Reviewing and ranking 10 noteworthy releases from January to June. Here’s #10 to #7, plus an honorable mention. (Yes, this is the second time Nayeon graces a cover on this blog.)
As someone who grew up with kpop, your lines about it being familiar and structured was so insanely relatable to me - there’s something so consistent about knowing that there’ll be a release at least twice a year for most well known groups, and a very defined hierarchy and structure in the system that rarely gets pushed. The fact that it feels at home to me is interesting, because I remember when I was first learning everything, it all felt super overwhelming, but I guess we’re all capable of learning haha.
Anyways, loved the descriptions of each song even if I don’t always have the same taste in music. I had no idea that Sophie had a hand in ITZY’s 24 Hours - it’s so interesting to see the collaborators behind Kpop songs, because the combination of western and korean producers is so fascinating and I would say more rare to see in other countries.
I feel like navigating the K-pop ecosystem is like, dare I say, riding a bike in the sense it takes some getting used to at the beginning but once you're familiar with the "choreography" of it all, you can truly chill out and enjoy the ride. The tools, in other words the places where you can find what you're looking for, are literally always there and operate like clockwork; I find it's quite the contrast from the US/Western industry where it feels like anything can happen (and is happening) at all times. K-pop is like a miniature model of it, even down to music trends -- a hit comeback from a big 4 act and you roughly know where things are headed for the next year or so.
And yes, so much of K-pop's adventurous essence is attributed to the diversity of its producers and them finding a playground in its experimental leanings! SOPHIE x ITZY will always be one of my favorite international music collabs, especially given the contexts around hyperpop, J-pop and K-pop. So glad you enjoyed the piece! Thanks, again. :)
As someone who grew up with kpop, your lines about it being familiar and structured was so insanely relatable to me - there’s something so consistent about knowing that there’ll be a release at least twice a year for most well known groups, and a very defined hierarchy and structure in the system that rarely gets pushed. The fact that it feels at home to me is interesting, because I remember when I was first learning everything, it all felt super overwhelming, but I guess we’re all capable of learning haha.
Anyways, loved the descriptions of each song even if I don’t always have the same taste in music. I had no idea that Sophie had a hand in ITZY’s 24 Hours - it’s so interesting to see the collaborators behind Kpop songs, because the combination of western and korean producers is so fascinating and I would say more rare to see in other countries.
Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I feel like navigating the K-pop ecosystem is like, dare I say, riding a bike in the sense it takes some getting used to at the beginning but once you're familiar with the "choreography" of it all, you can truly chill out and enjoy the ride. The tools, in other words the places where you can find what you're looking for, are literally always there and operate like clockwork; I find it's quite the contrast from the US/Western industry where it feels like anything can happen (and is happening) at all times. K-pop is like a miniature model of it, even down to music trends -- a hit comeback from a big 4 act and you roughly know where things are headed for the next year or so.
And yes, so much of K-pop's adventurous essence is attributed to the diversity of its producers and them finding a playground in its experimental leanings! SOPHIE x ITZY will always be one of my favorite international music collabs, especially given the contexts around hyperpop, J-pop and K-pop. So glad you enjoyed the piece! Thanks, again. :)