Kpop highlights #8 - October

I’m back, baby!! With something I should have posted at least 3 months ago… but I’m actually thrilled to have finished writing this. I had to take a break from posting—you can read all about the reasons here—but I think I’ve recuperated creatively by now, for the most part. This is also the penultimate installment of this series which fills me with an equal amount of sadness and relief. I really got in over my head with this series, even if it was fun to write! I considered just stopping right away but I’m a completionist through and through so I have to finish writing the highlights for 2024 at least. With this and the next post (November & December together), I’ll put this chapter behind me and I’ll try to figure out my new direction.

As for October, it was ages ago so I barely remember what happened back then or what that month was like. On a personal note, I know it was when I accidentally overwhelmed myself by scheduling too many engagements and trying to be more social and a huge wave of social burnout overpowered me that I haven’t fully recovered from even now. That also played a part in me falling behind in my content creation goals so irrevocably.

While a 4-month-old release in kpop is properly old, that would be considered very new in other musical genres. So I’m counting on people still being enthusiastic enough about these releases that they’d be willing to read about them and discuss with me in the comments. The purpose of these highlights was never really to report about new releases but to help my readers broaden their kpop horizons and discover new artists and songs.

If you’re one of those people who are happy to talk about releases that are not fresh off the press, let me know your thoughts in the comments. I’ll admit I’ve lost a lot of confidence in this blog recently so some extra love would be really helpful 💜

*Note: the end of this post cuts off in the email so I recommend reading in a browser or the Substack app*

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Yena - NEMONEMO

Yena’s title tracks are usually hit or miss for me, some of them I love, and some of them are not my style. I think she excels the most at concepts that are quirky and have a cute gamer girl (like Smartphone, my favorite by her) or a pop-punk vibe (like Good Morning).

Nemonemo reminded me of 2nd and 3rd gen kpop when the music and MVs were wilder and much less polished. It’s actually crazy this isn’t a Japanese release because it sounds like straight-up J-pop! I hope she decides to stick with this direction because it’s like she was made for it.

Mokkoji concert in Budapest (Dreamcatcher, AB6IX, Sunmi)

Dreamcatcher in Budapest, my own photo

AB6IX in Budapest, my own photo

Sunmi in Budapest, my own photo

The Mokkoji concert series is held in a different country every year so it was incredibly lucky that they brought the 2024 event to my city, Budapest. Seeing Dreamcatcher, AB6IX, and Sunmi at once was not on my bingo card for the year but they’re all artists I’ve known and followed since 2018-2019 so I was more than glad to attend their shows.

The organization was terrible here too (surprise!), just like in every other kpop event I’ve attended in Europe. Basically, the organizers decided to close the front-of-stage area completely after a certain number of people entered but didn’t let in more people even after some left. They also didn’t inform people that if they left the area, they couldn’t reenter which resulted in couples and family members being stuck on different sides of the barricade. Even parents who just went to the restroom and wanted to go back to their minor children were not let back in. That was pretty disastrous, to say the least.

I was barely able to make it into the front-of-the-stage area and even then, I got a pretty bad spot because I had to stand right behind the jimmy jib and it ended up in every single photo I took (the three above are probably the only passable pictures out of hundreds). But to say something positive too, Hungarian fans are by far the nicest out of every country I’ve experienced so far. When I asked someone to switch places because they were much taller than me, they happily obliged and some people even offered on their own to help me get a better spot. It was probably also because most people who attended were not diehard fans of any of the artists, they were mostly just kpop fans in general who were starved for ANY kpop event in their country.

Seeing the artists was fantastic and I had a great time during the concert portions but the organizers made some ‘interesting’ choices here too. There were local acts before the kpop artists that were not on the official schedule, like a Korean drum group and a kpop cover dance group (both had Hungarian members only). I wouldn’t say they were bad but seemingly everyone was disappointed because they used up the precious time allocated to the artists. Originally, it seemed like all kpop acts would have an hour each which would have been fair but with the additional performers, long waiting time, and cultural segments, all of them only got to perform 5 songs. I guess this is part of the Mokkoji concept but all the idols had to do actual .ppt presentations about Korean and Hungarian culture which was very awkward for numerous reasons. Hungarian audiences are terrible at giving reactions so we mostly just stood there while the idols were hoping to hear surprised ooohs and aaaahs from us as it’s customary in Korea.

