#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2022: Kpop Edition - Rookies

Getting started with my top fives for 2022 with Kpop rookie groups that I really enjoyed this year. If you want to see what other lists are in store, you can find that linked in my about me section (along with ones for previous years).

For the rookies list in Kpop, I’m not counting unit groups from inside a pre-existing group (those get lumped in to the body of work for their groups). This list also does not include redebuts (where all members are redebuting) because the ones of those that made my list were established enough that I thought that they fit better elsewhere. To be clear, I’m using Rookies to mean “groups that had their debut during the 2022 calendar year.”

The list (with representative MVs) can be found after the cut!

This wasn’t a year where I have a huge huge list of rookie groups, but some of the ones that caught my attention really caught my attention and could probably make a go for my top 5s lists in non rookie categories honestly. So I’d say it’s been a pretty good year for rookie groups overall.

Here’s a shoutout to the groups that made my preliminary list (this is in order of when I encountered them and lists their debut year MVs that I watched and enjoyed): ILY:1 (“Love in Bloom” / “Que Sera Sera”), CLASS:y (“Shut Down”), TrendZ (“Who” / “Clique”), Tan (“Walking on the Moon”), Irris (“Wanna Know”), and CSR (“Pop? Pop!”)

Special Mention (but these are actually Jpop rookies): &Team

“Under the Skin” https://youtu.be/0utfT0nbuTA

“Scent of You” https://youtu.be/69IT-53ULZA

(MVs for these only linked because of embeded video limits, though tumblr might have changed the number on those since last time I was paying attention.)

I really enjoyed &Team’s debut (and I was pre-invested because of the I-land competitors that I was excited to see debut). Overall, I’ve liked their music so far (though there’s not a lot of it), and they are good performers that I can tell I’m going to enjoy continuing to watch. They weren’t in contention for this main part of the list because they are technically Jpop and slated as such, though debuted through Hybe, but I felt remiss leaving them out entirely.

Biases: Nicholas, EJ, Yuma

5) Younite

I was excited for Younite because I was happy to Eunsang getting his proper debut in a group that will hopefully last pretty well. I was fond of him in PDX101 and X1, and I was really hoping that he would get a proper chance to actually get a debut that wouldn’t be mired in problems (and all the downsides of competition shows). I’ve really enjoyed Younite’s cuter/brighter concepts so far, and they seem to mesh pretty well as a group, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next!

Biases: Eunsang, Eunho

4) Kep1er

I had complicated feelings about this group going in. Yujin is one of my CLC biases, and her going on GP999 was sort of the moment where I knew for absolute sure that CLC was coming to an end, but I also really like Yujin, and really liked Xiaoting already from Chinese competition programs that she’d been on, and was curious about other people on the show. I didn’t watch GP999 (just some of the performances with people I was already interested in), but when Yujin and Xiaoting both made it into the group, I checked out Kep1er’s stuff, hopeful that they’d do well for themselves. I’ve been happy with their music and enjoying their stuff overall so far! So at least I’m glad that it looks like this is providing a strong path forward for Yujin and the others.

Biases: Yujin, Xiaoting, Bahiyyih 

3) NewJeans

Here’s another group where I went in nervous, but for a completely different reason. They’re so young! I do appreciate that their concepts and styling have been geared to their age and from what I’ve seen of their behind the scenes stuff, they seem comfortable and allowed to act their age. I really like their songs, and they’ve got incredible voices, especially for how young they are they are so stable. They’ve also got good choreos, and a lot of stage presence. This group is going places. I appreciate that they really seem to have good group dynamics. I’ve liked every song that they’ve released so far, except “Cookie.” But so far, “Hype Boy” (above) has probably been my favorite, though their new release “Ditto” is giving it a run for its money on that front. This is definitely a group that I look at and go “babies” though. I look forward to watching them grow up more and accomplish new things, and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be so proud of them!

Biases: Haerin, Danielle

2) Tempest

This is a group that I was so excited for! I loved Hanbin on I-land, and I’ve loved LEW and Hyeongseop since they were on PD101S2. This group 100% came through with a bright, strong, very them sound from the start. They’re fun to watch, great performers, and have for me a no skip discography so far (very rare for me). I dithered between “Bad News,” “Taste the Feeling,” and “Can’t Stop Shining“ (above) for their representative song because all three really represent for me the sound of Tempest that I enjoy so much. I’m really excited to see where this group goes as they keep making more music!

