to be maintained. Particularly the nose area.

Concepts

Most of the music in Kpop is atrocious. If I wanted to see hot guys I could look up Instamodels or watch porn. I'd rather not inflict myself with overproduced and disposable music that makes my ears bleed. A lot of Kpop fans get so violently angry when others don't care about Kpop. I love anime, Hong Kong action films and studying East Asian culture and history. But Kpop just sounds like a cheap knock-off of American pop to me and the whole Idol culture is beyond creepy and exploitative. I prefer Korean rock music and hip-hop. And at least Japanese popular music is distinctive and I love the use of jazz, funk and traditional string instruments in a lot of their compositions.

Korea is creating groups for Japan now. So far they're huge hits. They're going to assimilate their pop music industry like the Borg. Japanese idols will actually be polished when they debut in Japan, cf. the old trend in Japan of "just swing it and get better over time", and they'll actually be able to dance now. I'm looking forward to Hybe's Japanese boy group.

R125, they have best plastic surgeons on the planet. And you might be coming from the premise that like they're supposed to have 30-year careers like top pop stars in the West. That's not how it works over there. Each generation has about 10 years max.

Particularly the nose area.

[quote] They're going to assimilate their pop music industry like the Borg

I completely agree. What I’m hoping is that as a result KPop music will get better. There is truth to so much of it being terrible and a level beyond disposable. They need to raise their standards now that it’s truly worldwide.

I want to plug Blackpink’s Lisa’s video The Movie. The choreography is so good and it’s done to Destiny Roger’s “Tomboy” which is a really good song.

Very cute from TXT just out.

The other latest single from TXT. It’s lovely.

More TXT

They have smooth underarms.

That sexy rapper guy with the deep voice from Monsta X is gay right?

R137 you talking about Joohoney/Jooheon? He sets my gaydar off. He and Jackson Wang together is a gayfest.

I meant IM. I didn’t know his name at first. He has a verrrrry sexy voice and I am 99% convinced he’s gay.

PBS analyzes.

There is nothing wonderful or profound about kpop.

Felix of Stray Kids is probably the prettiest young man I have ever seen in my life. His voice doesn’t match his face.

Hyundai bought Boston Dynamics. Here’s BTS dancing with the robot Spot. From today.

The robots dancing. Amazing.

R142. The last clips (with the peach emojis on his cheeks) are especially cute.

R142. Cute and sexy in parts.

More Felix. He gets a kiss. He’s very likely bi, too. He basically outed himself at a concert.

Yeah he’s pretty open about liking men and women. Here is a clip that really demonstrates the contrast of his looks versus face. (Other than just watching a m/v)

Sorry I meant looks versus voice.

I really like this. So pretty and distinctively East Asian.

Stray Kids are heavy with the gay stuff. It’s cute.

It is cute. They are a very likable bunch of young guys.

Xin Liu from Cpop group The9. I love her androgynous vibe and I think the song is really good.

Any Hyunjin (Stray Kids) fans?

Yeah. He’s the one who really stands out, even more so than Felix at first.

They make Hyunjin into this crazy sexy persona on stage. So different from the everyday. His parents' home is pretty basic (he doesn't have his own place).

They all still live in dorms I am assuming.

Cute.

Yup, still in the dorm. Same one they started in. They still cook their own food and clean, too.

My favorite. Hyunjin from 6:15 - "20 minutes at 180 degrees in the air fryer".

High school Hyunjin.

Have you seen Hyunjin’s new dance video? It’s really good!

Cute Felix

He just looks like a doll to me. Almost not real.

Nice new performance from Hyunjin. He's back after a long hiatus for his school bullying scandal. I do wish he'd have short hair for a while again, though.

Sungjoo as an idol

Sungjoo in the military

Just out from The Boyz. It’s a promo track for a new app.

It’s quite gay.

Whoops this is the full video.

AIDS metaphor at R167. Vampires + gay.

Early Felix.

Here’s episode 1 of the Stray Kids survival reality show. It’s pretty interesting actually.

Is this the series where Chris tells Felix he’ll never leave him behind and to always look for him if Felix needs someone? Very touching.

I have not watched this show but I have seen clips of that scene on TikTok.

R171, yes. It’s a good show. Ten episodes.

R171, yes. It’s a good show. 10 episodes.

Nutty.

Chinese Canadian Kris Wu, C-pop star formerly with Exo, is in deep trouble.

I’m not saying whether he did this or not but it’s kind of shocking how easily these KPop stars’ careers can be derailed from simple accusations. I mean look at Wonho and even Hyujin having to go on hiatus just because someone accused him of bullying during his school days.

R176, I'm a huge fan of Hyunjin, but he did admit to bullying. It's over, and he's apologized and everything, but he did admit it. So it wasn't just an accusation.