The songs I did get to hear were great but I wish there were more. All these artists are incredible live singers so I kind of see why they were selected to participate. I even got to discover new songs I liked (most notably Loser by AB6IX) and rediscover songs that I now like much more after hearing live (like Maison by Dreamcatcher). It was kind of crazy and I can barely wrap my mind around the fact that I got to see a legendary kpop veteran like Sunmi with my own two eyes. I just wish everyone got to perform more and they had to do less cringe promotion stuff.

AB6IX - NVKED

Speaking of AB6IX, I promised myself that I would pay more attention to their releases after seeing them live. I know they are criminally underrated and I did use to love their music after all. It makes me sad when idols who have been around for a long time—who still received the harsh, military-like training more typical of the 3rd gen—work so hard while being largely unknown to most of the kpop community. They even have popular members like Lee Daehwi and Woong so I really don’t get why they are so forgotten.

The album with NVKED as the title track came out just weeks after the concert and the song proved to be a true bop. They do sound more like 3rd gen so that might be another factor why they’re not as popular these days but I can guarantee that it’s going to be a draw for ‘older’ fans whose first encounter with kpop was between 2015-2019. It is a funky, danceable song with great choreo and I included a music show stage above because they sang live every time.

Jin Super Tuna + I’ll Be There

Even though Super Tuna originally came out years ago, before Jin even started his military service, I wanted to cheat and include it here because he re-released the full version in October. It’s a masterpiece, after all! 😄 Even though it’s basically a joke song, this kind of track really plays into Jin’s strengths with its trot vibe, playfulness, and how it doesn’t take itself seriously. I know he was embarrassed about how popular the song became but in my opinion, it’s a flex to chart in 57 countries with a song about your special interest that you made with your fishing buddy!

I’ll Be There was the pre-release track of the post-military album Happy. It’s very different from Super Tuna but still quintessentially Jin. I’ll admit that it’s not groundbreaking, but it's a great song to put you in a good mood. What made it stand out to me was Jin’s vocals, especially the technique he uses in certain parts. The MV is not my style, so I added the special clip instead. 

aespa special single + Whiplash album

I didn't even know about the SYNK: Parallel Line special single; I only discovered it when I was trying to find out when their new album would be released. Aespa is like the TWICE of SM: your local overworked girl group that’s one of their company's main moneymakers. 

Honestly, 2024 was the craziest year for them! They started out with some banger covers and OSTs, continued with the Armageddon full album that had not one but two fully promoted songs, both insane hits, then a Japanese mini album, then a single with solo songs for each member, and now Whiplash? I feel like they never once stopped working.

The special single is flawless, every song on it is amazing. Even though Karina’s solo track was the most popular, for me the other three stand out a bit more. Up is still a great song and I did my fair share of streaming it but it’s very different in tone than the rest of the single. I feel like Giselle, Ningning, and Winter’s tracks all have the same dreamy, electronic vibe that I always adore but Karina’s is more hip-hop. If I had to choose one favorite, it would have to be Giselle’s Dopamine.

As for the title track Whiplash from the eponymous album, it’s one of my favorites ever by aespa! I talked about it before how I noticed this new trend in kpop where title tracks are becoming more repetitive (not in a bad way) and drawing more from dance music. Some examples would be Key’s Pleasure Shop, RIIZE’s Impossible, and ONE PACT’s Deserved (read more below), neither of which follow the conventional kpop MO but are all huge favorites of mine. To me, Whiplash is part of the same tradition with its techno/tech-house sound. My personal highlight is the addictive, distorted horn-like/synth (?) sound that keeps on pulsing throughout the song. And of course, the stylish, hyper-conceptual MV 😍

The B-sides are also fantastic; this album has almost as much potential as Armageddon. My two favorites are Flights Not Feelings and Flowers which is not at all surprising, given that they’re both heavy on R&B.