Biases: Hyuk, Hyeongseop, LEW, Hanbin

1) Le Sserafim

I have been looking forward to Yunjin’s debut for so long! And Le Sserafim absolutely nailed it this year for me. I love their sound! I love the way they work their voices together! I’ve really enjoyed their behind the scenes stuff and group dynamics. They had a rough start with controversies and losing a member to them, but they’ve come through strong and with an excellent sound. I absolutely think that they’re just going to keep getting better. I love how they’ve at times incorporated Yunjin’s opera training and Kazuha’s ballet training into their performances and overall body of work. I love that they’ve already got members involved in songwriting. Yunjin’s self composed song “Raise y_our glass” that they made basically a little MV for is spectacular (https://youtu.be/7hBf9Fxsg6M). I’m looking forward to what they do next as a group!

Biases: Yunjin, Kazuha

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022 #Kpop Edition #Rookies #personal #Kpop #Le Sserafim #Tempest #NewJeans #Kep1er #Younite #&Team #feel free to come talk to me about any of these groups! #though I am definitely more invested in some of them than others

[burlveneer-music]

Alison Eales - Mox Nox - chamber folk/pop songs inspired by sundial mottos

Alison Eales is a long-standing member of the band Butcher Boy, playing piano, accordion and other keyboards as well as arranging for choir and brass. The band have made three studio albums: Profit in Your Poetry (2007), React or Die (2009) and Helping Hands (2011). All of these albums have been well-received, with React or Die featuring in The Times’ top 100 pop albums of the 2000s. The band have also released two EPs. A compilation album, You Had A Kind Face, was released on Needle Mythology in 2022, along with three new songs, with tracks mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road. Butcher Boy have supported bands including Belle and Sebastian, Scritti Politti and The Wedding Present. Taking inspiration from sundial mottos, Mox Nox is an album about the passing of time – most specifically, the transition from day to night. Its twelve songs explore experiences of all-nighters, anxiety, travel, frustration, and friendship. The album combines acoustic and electronic instrumentation with samples of environmental sound, resulting in an indie pop record that is by turns playful and melancholy and that is likely to appeal to fans of Saint Etienne, The Magnetic Fields, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stereolab, Jake Thackray and Kirsty MacColl. With support from Creative Scotland, the album was produced by Paul Savage at Chem 19 studios. Cover artwork was designed by Rhian Nicholas at The Passenger Press in Glasgow, using a mix of traditional printmaking techniques. The design represents a sundial and was inspired by the cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, with its stylised Doomsday Clock.

The strings on Ever Forward were arranged and recorded by Pete Harvey at Pumpkinfield and performed by the Pumpkinseeds: Simon Graham (violin), Emma Connell-Smith (viola), Harriet Davidson (cello) and Chris Sergeant (double bass). Strings on other tracks were performed by Maya Burman-Roy (cello) and Cat Robertson (violin). Guitar on The Broken Song, Shadow Blister, A Natural History of California and Goodbye was played by Basil Pieroni. Diljeet Kaur Bhachu played flute on Negligence, Through Hoops, and Mox Nox. Joanne Murtagh played glockenspiel on Rapunzel, Negligence, Fifty-Five North and Mox Nox.

#Alison Eales #folk #chamber folk #chamber pop #scotland #2020 #female vocal #fika recordings

[bongaboi]

Arizona: 2022-23 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS—The revenge tour is complete.

Courtney Ramey drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.8 seconds left to give Arizona its second straight Pac-12 title, beating top-seeded UCLA 61-59 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The second-seeded Wildcats (28-6) improved to 9-0 in revenge games under Tommy Lloyd, getting payback for a regular-season loss for the third time in as many games during the conference tournament. Arizona has now won nine Pac-12 tourney titles.

UCLA (29-5) had a chance to win it at the buzzer, after Azuolas Tubelis missed the second of two free throws with 5.8 seconds to go, but Dylan Andrews’ 3-point try was off the rim. As soon as it bounced, the Arizona-heavy #McKaleNorth crowd erupted.

Tubelis finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, making 9 of 11 free throws. He was 5 of 17 from the field, missing all seven of his field goal attempts, but was 6 of 7 from the line a night after the UA as a team was 5 of 12 on foul shots in the semifinal win over ASU.