Oh okay I didn’t realize.

Wu bring dropped left and tight all day.

*right

Is Wu even guilty? Has this been proven?

R181, the police haven’t come to talk with him yet.

There are multiple accusers with some evidence.

Don’t know him, but I like Exo.

Wu is fucked. More women are coming out with accusations.

Stray Kids performing Twice. I’m sure they loved doing it /s

The Boys performing Twice in Japan and Taiwan. They hated doing it, I read 😂

I’m not a fan of Twice. The girls are all super cute but their music is boring and/or cloying. They are typical of Kpop’s double standard where the men can go hard and be sexual (within reason) but the girls must be demure and restrained. There are exceptions to that rule but Twice’s popularity kind of speaks for the audience preferring the women to be ultra conservative.

I want to add that this is clear lyrically too. BTS can rap “man or woman, I’ll make you come with my tongue” but no female in KPop could get away with a line like that.

R186, Confucianism isn't dissimilar from (moderate contemporary) Islam, when it comes to standards for male/female behavior. It's Islam minus god, and minus the foreignness (it's from next door, cf. SE Asian countries like Malaysia et al adopting a truly foreign religion, Islam).

That said, that kind of lyric is extremely unusual. BTS is a little bit "out there" because their company gives them a lot of freedom (relatively speaking) and they're trying (desperate) to be globally appealing (thus the vulgarity).

This video is titled "Confucian boy Lee Juyeon". He's a member of The Boyz. The point for posting it here is that under Confucianism men shouldn't be vulgar (per your "within reason" parenthetical). That BTS lyric is very un-Confucian, obviously.

This is too funny. The big guy’s girlfriend asked “Are they boys? They’re so pretty.”

Jimin and especially JHope are 2 of the best dancers in KPop by far.

😯 wow!

Centimillionaire Kris Wu may get 10 years in prison. Then he’ll be deported.

Chris of Stray Kids is in deep shit with black stays for like the 50th time. He has issued an apology but most of them have decided to not accept it. This time they are accusing him of making a Jim Crow pose ( I have no idea what that means) and how that’s deeply offensive.

Black American K-pop fans and their baizuo allies are VERY touchy about everything. It's nuts. They're always scanning for something to get angry about, and for which to demand an apology. It makes them feel powerful, and in control of, and connected to, the idol.

I wish they'd just drop K-pop altogether. I don't know how many times I've read "As a Black K-pop fan, I'm so tired..." If you're so tired, why not drop that which makes you tired?

*10 years to life in prison

I feel bad for Chris. As the leader of the group he is the spokesperson and is apparently the one who keeps stepping his foot in it. I have seen clips of his vlives and he seems like a really good kid to me. I hope he just focuses on making music snd lets the chips fall where they will. You cannot please people who are just living to be offended.

Bang Chan does the most social media stuff (streams, etc.) for fans. I guess he has to, be each time he does it, he's exposing himself to intense scrutiny. Like what if he scratches his forehead in a way 2 people somehow find racially offensive? It becomes a thing on Twitter, and he has to grovel for forgiveness again. On and on. It sucks.

Last mongth:

Heesung from Enhypen is accused of singing the n-word in a song he was singing along to. Fans demand an apology, and that the company "address the situation". One fan claims another fan just committed suicide over it. (cough... bullshit ... cough)

Zero word from the idol or his company.

That's how you do it.

*month

I have to agree. By constantly apologizing it just gives in to temper tantrums being thrown constantly.

New trailer for TBZ's comeback next week. Cute. Kevin (glass-closeted) is a mess, though.

Q from The Boyz and his Chucky doll.

The backlash against Chris is still going strong as KPop fans continue to spread the word that he is a racist. I had no idea that this controversy occurred 3 years ago and he is still expected to continue to apologize. Insanity.

R204, on Twitter? Losers. They’re not getting more blood out of him.

There's a Google doc. It's absurd.

TOWARDS BLACK PEOPLE

Hyunjin mimicking a character modeling blackface (2020)

Bang Chan wearing cornrows (2019)

Hyunjin, HAN and Lee Know wearing durags (2019-2020)

TOWARDS SOUTH ASIAN PEOPLE

The Curry Song:

Mocking Cultural Dances:

TOWARDS NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE

I.N wearing a necklace featuring a stereotypical depiction of a native american man wearing a headdress

Felix’s dreamcatcher earrings that he has worn on several occasions

You can tell which cultures think of themselves as losers by the offense taken. Wear a kimono in a music video? The Japanese love it. Britney wearing a hanbok? The Koreans go wild. A fucking trashy durag? ....

They have a problem with dreamcatcher earrings???

It's people who want interaction with idols: they want communication and acknowledgement from them. The desperate need... it's really pathetic.