SEVENTEEN Spill the Feels album

If I’m being completely honest, when I first saw that there would be a Western artist feature on the title track Love Money Fame, it felt like a slap on the face. It's one thing to do it on a B-side or release an alternative version of the title track remixed by or featuring said artist and it’s a completely different thing to include them in the actual title. In my eyes, kpop group title tracks should always include only the artist that performs them and I’m especially protective of groups with such a distinct sonic identity as SEVENTEEN. It only adds fuel to the flame that this was SEVENTEEN’s last album, comeback, and promoted title track for a while as OT13. The song and the album are extremely meaningful to us Carats so to have someone from the outside (like not even from within the Korean music industry) involved makes me cringe out of my skin. It’s like inviting a stranger to an intimate family gathering.

Then I discovered that DJ Khaled wouldn’t be singing or rapping in the song. Since I didn't even know his music, I had no idea he was just a DJ and producer and wouldn't be taking verses from the members. That placated me significantly. However, now that I've heard Love Money Fame, I don't understand what he contributed or why he was needed at all. 

I did some digging and discovered he’s fifth in line in the writing credits while Bumzu (SEVENTEEN’s main composer & producer besides the member Woozi) has the number one writing credits. As for producing, Woozi is number one and Bumzu is number two while DJ Khaled only follows behind them. So he objectively didn’t add much to the track. Woozi and Bumzu are more than capable of composing and producing absolute hits; since this song has the quintessential SEVENTEEN sound, I seriously doubt DJ Khaled did much apart from yelling his producing tags at two different points (and appearing in the MV😣).

And for those who wonder what's wrong with DJ Khaled apart from me hating the majority of Western collabs, he's an extremely problematic person. Just one example is that he's Palestinian-American but never once spoke up about the ongoing genocide and his image is built on being digestible to Western audiences, not giving representation to Palestinians. (It did occur to me that this collab might be HYBE’s failed attempt to appease fans who were demanding they don’t work with Zionists but we’ll never know.) He was even seen supporting Israeli brands. And if that’s not enough, he has close connections to other problematic people and he’s low(?)-key misogynistic.

I'm just trying to bide my time until the day Western collabs become a thing of the past. I don’t believe they bring the visibility and new Western fans delusional kpop companies are aiming for by striking up these deals. They should just wake up and realize that being successful in the US and being on Billboard aren't the be-all-end-all of the music industry. I hope they release a version without Khaled but I highly doubt it since he doesn't have actual verses, just his stupid two lines. (Later edit: the Hitchhiker and TAK remix versions of Love Money Fame don’t have his lines and they’re pretty good! I usually go for these now when I want to listen to the song.)

Whew, rant over! Now on to the rest of the album. And before I do that: yes, Love Money Fame is a beautiful and emotional song that at the same time manages to be a bop. No matter who tries to come and ruin it, it’s deeply saturated by Woozi and Bumzu’s vision and artistry and is their song above all.

While I have all these complicated feelings about the title track, the B-sides on this album are all absolute winners.

Eyes On You immediately took its rightful place in my SEVENTEEN B-side hall of fame, right next to the ridiculously underrated bangers Wave and Lucky. It’s house—do I even need to say more? Everyone who’s read a few of these monthly highlights will know that it’s my number one genre among those that influence kpop and SEVENTEEN’s house-inspired songs are always flawless. The lyrics and the MV’s bittersweet story give it a ‘crying at the club’ vibe that I also love. Even though this album was released almost 4 months ago at the time of writing, I keep returning to it almost daily.

1 to 13 is an emotional OT13 song about SEVENTEEN’s love for the group and Carats. Candy is a piano-centered ballad with beautiful vocals that I was surprised to love (I’m normally not into ballads). I can see myself whipping this out on a quiet, rainy afternoon when I watch the gloomy sky from the warmth of my room. Rain is totally up my alley, it’s a synthwave-inspired song with a funky bassline. It’s quite a ‘safe’ sound for the performance team as they usually get these sleek, groovy tracks but I honestly believe I will never get tired of them doing this style. And Hoshi sounds so freaking amazing 😍 Water by the hip-hop team is another song I return to quite often but it’s still my least favorite out of the recent years’ songs by this subunit. It is really really good but Back It Up, Fire, or LALALI are my personal preference. Maybe because Water is so repetitive and my favorite things about the hip-hop team are their playful flows and mastery over attractive pronunciation, both of which are a little less prominent here.

Kiss of Life Lose Yourself album

So far, I’ve been a huge fan of almost everything Kiss of Life has put out but this time the title track Get Loud didn’t make a lasting impression on me. I’m not sure why because it’s the same 2000s sound I’m so in love with that worked great with Midas Touch. It’s not a bad song by any means, just didn’t find myself reaching for it often.