Ramey’s 3 was his only make of the night, and it came after Tubelis was off on a 3-point try but Pelle Larsson tapped out the rebound to the 5th-year transfer guard at the top of the key. Larsson finished with 11 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Oumar Ballo, who joined Tubelis on the All-Tournament team, had 13 points and eight rebounds.

Arizona shot 36.5 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3 but held UCLA to 36.7 and 21.1 percent shooting. The Bruins were without two starters, as wing Jaylen Clark missed the Pac-12 tourney with a leg injury and center Adem Bona, the conference’s Freshman of the Year, did not play after injuring his shoulder in the semifinals against Oregon.

In addition to missing Bona, UCLA had big men Mac Etienne and Kenneth Nwuba foul out but Arizona couldn’t take advantage inside, getting outscored 24-22. The Wildcats did have a 37-32 edge on the boards and limited UCLA to six second-chance points.

UCLA got 19 points from Amari Bailey, including a jumper with 2:52 left that gave the Bruins their last lead at 58-56, while Tyger Campbell had 16 and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 14.

Campbell and Jaquez, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, combined to go 10 of 32.

Down 34-33 at the half, Arizona scored on its first possession but then went empty for almost four minutes, while UCLA built an 8-point lead at 43-35. During the drought the calls all went against the Wildcats, both offensively and defensively.

The UA trailed 46-37 after a Bailey 3 with 14:18 to go when Kerr Kriisa hit a 3, then on the next two possessions Ballo drew the fourth fouls on both Nwuba and Etienne in a 27-second span.

Eitenne fouled out with 9:35 left, and Larsson hit a 3 not long after to put Arizona back in front 50-48 to complete an 8-0 run. The lead was short lived, as UCLA scored six in a row and had a chance to make it bigger but Arizona’s defense clamped down in the halfcourt.

Kriisa swished a 3 to put the Wildcats ahead 55-54 with 5:23 left, its last lead until Ramey’s winning shot. Arizona had two other chances to go ahead in the final two minutes but turned it over, with Kriisa fouling out on a moving screen and Jaquez stealing it from Tubelis.

UCLA couldn’t capitalize, missing its final four shots, and when Ramey was called for a foul on Campbell with 5.8 seconds left the senior point guard made the first but missed the second, with Tubelis grabbing the rebound and getting fouled.

Offense was in short supply the first six-plus minutes, with Arizona not scoring for the first 3:33 and not getting its first basket until more than five minutes in. The pace picked up after that, with the teams combining to make 7 of 8 shots as the lead changed hands 12 times in the first half.

Arizona had multiple 4-point leads and then got up 27-22 on a pair of Tubelis free throws with 5:11 left, but UCLA went back in front on a 3-point play from Jaquez—with Tubelis getting his second foul on the play—with 3:05 to go.

The Bruins took a 1-point lead into the half on a baseline drive from Bailey in the final minute, on a play where it looked like he traveled, right after Larsson was called for steps on the other end.

Arizona now waits to see what its seed is and where it will play in the NCAA Tournament. The 2023 field will be announced Sunday at 3 p.m. MST.

#2023 #pac-12 conference #arizona wildcats #college basketball #march madness

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2022: Kpop Edition - Boy Groups

We’re on to Boy Groups as I continue down my list from the roundup post. This has in some ways been the hardest category to narrow down, specifically the order of 2nd-4th and who got the 5th spot (there’s a reason I’ve got 2 honorable mentions).

If a boy group has had subunits or members doing things solo, I consider that part of the group’s body of work for the year as long as they’ve also done some full group stuff. If only a subunit has been active, they’d probably get considered a boy group for the sake of this, and if only solos have been active, then they’d go in with solos.

The list with representative MVs is under the cut!