The best. Romantic yet high-energy.

Reportedly one of Kris Wu’s possible victims may be 12 years old.

Jesus.

Much harder than r211’s song, but I love this clip. Changbin and Han can really rap.

Wow that’s intense, R214. Yeah I’m more of q Levanter/I Am You fan.

Today’s Changbin’s birthday, think.

I can’t tell if they’re really dating. Han and Minho.

NYC DLers will recognize places in this. Bleeker St., Prospect Park, etc.

Hey r215, do you like Skz “God’s Menu”? It took a short bit to grow on me, but I love it now. It’s like some kind of neo-metal in its sound.

R219, yeah I really like "God's Menu". "Back Door" as well. "Hellevator", and "Mirae", too. I think it's 3Racha's stuff that I find hard to get into, thought I kind of like "Matryoshka" for the "beep beep" sounds in the background.

The Boyz released a new mini-album today. Listening to that now. It's ... ok.

The BOYZ Thrill Ride is.....meh. They've had better singles. They do look cute as always though.

I haven’t really listened to any of 3racha’s songs except for Carpe Diem r220. Considering how good Han and Changbin are I might like their stuff a lot. Did you like Chris and Lee Know’s song “Drive”?

I am a huge fan of BTS’ rap line as well. “Ddaeng” is a really great song by them.

R222, yeah I like "Drive". I converted the YouTube video into an mp3 to put it on my playlist. It's funny that Bang Chan said it's actually about driving, as a joke.

I was just watching this. I can't tell what's going on between Han and Lee Know...

From 22:25. It's pretty intense.

2:20

All of these groups have such intense skinships. I admit I find it interesting because such a thing is so taboo in the states. I saw a video clip where Tae of BTS completely cold shouldered Jungkook because he was jealous and angry that JK wasn’t paying him enough attention.

I am still new to KPop so there are a lot of groups I don’t know anything about but I know their names. The Boyz, txt, EXO … there are so many more. And those are just the boy bands.

As far as girl groups go I don’t think there are any putting out music with as much crossover appeal as Blackpink. I am interested in MAMaMoo (horrible name) as I love the members. Individually they are each really interesting. I am also curious about Red Velvet.

Anyway Kihyun of Monsta X was recorded singing some old standards recently. He has an incredible voice! I hope that group can survive as each member is due for military service.

There are so many groups, R227, right? I generally just stick to two or three groups, and if I happen to hear a song I like from another group, it's possible I start following them, too. Or I might just add their top songs to a playlist but not really get to know them: I like Twice, and listen to several of their songs a lot, but I don't really know who's who, or anything else about them, really. Same with Itzy. I used to listen to Red Velvet, until I learned that Irene is a terrible, abusive person, after which I couldn't listen anymore.

TXT, The Boyz (TBZ), and Stray Kids (SKZ), all 4th-gen boy groups, are the ones I'm following rather closely, I watch their music videos and YouTube content (variety shows, their own content other than music videos), casually keep up with developments in their schedules, etc., and I'll watch their VLIVE streams every now and then. Fan videos, too, like those Minsung (Minho + Jisung from Stray Kids) videos.

There are many shows streaming for free here. Most of it is unavailable on YouTube. No ads, either. You can just search for the name of the group, and it's possible they have something (Monsta X, for example). I really liked "Kingdom" and "Kingdom: Legendary War", two recent boy group survival shows ("Kingdom" came first).

I Just want to mention that Monsta X refused to participate in kingdom due to their busy schedules so Mnet has blackballed them. Which is so petty.

PS I like Itzy and they have the potential to be awesome, but their songs are only so-so IMO.

I love when Felix does aegyo or just generally cute things.

This was fun: Stray Kids go to Australia. Two episodes. Here's episode 1.

Episode 2.

I have no idea of this group SF9 but this members fancam is always on my YouTube feed.

This is too cute.

Are the Stray Kids fans on here liking the teasers they have released so far? I liked the clips I have seen of “Domino” which is supposed to be a b-side I think.

I like the video, but not the refrain. Also, as usual, Felix’s voice is too low to be audible in parts, like the refrain.

I agree that it’s hard to hear Felix. In production couldn’t they have done things to amplify his voice? He looks great in the video I will say though.

This was pretty hilarious. Han is consistently very funny.

Part 2 of 2.

Wu is doomed.

Sociopath

Arrogant fuck is going to prison.

Lucas of NCT - turns out he's a cheating manwhore with a taste for luxury goods in exchange for meetups lol.

Gaslighting + money leeching. Sounds sociopathic. Lucas is Chinese + Thai, I think.

Korea needs to do this. Smart.

BTS fans are in an uproar because of the recent billboard interview where they were asked about chart manipulation. I really love this group but I find their die hard fans borderline psychotic. Even RM felt it was a fair question.