The reason I still included the album is that it’s packed to the brim with amazing B-sides. Igloo has gone viral for a reason, it’s a performance for the kpop history books! I can’t remember any girl group doing this exact style with this amount of swag and confidence while you can tell it’s not an act or a concept but the members’ belief in their own power that’s shining through. Haneul deserves a special mention, she looked so so badass! I believe she received the least attention out of all the members before this song but people finally started to notice her for this performance, rightfully so.

My other favorite B-side on here is Chemistry, a sultry R&B track.

ITZY Gold album

ITZY is finally back as five! I was so excited about this; I can simply never be fully satisfied with a comeback if a member is missing, no matter how good the music is. But now that it’s here, I feel a bit weird about this comeback! I never expected this to happen because I’ve loved most of ITZY’s title tracks but neither Gold nor the promoted B-side Imaginary Friend works for me this time. I can appreciate Gold for the innovative, unorthodox title track it is and I don’t dislike it at all but I never find myself wanting to listen to it. As for Imaginary Friend, it’s not my style at all, it’s just too Western pop.

The reason the album is still in my highlights is that I really like the B-sides Bad Girls R Us, Supernatural, Five, and Vay with Changbin—his rap is so freaking good, I've been obsessed with his flow recently. I really appreciate the OT5 versions of the songs from the last album too, especially because it had two of my all-time favorite ITZY songs (Untouchable and Mr. Vampire). I didn't like Born to Be that much in the previous comeback but somehow it's better now, probably because Lia is in it? The same goes for other B-sides I didn't think anything about when I first heard them but now I enjoy them quite a bit, like Dynamite and Escalator. 

SAY MY NAME debut

I was hoping this wouldn’t be another dime-a-dozen debut and I was relieved to find an original, extremely cute song and an aesthetic, quirky MV. And Honda Hitomi (of IZ*ONE fame) is back! It sounds 3rd gen in the best possible way, like if TWICE debuted today they'd probably do something like this. I also appreciate that they debuted with a mini album, not a single like it's so often done these days. Kim Jaejoong is a treasure of an idol and the girls are the first group in his newly formed label iNKODE. I trust his taste and I think we’ll see a lot of great things from SAY MY NAME. There’s also just something reassuring about the OG idol who spoke up against company mistreatment and abuse forming an agency. I’m pretty sure we won’t be hearing negative news about their treatment.

Out of the B-sides, I enjoyed Be a Star, which also has something very 3rd gen about it, and Goldilocks Water, which is upbeat and bouncy.

One PACT fallin’ mini album

ONE PACT is quickly becoming one of the groups I have absolute trust in when it comes to music. I love everything they release and this album is very beautiful indeed. I am a sucker for R&B, especially this sensitive, sleek, electronica-laden variety. I already mentioned this trend where the title tracks don't have the usual characteristics of kpop title tracks like in Key’s Pleasure Shop, aespa’s Whiplash, or Deserved on this album. They feel more like dance tracks than the traditional kpop formula. I do hope this is the next big trend because I'm ALL about it.

The best way to describe the songs on this album is as angsty dance music, and boy, does that scratch an itch in me. My favorite B-sides are At the last moment and I still do, both of which are so polished and masterfully crafted that it’s hard to believe a rookie group’s rookie producer member created them. Even my non-kpop fan friend got intrigued by one of these!

Every member was fantastic in the comeback and did their best but I want to give a special shoutout to Seongmin for serving godly visuals ✨

Just like with A. C. E., I'm also shamelessly promoting ONE PACT and pushing people to give them a chance. They're the most underrated of the post-Boys Planet groups, but they're also one of the best and arguably the most unique. They keep reminding me of early BTS, not because of their music style but because of their grit and the fact that they're not following trends but going their own way, even if they're unpopular. And the fact that their whole identity is built around a genius producer. 

Nomad Call Me Back single

Nomad is an underrated rookie group I’ve been keeping my eyes on since their impressive debut album. It’s only a 2-song single this time but I enjoyed both of these tracks and I’m always glad to promote lesser-known, talented groups.