There were so many boy groups that did at least something that I enjoyed this year, including some that I hadn’t enjoyed anything from up until now. I think that part of the reason decisions this year were hard was that this was just an outstanding year for releases overall. Here’s a list of groups with songs that stood out for me this year in about the order that I heard them that didn’t make the list below: Up10tion (“Crazy About You” / "What If Love"), Onewe (“Universe” / "Montage" / "Still Here"), Drippin (“Villain” / “Zero” / “The One”), AB6IX (“1, 2, 3”), BtoB (“The Song”), Nu’est (“Again” disbandment song), Kingdom (“Ascension”), Ghost9 (“X-ray”), Just B (“Re=Load”), TXT (“Good Boy Gone Bad”), MCND (“W.A.I.1” < first time I’ve liked one of their songs), Vanner ("Rollin"), E’last (“Creature"), Omega X (“Play Dumb” < first song I’ve liked by them), TheBoyz (“Sweet” / “Timeless” / “Whisper”), Golden Child (“Replay”), Epex (“Hymn to Love”), P1harmony (“Doom Du Doom” < first song I’ve liked by them), and CIX (“458”).

Honorable Mention: Stray Kids

“Maniac” https://youtu.be/OvioeS1ZZ7o

If you’d asked me a few months ago, Stray Kids probably would have been making my top 5 hands down. I saw them live and they were amazing! They did a lot that I liked early in the year musically. I... didn’t like Maxident and especially the MV for “Case 143″ at all though (there’s... one song I thought was OK on the album), and it probably impacted their place here. I still love them! They’re among my top groups, but I was reminded that their music is hit and miss for me. It is good going back and listening to “Maniac” and remembering that I do love a lot of their music. I really wish that Maxident hadn’t felt so rushed for me because it definitely dampened my appreciation of their overall body of work for the year. They are incredible live though! And I appreciate that I’ve gained friends both on here and in real life over them.

Biases: Han, Lee Know, Seungmin

Honorable Mention: Ateez

“Halazia” https://youtu.be/SszP3hlQ55Y

Ateez came into this year for me riding the high of “Turbulence” that is probably to date my favorite of their songs, and I had high expectations. Their music so far this year has been interesting, but noting has quite caught me the way some of last years releases did. They were in very tight contention for making it into the 5th place, thus why I have these honorable mentions. I am very interested to see where they take their music and storylines next, and “Halazia” (linked above) was probably my favorite thing that they did this calendar year, it’s definitely an interesting sound and it may honestly grow on me further with more listens.

Biases: Seonghwa, Yeosang

5) Cravity

This has been a killer year for Cravity! I loved “Adrenaline” and enjoyed “Vivid” earlier in the year. They had a song all in English that I liked with “Boogie Woogie” (a rarity for me, often understanding lyrics impedes me ability to enjoy songs that I like auditorily). “Party Rock” (above) was definitely my favorite of their releases this year! It gets stuck in my head, it’s so catchy. I definitely replayed it a ton right after it came out too! Cravity has flirted with being on these lists since debut, but I think that the last time they made it on one was their rookie year (granted, they’ve not been around that long). I think that they’ve finally started to hit their stride, and I’m really hoping for more of them embracing this sound!

Biases: Jungmo, Minhee

4) Oneus

I’ve liked them since debut to some extent, and I’d properly fallen for Oneus as a group with “Luna” last year, but “Same Scent” and the entire Malus album was kind of what tipped them over from a group that I loved to one of my top groups. I had Malus on repeat for weeks. They’ve had a rough go of the past few months (don’t really feel like talking about this, I do have opinions, but it’s not a conversation I’m interested in having at this time), but they’ve had amazing performances since then. And I thought that they couldn’t make “Same Scent” better than it already is, and then they just recently released the traditional version (https://youtu.be/pIVfLX8zW00 warning has flashing lights), and it somehow makes the song even better. I love how they use traditional instrumentation and sound in their songs somewhat regularly!

Biases: Seoho, Leedo, Hwanwoong (I am aware that’s over half the group, no I will not narrow it down)

3) OnlyOneOf

I’m breaking my own pattern a little bit by putting “ズルい女“ (their Japanese MV) as the representative song, but it was my favorite of their full group pieces this year, and I think that it shows their choreo and how they make music, even covers, their own really beautifully. The real thing that put’s OnlyOneOf this high on the list is their body of queer work with the member solos this year in the “be” / “undergrOund idOl” series. “skinz” was important to me conceptually, but it’s one of my least favorite OnlyOneOf songs, and I feel like “ズルい女“ is more interesting to me than “Suit Dance.” I like their songs as a body of work immensely in general though! For the biggest reason that I put them on here, see the “be” series:

Yoojung’s “begin” https://youtu.be/MBx_9nygxaQ

KB’s “be free” https://youtu.be/WkKU-9VnNRU

Junji’s “be mine” https://youtu.be/fzEZeQBvVA0 (close contender for being my favorite)

Rie’s “because” https://youtu.be/6u_nwPzf3pI (my favorite, I love this song so much)

Mill’s “beat” https://youtu.be/H6qN9QFrOJs

Nine’s “beyOnd” is upcoming early in January 2023

They are exquisite storytellers in their MVs, and they have committed to telling compelling queer stories. They have incredible cinematic references throughout their MVs, and I just can’t praise their work enough as a whole! I have made so many posts about their storytelling and queer elements in their work, if you want to see more of my thoughts on them, just go digging through my OnlyOneOf tag.

Biases: Rie, Junji

2) Enhypen

It’s funny to me looking back that Enhypen didn’t make it onto these lists earlier. I was aware of them, and knew that I had some connections to them that made them appealing to me. (The one that I talk about more is that I watched Sunghoon and followed his career as a figure skater, I think that he actually made onto one of my figure skating lists when he was in juniors. There’s another one that’s more important, but that I don’t talk about as publicly.) I love the sound that Enhypen’s been living in recently, but they’ve overall had a sound that I’ve enjoyed from the start. I am very excited to see how they keep developing in the future! While I linked “Blessed-Cursed” above as my representative song for them (I’ve been going back to it consistently since it came out in January, it well deserves the spot), I want to also emphasize how much I loved “One In A Billion” (https://youtu.be/_ATqY9GFRh0) and “I Need the Light” (https://youtu.be/Pfq37N3eA7g) both of which are (at least kind of) OSTs.

Biases: Jay, Sunoo, Jungwon

1) Seventeen

Seventeen have been my favorite boy group since they debuted, and they show no signs of stopping that trend any time soon. I’ve loved their releases this year, among them another solo from Junhui with “Limbo” (https://youtu.be/k0sKWlEhVRk) which was a change from his usual emotional ballad fare, but let him show off his dancing and make an MV that was just incredibly gender. I also have a new favorite Seventeen song, dethroning “Home” in it’s long rein, with “Shadow.” I got to see them live this summer, and Redeim only partially managed to capture me losing my mind over them performing “Shadow” live. Their albums this year have been spectacular, and as always, I cannot wait to see what they decide to do next. I hope that I get to see them live many more times in the future (and if you get the chance to do it, they’re an experience).

Biases: Junhui, Wonwoo, Woozi

I would love to chat about any of the groups on this list! I had such a hard time narrowing this down to 5 this year, and it probably would have been easier to do a top 10. There was so much good music this year!

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022 #Kpop Edition #Boy Groups #personal #Kpop #Seventeen #Enhypen #OnlyOneOf #Oneus #Cravity #Ateez #Stray Kids #I honestly probably would have had an easier time making a top 10 for boy groups this year

[junker-town]

Here’s our way-too-early 2021 NFL mock draft

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields are the early favorites to be the No. 1 pick in 2021.

Two quarterbacks will split opinions throughout the next college football season.

The 2021 NFL Draft will be the story of two quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Justin Fields of Ohio State are not only the top two quarterbacks going into next year’s draft, they just might be the top two players overall.

Lawrence has been a star since the moment he stepped onto the Clemson campus. He’s already started two years, and NFL teams have been looking forward to him becoming draft eligible after this season. He has a strong arm, athleticism, and a big frame.

Last season, Fields caught up with him in a hurry. After transferring from Georgia, Fields showed his electric athleticism for Ohio State while completing 67 percent of his throws for 41 touchdowns and three interceptions.

With those two at the top, it’s time for a way-too-early 2021 mock draft. These are always difficult to do. At this time last year, Joe Burrow wasn’t even in the discussion for the first round, let alone the first overall pick. In the next 12 months, a lot is going to change. Several of the players below won’t even be thought of as first-round picks. But they are now, so this is a look at how they could fall.

The draft order is based on the latest Super Bowl odds I could find after the draft. Teams with the same odds were randomized online. The only other change is putting the 49ers at No. 31 to properly represent the Super Bowl having an AFC and NFC team, so don’t get angry about the order.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

If the Jaguars end up with the first pick, chances are the Gardner Minshew experiment didn’t work, head coach Doug Marrone got fired, and general manager Dave Caldwell probably did too.