The Boyz’s Jacob three years ago. Very cute.

Eunwoo. Cute video.

Exo with Trump and Ivanka. Jared too.

More Exo and Trump

From today. It’s Han from Stray Kids. It’s pretty funny and cute.

Han’s supposed boyfriend Lee Know.

Bangchan and Hyunjin serve up some software porn.

*softcore

Today was Han’s birthday.

Han is pretty much my favorite SKZ. He seems like such a sweet guy combined with a good sense of humor.

Han's Time Sq birthday billboard yesterday.

Han live just now.

Han in Dior.

Han and Minho - Check out the scene at 0:12. Pretty obvious.

Goofing on Hyunjin's recent haitus-end dance video.

It's Felix's birthday (he and Han are 1 or 2 days apart).

Stray Kids and The Boyz love each other.

KPop is really hard to enjoy with SO many obnoxious fans crying cultural appropriation every second of every day. It’s crazy making.

R267, I just ignore it, as most Asian fans do. No one cares about what woke girls on Twitter say.

It's losers from more primitive cultures and their Western baizuo self-appointed advocates.

The latest from SKZ. Felix wrote it with two others, Minho ("Lee Know") and Changbin. It's cute.

Lee Know visiting his parents, grandmother, and cats. From last week.

Very hopeful speeches from BTS at the UN today.

Here's SKZ in LA early last year. They went to an outlet mall of all places. Probably because there'd be fewer people there.

I'm a bit old to go to their concerts. However, if they have one in LA, I might try to find some seating out of the way.

You should go and get what ever seating is best to enjoy the show! One thing I have learned about KPop is that it has a very wide range of fans age-wise. Hell, Coldplay just collaborated with BTS on a new song.

Speaking of BTS, they seemed to have really enjoyed working with Coldplay and I get the impression that overall their experiences in England have been way more positive than in America. Makes me feel bad since I’m American.

Back to SKZ. Bang Chan did a Vlive the other day and got a bit testy with some of the fans. Mildly so. Apparently Vlive SKZ fans are aggressive and whiny so he lost his patience a bit which I thought was funny.

In other news, Lisa of Blackpink had to apologize for wearing box braids in her latest video as supposedly that was considered cultural appropriation. 🙄 The beat goes on.

R273, I saw the absurd Lisa thing. I can't believe that K-pop is making me a reactionary to the PC stuff now.

K-Pop has to be the worst thing to happen to pop music since music was created. Rag on rap and hip hop all you wanna, but this shit is stank.

I like Hyunjin's new shorter hair. It's been over a year with the long hair. The new cut is refreshing.

[quote] You should go and get what ever seating is best to enjoy the show! One thing I have learned about KPop is that it has a very wide range of fans age-wise.

Eh. I hate how the audience sings along in the West anyway.

I was going to try to get BTS tickets next week, however. I could always resell them.

From today.

Hyunjae from The Boyz. Very cute.

Did anyone get BTS LA tickets? I can't believe it's just a month from now.

Are you going r280?

R281, no, I didn't get tickets. Wasn't able to.

Not their usual genre, but still very nice. Jisung is great with Seungmin.

Han is super cute here. He's the "ending fairy" as well.

The Boyz's new mini album Maverick, coming November 2.

It looks like dystopian survival game plus the Black Spark porn.

Did anybody catch BTS’ online concert? I missed it and I think you had to be a member of their fan club to see it anyway. Not sure. Jungkook dyed his hair a mint green! I hate it. Not that he asked for my opinion. But overall it was said to be a good show,

I actually didn't know about it, R286. I thought the LA concert was last weekend, until I noticed it's on the same dates in November.

I'm waiting for a Stray Kids concert. I think tickets will be easier to snag.

Juyeon of The Boyz is really cute. His voice is sweet as well.

Hyunjin of Stay Kids painting during his VLIVE.

The full VLIVE.

First part.

BTS won 3 major awards from the AMA and they could not have been more thrilled. I am so happy they won. It’s been very cool watching the video clips of them at the AMAs making history.

Did anyone watch a livestream of the 4 concerts BTS recently put on in California? If so, what did you think?

I’m hoping this thread will resurrect.

I only saw clips of the performances but they and the audience seemed to be having a great time. I heard there was some degree of controversy because the crowd wasn’t as interactive beyond just cheering. Korean style concerts involve a lot of crowd responses beyond just cheering and screaming. These crowds were somewhat underwhelming in that way because so many didn’t know the fan chants and other traditions.

Personally I think that is great news. It shows how they are still gaining huge swaths of new fans so of course they aren’t as familiar with how everything goes down at a K-pop concert. They’ll learn.

Cute.