Compare is an understated, chill R&B song with satisfying harmonies, and Call Me Back is an angsty track with a nice guitar melody that gives me an emo vibe.

I don’t have anything more specific to say but do give these songs a chance if you’re looking to expand your kpop horizons.

Billlie Of All We Have Lost album

I’ve been waiting for a new album by Billlie ever since I saw them live in July!

The Of All We Have Lost album (such a beautiful title but the implications hurt deeply) delivers the quirky, dreamy vibe we came to expect from Billlie. All the songs are really unique and stand out from the general girl group landscape with their sound and concept. I’m not an expert on music production but even I can tell that their discography is flawlessly and lovingly produced. It’s obvious they’re a project of love for the company owner Yoon Jeongshin (legendaty ballad singer, songwriter, and producer).

Instead of MVs or music show stages, I added two live clips where they perform with a band. These highlight how amazing their musicality is and I think they’re a group that shines in these settings the most.

Some of my highlights from the album are remembrance candy, which has a Japanese sensibility to it and IU notably contributed to the lyrics and production; trampoline, which is a fun and jazzy title track; Bluerose and shame, which both give me those sweet late night city pop vibes; and dream diary ~ etching mémoires of midnight rêverie is so airy and beautiful and it sounds like floating through space.

Rosé & Bruno Mars - APT.

I was kind of floored when this came out— like hello??? One of the best songs of the year just casually dropped without any promotion or fanfare? I saw this randomly on my YouTube homepage and considered not even listening to it because so far, Rosé’s solo songs were not my cup of tea. But out of all Western artists, I like Bruno Mars a reasonable amount so I was like “Oh, this must be fun, let's check it out” and it's so freaking good! The MV and the colors are insanely memorable and the editing is so stylish. She knows what girls want, this is like the 2014-era Tumblr girl aesthetic that is gearing up to have a huge revival.

I also can’t remember when was the last time a kpop song had such a hold on the whole community, regardless of fandoms. Probably Gangnam Style? Everyone and their mother knows APT. and did the corresponding Tiktok challenge. I heard it was literally everywhere in Korea and a lot of people even got sick of it. I, for one, am still not bored and I’m happy when it comes on during the shuffle.

ILLIT I’ll Like You mini album

We had to wait pretty long for the first comeback (at least we have a fandom name now!) but it was totally worth it. ILLIT’s debut album was a perfect, 10/10 release in my book but they somehow managed to do it again. I know I’m biased because this is my favorite type of girl group music but I’m just so happy that there’s a new group where I like the members, the concepts, the styling, and the music equally.

They’re continuing with the quirky, dreamcore, gamer girl vibe and it’s sooo fun and youthful. While I liked the title track Cherish (My Love) a lot (it sounds a bit like a 2nd or 3rd gen song), the B-sides really take center stage for me. I linked performances of my two favorites above, Tick-Tack and IYKYK. As far as I know, these two went pretty viral and I can see why: they’re addictive, utilize trendy musical influences, and bring a vibe that will deeply resonate with a particular demography among Gen Z girls. I also enjoyed the B-side I’ll Like You but sadly, there’s no performance of it.

I don’t care about any of the factors that ILLIT is usually criticized for. like the shortness of the songs. So what if a 5-track mini album is 12 minutes long? The songs are all bangers and we’re not here to listen to progressive rock 🙄I think HYBE is doing a great job when it comes to their musical and artistic direction but then again, these have always been the company’s main strengths. Oh, and to those who pay more attention to the controversies surrounding HYBE girl groups than the music, you’ll find my take on it in an earlier Kpop highlights but tl;dr the beef is between power and money-hungry executives, and the idols are just pawns at best, collateral damage at worst in this battle. I won’t let corporate greed influence my opinions about hardworking idols, nor will it keep me from listening to and liking any of the involved groups.

SEVENTEEN Run-up to the Leap documentary

I have a soft spot for concert documentaries; for some reason, they’re one of my favorite content types in kpop, especially if I attended the concert in question. I did go to the SEVENTEEN concert in Berlin (I wrote about it here) so this was a real treat to watch. I love knowing, even retrospectively, how my idols prepared for the concert, what they did behind the scenes before the show started, and how they spent their free time in the city. Just imagining what I did at that very moment makes me feel connected to them. It’s also insane to look at that crowd and think “I was part of it”!