2. Washington: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

By this time next year, if Washington has the second pick in the draft, head coach Ron Rivera might want his choice of quarterbacks.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

The Bengals have their franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow, but their line play has been suspect. Sewell is a dominant force for Oregon and won the Outland Trophy last season.

4. Carolina Panthers: Walker Little, OT, Stanford

Left tackle Russell Okung is on just a one-year deal in Carolina, and the Panthers could find his replacement in Little. The belief was that if Little didn’t get hurt last season, he could have been a first-round pick this year.

5. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The Dolphins didn’t take a wide receiver this year, and the options after DeVante Parker are average. The last time we saw Chase, he was torching Falcons first-round pick A.J. Terrell in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

6. New York Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

The Giants waited until the sixth round to address linebacker in the draft and could target the position in 2021. Parsons is the next great Penn State linebacker; he had 109 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and five sacks last season.

7. New York Jets: Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami

Usually it’s tough to project redshirt sophomores a year out, but Rousseau is coming off a season of 19.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

8. Detroit Lions: Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson

Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are both free agents after the season, and the Lions could look to add some youth to their wide receiver group.

9. Las Vegas Raiders: Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia

The Derek Carr speculation seems to never go away — and 2020 could be a breaking point. Carr’s contract is much more manageable after this season. A graduate transfer from Wake Forest, Newman is excellent on run-pass options and has a strong arm.

10. Miami Dolphins (from Texans): Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State

Say hello to the 2021 version of Derrick Brown. Wilson surprised people by returning to Florida State for his senior season. That came after a season of 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks even though he missed his last four games.

11. Arizona Cardinals: Trey Smith, G, Tennessee

Smith could be the rare top-of-the-first-round guard in 2021. The 6’6, 335-pound Smith has history at left tackle and left guard, and will probably be projected as an interior player in the NFL.

12. Atlanta Falcons: Carlos Basham, Edge, Wake Forest

Basham is coming off an impressive junior year when he had 18 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. If second-round pick Marlon Davidson plays inside, the Falcons could use another player on the outside.

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

The Chargers didn’t take an offensive lineman in the draft, and could be in need of one at this time next year. Leatherwood has played guard and tackle for Alabama, and done both well.

14. Denver Broncos: Jay Tufele, DT, USC

The Broncos could continue to improve their defensive line in 2021 with Tufele after taking McTelvin Agim in the third round this year. Tufele improved as a pass rusher last season, and would be a nice fit on a team that runs a lot of three-down linemen looks.

15. Chicago Bears: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

That’s right, not a tight end. And unfortunately, not a quarterback. Allen Robinson is a free agent after the season, and Alabama has another loaded wide receiver group to choose from in the draft.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Rams): Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

If the Jaguars do take a quarterback at the top of the draft, it would be smart to target a pass blocker with their second pick. Cosmi started his first two seasons at right tackle for Texas and will switch to the left side this year.

17. Cleveland Browns: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

This one is a little bit of a leap — which is saying something about a mock draft that is coming out a year before the actual draft. The Browns have one of the most expensive wide receiver units in the NFL with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Beckham was rumored in trade talks last year and Landry is due a combined $31 million in 2021 and 2022. Something may have to give.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

Joe Haden and Mike Hilton are both free agents after this season, and the Steelers could look to get younger at the position.

19. Buffalo Bills: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State

Veteran Josh Norman was brought in on just a one-year deal this offseason, so the Bills could go into next offseason looking for a long-term partner for Tre’Davious White.

20. Indianapolis Colts: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama

If the Colts want to upgrade over Anthony Walker, the 2021 draft looks like it might be a good at linebacker. Moses was considered the best linebacker prospect in the nation before getting injured last season.

21. Tennessee Titans: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

If the Titans don’t want to give a big contract to Derrick Henry, they can find his replacement in the 2021 draft. Etienne is a speedy runner who has averaged a ridiculous 8.0 yards per carry the last two years.

22. Minnesota Vikings: Richard LeCounte, S, Georgia

Anthony Harris is playing on the franchise tag this season and might price himself out of Minnesota. If he does, the Vikings could maintain the strength of the position with LeCounte, a free safety with ball skills.