Stray Kids at this year's MAMA.

There’s this podcast hosted by a couple of former idols including one that is still in a group. They have talked about how fans would be quite surprised how different the idols are from their public image. The one group they have said is exactly as they present themselves to be is Stray Kids. They are well liked.

Hyunjin's drawings and paintings.

Part 2

The Boyz get drunk for the holidays.

I'm surprised the company had them do this.

Jisung and Minho from Stray Kids. 🌈

Anderson and Andy being eldergays at around 27:40.

This performance is trending n K-pop Twitter today. It's a cover of what is apparently an iconic song with a famous high note. Cho Seungyoun ("Woodz") managed to hit it. He was a rapper in Uniq but has achieved some success as a soloist. But I'm watching Hyungjin.

A nice happy article.

Nice fancam. The Boyz singing Mirotic.

Stray Kids practicing God's Menu.

TXT from the other day. I only just noticed that it's all in English.

Whoever mentioned Jacob above, I thought he looks nice here and dances well. Cute.

I'm getting into Enhypen.

There is a new band on the block signed by Big Hit. They haven’t debuted yet and don’t even have an official name I don’t think. But one of the members is a kid by the name of JJ who is an amazing dancer. Just next level in his style.

I want to find a good clip of him that accurately reflects how good he is.

I can’t link to TikTok which is too bad. I had a great clip.

New Stray Kids album, Oddinary, 3/18/22.

Felix from today.

Cute practice video.

This was so sweet, I teared up a bit.

I am really starting to like Tomorrow x Together. Not crazy about their name but their sound is imo, such an interesting intermingling of heavy metal, pop punk and dance music all with excellent choreography and dancing.

R316, everyone just says "TXT." It's less cringe that way. Soobin's my bias.

I really like this from Enhypen, but it makes me feel a weird 80s grossness at the same time. Like Flock of Seagulls's "I Ran" or "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. And the shorts when they're in the red and black rugbys are weird and distracting.

Yeah I can hear the 80’s influence in the chorus.

As far as the costuming, a lot of styling in K-pop is pretty awful, imo. I feel guilty saying that as I think that it’s because I am looking at it through an American lens rather than having an open mind in regards to different tastes and perspectives. Or perhaps I’m taking it way too seriously!

I’ve come around to enjoying ENHYPEN more than I thought I would. Like their label mates TXT, their sound is in a similar vein of pop rock, house and retro pop. Their latest album really delivers on the throwback sound and their choreography is immaculate.

R320, I really like Sunghoon. Jungwon, too.

And Sunoo, in part because he's very likely one of us.

More Sunghoon.

R310, they're a group of male trainees who'll likely comprise the next group. JJ and this kid Lorch are both Thai.

Yorch*. JJ is in that video, too, near the end.

R320, did you watch I-Land, the reality survival show where Enhypen was created?

R320 a trailer for I-Land.

R321 I’m pretty sure Sunoo is queer. I have my suspicions about Niki too.

Yes r325 I watched the whole I-Land reality show and It’s why I’m more invested in them compared to other recent boybands. The shit they went through really bonded them together.

IMO the most impactful bond is the one between Jay and Jungwon. Ever since the show they have been each other’s security blanket. A very interesting “brotherly love” bond.

I'm looking for sweet Jungwon/Sunghoon fanfiction.

I read that JJ is from Japan and is half American.

R330, I think you're right I'm not sure why he says he's Thai in the video at r323. I think he's kidding there.

The only reason I mentioned JJ’s nationality is because I see a lot of American influence in JJ’s dance style. But he is really a unique mixture of so many influences.

^that post came off snotty even that wasn’t how it was intended. I was just using talk about JJ’s nationality as a way to bring up his dancing again.

R333, I didn't perceived any snottiness at all.

Ok good.

ENHYPEN’s Heesung before and after the knife..

Enhypen does indeed seen to have a few guys with surgery. Sunghoon and Jake with the nose, too. I still think no one in The Boyz has had surgery, and only Taehyun among the TXT boys has had it.

Cute Halloween video.

Apple, persimmon, mango, watermelon, blueberry, mangosteen, peach.

*seem to have

Is anyone here watching any Korean BL dramas?

Stray Kids world tour. I'm going to try to get tickets.

Enhypen's leader is one of their younger members, Jungwon. He's cute.

Enhypen's leader is one of the youngest members, Jungwon.

Sorry about the double post.

Enjoy the show r341. Give a report afterwards please. I’d love to know crowd size and overall impression of them as performers.

I’m hoping more KPOP acts start touring again in the states now that COVID restrictions are less. TWICE seem to have a successful tour so far. I’m waiting for acts like GOT7 to tour again in the US. But with military enlistment looming I’m not sure it’ll be possible.