Stray Kids documentary I-Days Milano, BST Hyde Park, Lollapalooza

Another concert documentary but sadly, I didn’t attend any of the three festivals in it. When I went to see Stray Kids at the Paris Lollapalooza, JYPE only released a 10-minute ‘documentary’ about it and that pissed me off so bad back then. I’m glad they improved since and this time we got a two-parter, with both episodes around 30 minutes.

Even though I wasn’t there, these videos are special to me for a different reason. They’re the best chronicle so far of Stray Kids’s sudden rise to global superstardom and a testament to how they’re at a point in their career where they can move crowds as big as only one group has done before them. I do have bittersweet and ambivalent feelings because this is the second time I’ve had to realize my ult group is not an underdog and a niche kpop interest anymore, but everyone’s favorite. It will never be easy again to see them live or connect to them as people in a genuine, meaningful way. On the other hand, of course, I’m proud and want to see them succeed. I plan to write about this dilemma sometime!

TripleS Visionary Vision Performante album

Just based on the title track Hit the Floor I thought tripleS was finally doing a fully hip-hop subgroup, but it turns out the album is a lot more diverse and has a variety of genres. While I would have loved to see that, I’m glad they’re bringing their usual eclectic sounds. Oh, and the keywords for this subgroup are ‘hi-tech dance’, ‘boyish’, and ‘level up’ which are quite fitting.

My favorite tracks on the album are Choom, which has an anime opening-like vibe, Éclair, which is energetic and sweet (like its title), Atmosphere, a true Y2K-style bop and pretty life-changing for me personally, Vision, which is just the right amount of funky and groovy, and of course, the title track Hit the Floor with its old-school hip-hop mood. For the latter, I like how they aimed for a choreography that you only see from boy groups typically. It’s just a nice bonus that the member Sohyun said she’d claim more female fans through her new boyish haircut (on the thumbnail of the music show stage above) and she said she wanted to flirt more with the girls who come see her. Glad to see tripleS keeping the lesbian legacy of LOONA alive!

I know I keep singing the praises of tripleS but they’ve yet to disappoint me musically. Jaden Jeong is a producer with a brain so brilliant that I can’t even comprehend it and I’ve been obsessed with his creative output since LOONA’s first appearance on the scene back in 2016 (he also has a great talent for finding women that women will be attracted to!). I don’t know much about the technicalities of music production but I’ve read several threads on Reddit by those who do and they unanimously praise how tripleS’s albums are put together. Also, since they have such a large number of members and the subgroups are rotational, they can put out full albums every few months which is a blessing for me 🙏

POW Boyfriend mini album

It’s my mission to promote lesser-known groups and POW has had a special place in my heart since their debut. Everything they put out is so high quality and it looks like their company really cares about them succeeding.

The title track of this mini album is Boyfriend, a remake of the Avril Lavigne song Girlfriend. It’s fun and I’m glad they tried this genre but I like the B-sides more. But they added original Korean lyrics which is always appreciated!

My personal highlight of the album is Bae, it’s such a dreamy, dancey, chill bop. Sunset sounds like a shoegaze song and they really surprised me with this sound! It’s not one you often encounter in kpop after all. I is also pretty with super smooth vocals over a fun electronic base.

They’re such a cool, up-and-coming boy group, I highly recommend keeping an eye on them!

THE BOYZ Trigger album

Trigger is a great The Boyz title track coming from the family of Stealer and Roar, my two absolute favorites by them. I wish the Prometheus bit at the MV's beginning was done better. I was on board until the “it became our trigger” part which is quite forced, in my opinion. But I dig everything else about it, especially the Matrix aesthetic! It also sounds like a SuperM or WayV song because it's so majestic and triumphant. Since the former of those groups is on hiatus and the latter has changed their style, it’s quite refreshing to hear a song like this again.

The B-sides are all right up my alley; I can’t even remember the last time I heard a no-skip (for me personally) album by The Boyz! If I really had to choose favorites, I’d probably go for Slip Away and maybe They See Me Dream, both softer songs.

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As always, here’s a playlist of everything I mentioned that can be found on Spotify:

As always, thank you for reading, if you got this far, I love and appreciate you 💜

Let me know in the comments what your October favorites were or if you discovered anything new through this post!