23. Green Bay Packers: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

A weapon for Aaron Rodgers? What a novel idea. Moore is a small receiver, but he showed as a freshman that he’s one of the best pass catchers in the nation. He only played four games last season, but should have a bounce-back junior year.

24. Seattle Seahawks: Cade Mays, OL, Tennessee

A transfer from Georgia, Mays has experience up and down the line. Offensive line is a perennial need for Seattle, which could use another player to go with third-round pick Damien Lewis.

25. Philadelphia Eagles: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

The Eagles didn’t take a cornerback in the draft after trading for Darius Slay and giving him a three-year contract. They could go into the next draft needing someone to pair with him. Adebo could have been a top-64 pick in the draft this year.

26. New England Patriots: LaBryan Ray, DT, Alabama

The Patriots have taken edge defenders the last two drafts, and could turn their attention to the inside in 2021. Ray barely played last season after getting injured in September, but flashed next to Quinnen Williams in 2018.

27. Dallas Cowboys: Quincy Roche, Edge, Miami

A transfer from Temple, Roche comes to Miami with 26 career sacks. With Tyrone Crawford entering free agency next offseason, the Cowboys could save some money by replacing him.

28. New Orleans Saints: Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina

Janoris Jenkins’ cap hit nearly triples in 2021 from $5.05 million to $14.2 million, so the Saints could look to get out from under his deal after this season. If so, they might go after a cornerback in next year’s draft.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State

Chris Godwin is a free agent after this season and could cash in big. If he does and leaves Tampa, his replacement can be found in the draft. In the last two seasons, Wallace has more than 2,300 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

30. Baltimore Ravens: Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington

The Ravens have a ton of high-priced free agents after this season, including pass rusher Matt Judon, wide receiver Willie Snead, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Marlon Humphrey. That means they’ll have a lot of tough decisions to make. Judon is on the franchise tag this season and could go elsewhere.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

The 49ers have numerous free agent cornerbacks after this season and might want to target that position in the 2021 draft. Stokes was Georgia’s leader in pass breakups last season with nine and was an All-SEC second team member.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaylen Twyman, DL, Pittsburgh

If things between the Chiefs and Chris Jones fall apart, it will be imperative to find his replacement. Twyman had 10.5 sacks from his defensive tackle spot last year, just 0.5 sack shy of Aaron Donald’s single-season high at Pitt.

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2022: Kpop Edition - Girl Groups

Now we’re on to Girl Groups!  If you want to see what else I’ve already done in these Top Fives, you can look at the Roundup Post. You can find that post linked in my “The Hoard of Interests” (it’s an about me), and if you want to request any Top Fives that aren’t already on the list, feel free! I will answer any asks about that, but may or may not choose to fill requests based on if I feel like I can make a good list.

I had a much easier time with this list than Boy Groups, probably mostly because the last couple years have seen me losing several long term favorite girl groups (CLC, Lovelyz), so there’s more space in these lists for new groups or groups that had been hanging out in the peripheries of my interest for a while to jump up places. That also means that there are some groups high on my list that I don’t know that much about other than really liking their music so far.

If a girl group has had subunits or members doing things solo, I consider that part of the group’s body of work for the year as long as they’ve also done some full group stuff. If only a subunit has been active, they’d probably get considered a girl group for the sake of this (unless they’re a duet, in which case they’d be considered that), and if only solos have been active, then they’d go in with solos.

The list with representative MVs is under the cut!

Here’s a shoutout to the girl groups that made my preliminary list with their MVs that I watched from this year (in the order I wrote them down over the course of the year): Mamadol (“Wooah HIP”), Viviz (“Bop Bop!” / “Loveade” / “Rum Pum Pum”), (g)i-dle (“Tomboy” / “Nxde”), Ive (“Love Dive” / "After Like"), bugaboo (“Pop” I’m so sad they’ve disbanded), Lightsum (“Alive”), Fromis_9 (“Stay This Way”), and Purple Kiss (“Nerdy”).

5) KARA

Look, Kara was one of my favorite girl groups when I very first got into Kpop back in 2011. This song is so very them while still showing how they’ve grown and matured over the years. What a spectacular 15 year anniversary comeback! I kind of hope that this is the start of them doing more stuff together again in the future, but I’m not holding my breath. I love “When I Move” so much, and I love that they’ve been performing a ton of my old favorites of theirs on shows.