Q from The Boyz looks really cute here. The guy with darker hair. The thumbnail doesn't capture it.

Korean election coverage today. Using Aespa's music. The whole thread is fun.

More.

I'll leave this here

My beloved Soobin has COVID.

Soobin

I freaking love this, from I-Land.

Stray Kids comeback just posted.

Some Americans are such morons. Everything's about them.

Soon they'll demand that the Korean language, thousands of years old, change their word for "you." Entitled pricks.

BTS have to self-censor for the dummies.

Bored children looking for things to be outraged about but too stupid to see their own hypocritical idiocy.

I know there isn’t much interest in Blackpink on this thread but I continue to be blown away by Lisa’s dancing. She makes difficult moves look [italic]easy[/italic] and she has a feminine style that works well for K-pop at the same time.

Another great female dancer is Yeji from Itzy (who is also just absolutely gorgeous.) That’s not to say that there aren’t other great female dancers, just that she and Lisa are the two who are known for how good they are.

Also regarding Blackpink, fans are really pissed off that it has been so long since their last comeback. Personally I think it’s great that they have been given time to pursue endorsement opportunities with fashion companies. It’s good money and a perk of their fame.

Finally, I wonder if Twice has enjoyed performing in America? I am not sure if this is their first extensive tour here or not. But the crowd size has been quite large and it seems they are very popular in the states.

Just posted. "Spider Web". I like it better than Maniac.

"Spiderweb" rather.

Oh I really like Maniac. It grabbed me right away. I love how SKZ are just doing their thing and have made their own sound.

This SKZ dance video for Maniac is a lot of fun. It starts off a bit slow but then it warms up.

R362 thanks. That was great. I really like their hair this comeback. Maniac is really good. I just like Spiderweb a tiny bit better for it's creepy vibe. Just found that it's called Venom on Spotify.

Some of the dance moves in that video made me scream like a 14 year old fan girl r363. I also really understood the costuming in the video. The pops of color mixed in with all the black, Felix in the long leather skirt -the whole 9 yards.

PS it was the choreography for the chorus’ that made me scream specifically. So so good.

R364, can you please explain what's up with the costuming? I like it but I'm not catching the meaning behind it.

I like the grinding part here.

*I meant choruses at r365. That typo really bugs me.

I gotta think how I can articulate what I saw in the costuming. I was high when I posted that and it’s slipped away at the moment.

Pretty much everyone from Stray Kids got COVID. such a shame when they just made their comeback.

Stray Kids introduce the new album.

That’s too bad! I hope they recover soon.

About the costumes: what I really liked was the pops of purple and neon green which is straight out of the 80’s but with a twist because it’s small amounts of the pop colors mixed in with large amounts of black (in the 80’s it was the reverse) It also brings in some vibrant color which is the trademark look for a lot of Kpop videos. All the black leather is true to SKZ’ aesthetic while onstage, but suits the song because it makes references to Frankenstein and dark stuff like that. I.N. Was dressed like a high end butcher referencing the song title again (think Texas chainsaw Massacre.) There were Michael Jackson style elements in some of the other members outfits. I know MJ is still loved in SK (by artists such as Rain) so that didn’t surprise me. Felix looked like a black leather New Wave version of a haute couture model on the runway.

There are a lot of retro type elements in SKZ costuming. A lot of it is kind of a call back to 80’s hair metal bands, but a modern day version of that, I think.

PS the Michael Jackson elements referenced his outfits from the “Bad” album era.

I have even more detail that I didn’t even write believe or not.

R359 Hyunjin is really cute there.

Sorry, didn’t mean to kill the thread with my ramblings above.

It's fine, R374. Your observations were interesting.

Thank you r375. It’s through an American lens. I don’t have enough knowledge about SK fashion influences/ designers to analyze it differently.

The Apple TV+ adaptation of Pachinko premiered today. It looks good.

The choreography here is beautiful.

This is about the loveliest song I've heard in the last few years.

I love this. From I-LAND, with all five guys ending up in the final group.

Stray Kids album Oddinary tops the Billboard charts.

My God. Is Madison Cawthorn there?

Vegas is already purple for the BTS concerts at the stadium.

V dancing in Vegas (last night) at a low-key boomer lounge.

That’s pretty wild r283.

So far on SKZ new album I love Maniac, Venom and Charmer. Haven’t worked my way through the other songs yet.

^ I meant r383.

I'm reading Enhypen fanfic. Just started this one.

BTS from last Sunday's Grammys.

At the risk of unleashing the wrath of the Army, I found that BTS performance dated and underwhelming. They seem like sweet and talented boys, but why are they the face of K-pop in the U.S.? IMO Stray Kids vastly preferable, like in this goofy vampire/zombie take on Maniac.

R389, I agree. All of Hybe's groups seem overly polished and controlled now.

While I find some of the Enhypen guys pretty sexy, and others very cute, it's like that: just bland and muted; very little fun anymore (I know Enhypen's purpose-created Belift is a joint venture with CJ E&M, but they're fundamentally a Hybe product). Everything is polished and "cool" (Enhypen's members say they're about a "luxury" image), and that translate to bland. TXT is extremely controlled and assiduously maintains a cute, blandly "fun" image.

BTS seems weighted down and muted by their almost-mainstream success in America, business interests (so many brand endorsements, and the stock price), and the responsibilities they've taken on as representatives of Korea (speaking at the UN, diplomatic passports, military exemptions, etc.); they have to play it safe now. Also, trying to appeal to America has perhaps counterintuitively muted them, because they always have to be polished and cool, and they have to watch what they say and do every second, for fear of offending some American teenage activist on Twitter, etc.

When BTS and Hybe donated to Black Lives Matter, and made sure to publicize it, that told me "Oh, they're 'global corporate' now; they're like Amazon donating to BLM and the like. Next they'll donate to HRC and Stop Asian Hate (i.e., super corporate mainstream organizations that take corporate money)." Same with speaking at the UN and talking about it on ABC News with I think Juju Chang (of course). They're almost like Samsung now; just established, reliable, and polished.

This is the supposed "fun day" of Enhypen's Sunghoon. It's seems they scheduled it to be as boring as possible. It's pretty awful.

Stray Kids is probably going to be the face of K-pop in America soon. There's got to be some emotional connection. For me, the emotional connection to BTS has faded a lot, whereas I'm very in tune with Stray Kids's fun energy. Both Stray Kids (SKZ) and Enhypen are 4th generation, but it's like night and day between them.

Here's a video with clips of Han and Minho from Stray Kids possibly getting caught messing around by Hyunjin. Seems they may have been making out and then looking for a room to continue in, with Han getting caught with a boner.

R390, beautifully expressed! And yes--that barista schtick was kinda cringe.

Vegas is ready for BTS this weekend.

K-pop's adorable dorky cousin J-pop: Takazawa Kabuki Zero on Netflix, starring Snow Man. Best part--shirtless taiko drum number (see leader Iwamoto's abs). Snow Man is now starring in a live action Mr. Osomatsu movie as loser sextuplets.

BTS played in Vegas Friday and yesterday, and will have two more concerts next Friday and Saturday. Looks like it was fun.

Enhypen's Heeseung removed the silicone implant in his nose. I hope he has it put back in. He was so cute with it.

Sunghoon also removed his, but it's not as noticeable.

Namjoon has said in Vlives that BTS plans to return to their roots artistically. Meaning no more catering to western audiences with songs entirely in English written by Americans. He was much more diplomatic in how he said it, but that was the gist.

R397, that'd be great.

Cute. Singing Twice in Japan.

An entire fan club concert in Japan.

[quote] [R397], that'd be great.

What was interesting to me about the AMAs is that while most of the members looked happy about their wins, Jimin did not. The entire night he looked really wary.

Of course it’s impossible to say what was on his mind that night, but American fans noticed that he didn’t look happy. I can’t help but wonder if he was worried about what the future of BTS would be now that they have cracked America so handily. Later Jimin posted a short video of himself bowing in gratitude which was certainly very gracious, but his smile looked forced. I felt bad for him that night.

It was after the AMAs (if I recall correctly) that Namjoon started to talk about BTS returning to their roots. At the very least, Namjoon did not seem terribly upset about the Grammy loss.

Of all the members it’s really Yoongi who is the most driven overall and in regards to winning American awards. He is very honest about how ambitious he is in regards to the American market.

I really prefer BTS's Korean songs. I don't like really like Dynamite, Butter, or PTD. I'm Asian, and hearing people with Asian accents sing in English just makes me cringe; probably my own neuroses at play, but it's just how it is with me. Also, their Korean songs generally have more meaning behind them, cf. the English songs, which are written by Americans.

I really liked this version of Namjoon's Spring Day, sung by a famous pansori singer in pansori style (han-imbued plaintive singing style originally developed by Joseon period peasantry).

Jackson Wang at Coachella

There was quite a turn out at Coachella with not only Jackson, but CL reuniting with her 2NE1 members.

Jungkook is in hot water because he took a pic with Jay Park. I guess they are doing a collab of some kind. People say Jay is anti-Muslim because he compared himself to Allah. He sounds like a funny guy though I don’t know much about him.

I love this. I hope it becomes the main way fandoms express their love, rather than buying those billboards and subway ads for their favorite idols.

I'm so over BTS. I agree that Stray Kids should take over as "ambassadors" of KPOP. Just as talented and overall more handsome as a group. However the most important aspect of them is that they seem more down to earth and less manufactured (if that's even possible).

Below is a vlog from ENHYPENs Heeseung. I didn't know you could reverse a nose surgery like that. I think he looks more handsome this way. The bit with him in the karaoke bar is interesting. Excellent singer, plus you get a glimpse of his natural singing style. He has more of an RnB inflection when he sings. It's a shame the label reigns in his vocals to the style that they want.

I kind of marvel at BTS and the pressure the members are under to be perfect at all times. Most groups would have long lost their shit and cracked. They never seem to slip. Even when Namjoon gets a tad irritable it’s been an appropriate response for the situation.

That said, I do wish they weren’t so gummed up with sponsorship deals. I am sick to death of all the Louis Vuitton, for example.

This arrangement of Given-Taken is pretty.

Enhypen reacting to their first MV. It's from a while back but cute.

Ticketmaster pricing for platinum seats for SKZ has been insane with some going for as much as 1500.00!

I totally missed SKZ tickets going on sale. I'm not paying the crazy resale prices.

I hope Enhypen does a world tour.

Why are KPOP tour tickets so expensive? I tried to go to a TWICE concert and I balked at the high prices.

Cute. Momo and Jihyo dance with the boys at the end.

I want to go to a Twice concert. Looks so fun. I like their lightstick.

I’ve been obsessing over BangChan the past few weeks. I think he looks just like Wonho but his personality is so enduring. It makes him 10 times cuter. He has a fantastic body too.

*endearing

Extra Stray Kids dates added.

Bomin of Golden Child was super cute. He had surgery recently and it's kind of ruined his cuteness.

Thought of Bomin because I was watching this just now.

Enhypen's noses.

[quote] Enhypen's noses.

It’s obvious that Heeseung and Sunghoon had work done. For Jay and Jake I think they grew into their features.

[quote]They mention a girl. I’m confused.

Half of DL calls each other "girl" or "gurl," so there's not much to be confused about.

Enhypen's new Japanese album selling big apparently. Ni-Ki, who's in the thumbnail, is the only Japanese member, right?

Are Japanese videos typically more static and staid? I noticed their music shows are like that, at least, when compared to the Korean ones.

The Boyz are in the US later this month. They also look depressed and exhausted.

R425 Yes most of J-Pop videos and stages are sedate compared to their Korean counterparts. Another thing the Japanese do (I don't think it's the case anymore) is have shortened videos. It forced fans to buy the singles or DVD to hear/see musical acts. In the age of streaming, I think it's a thing of the past.

I'm still waiting for ENHYPEN's Japanese counterparts, the Audition Boys to debut. They need to hurry up with their reality show and choose the other members.

The latest from The Boyz, from their new Japanese album. It's pretty bad.

I want him so badly.

Heeseung 💜

Enhypen comeback show.

The &Audition survival show has started. Enhypen appears.

I'm getting into STAYC. They're kick-ass — better than Blackpink, IMO. I'm going to collect their albums.

[quote] I'm getting dangerously close here to starting a K-pop glossary to explain what "bias," "bias wrecker," "maknae," "rap lines," etc., are, but for now, all you really need to know is that K-pop fans love being K-pop fans, and why wouldn't they? Idols are lab-designed to be fawned over, and with their own group TikTok accounts, live videos where they're eating and chatting with fans, troves of performance footage, music videos, behind-the-scenes training clips, and talk-show appearances, the groups leave a conspicuous internet breadcrumb trail designed to suck you in. Once you start clicking around K-pop Twitter or TikTok, the algorithm reacts; it won't be long until your feeds are populated with fancams from performances or roundups of idols' audition stories. When that happens, you've reached the event horizon: You're on the precipice of being a full-blown K-pop stan, friend. Let the Hallyu Wave sweep you away.

Some of Enhypen might be sexy, but they're jerks. They're bullying the possibly gay member, Sunoo.

More about the bullying but Enhypen. Towards the end.

Stray Kids (SKZ) just finished the last show of the US part of their world tour. They're in LA, heading back home soon.

They'll be at KCON August 19-21!

Lee Know and Han from Stray Kids.

Jackson Wang - Cruel. He's making it a point to have female leads in his solo videos recently but i'm sure he's an undercover queer.

BTS’ J-Hope put on a great show last night at Lollapalooza. I watched it on Hulu and really enjoyed a lot of it.

Anyone going to KCON LA?

I made plans to go see Sunmi in September already. If I had known about this lineup i might have gone to this instead!

KCON's a good value, if you're into several of the groups there. I bought a Stray Kids lightstick for Saturday.

K-pop Flex concert in Frankfurt in May. Enhypen was there. High quality video.

The rest of Enhypen's performance.

Enhypen's best awards performance.