Biases: Gyuri

4) Dreamcatcher

I’ve been on the verge of getting seriously into Dreamcatcher for some time now. I consistently like their music, and I think that “Maison” (above) and “Vision” (https://youtu.be/jKrJBVLnRiM) both being such incredible songs, and them still going strong when I’m losing other groups that I’ve liked for a long time is a sign that it’s the time to really dig into their stuff and get to know them better. They’ve got such good music, and I already know that I really like some of the members individually. If you are a mutual who likes Dreamcatcher, throw me some of their behind the scenes stuff or variety shows or something so that I can learn more about them?

Biases: Handong, Jiu

3) WJSN

It’s been a good year for them in terms of recognition, though a bit of a rough year for one of my biases (Dawon). Overall though, their music this year has been so good! “Last Sequence” (above) was a brilliant showing of their voices and ability and just the kinds of really good songs they make. The album as a whole was also so good, but most of all, I loved “Stronger” (https://youtu.be/f-SwNrl2ax4 a live version), Dawon and Yeonjung’s song. Dawon being on the composition/writing/production team for this song, and just delivering something so very heartfelt and compelling, that really uses her amazing voice in conjunction with Yeonjung’s, was what I really needed from her return. Honestly, it’s one of those songs that might be even better live than in the studio recording.

Biases: Dawon, Luda

2) Rocket Punch

It’s weird to have Rocket Punch be one of my longer term favorite girl groups now, considering my brain definitely labels them as a pretty new group still. I loved both “Chiquita” (above) and “Flash” (https://youtu.be/oAbhfMWvcZs) and the B-sides that came along with them. They’ve got such a distinctive style, and I love how consistently good their music is. I feel like I don’t have enough to say here, but I just enjoy their music, and choreo, and dynamics as a group so much!

Biases: Suyun, Yunkyoung

1) Billlie

I really fell in love with their music this year! I liked them a lot at debut, but as they’ve continued to build that body of work, they’ve had this absolutely delightful off-beat pop-rock sound that really works for me. They’re incredibly talented, and “Ring Ma Bell” (above) is probably one of my favorite songs this year! I’m excited to get to know the group better as they continue to grow in their career.

Biases: Haram, Suhyeon

I would love more people to talk girl groups with! And if there are any girl groups that you think that I might like based on the ones that I’ve mentioned here, feel free to send recommendations my way.

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022 #Kpop Edition #Girl Groups #personal #Kpop #Billlie #Rocket Punch #WJSN #Dreamcatcher #KARA #I need to find more girl groups because I've lost a lot of fave groups in the past few years #though there's a good rookie crop right now

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2022: Kpop Edition - Soloists

Moving on to my next post in my top fives! In general, I’m not as in to soloists as I am groups just as a rule. One of my favorite things in music is use of harmony and voices working together, and that’s just something that groups are better suited to than soloists (and why a lot of my favorite songs of soloists are ones where they feature someone). That being said, the solists that I am into, I tend to be very into.

The category of soloists is going to consist of people who are (at least these days) purely soloists, and any members of a group where either their group did not have a body of work as a group this year or I only enjoy them as a soloist and not as part of the group. Someone who is debuting as a soloist but has previously been active in a group doesn’t count as a rookie for me, so all my soloists are in this list.

The list with representative MVs is under the cut!

Here’s a shoutout to the soloists that made my preliminary lists, but didn’t make it to the top five list (in approximately the order that I ran into their music this year): Woodz (”I Hate You”), Yein (“Plus N Minus”), Lee Sujeong (“My Name”), and Choi Suhwan (“Chance”).

5) Ryeowook

Ryeowook’s mini album, including “Hiding Words” (above) and “Bluebird” (https://youtu.be/fDIi1XFUWMs) was an amazing showcase of his voice. While he still participates in Super Junior comebacks as they happen, I pretty much only follow his solo career of the still active Super Junior members. His voice is beautiful and really captures his preferred genre’s emotions so well. I do appreciate the sort of magical realism of the MV for “Bluebird” though, and dithered over which one to pick as the representative song. In the end, “Hiding Words” is my favorite for how incredible his vocals are here.

4) Ryu Sujeong

I am so excited for a few of my Lovelyz biases to be starting to release solo music post Lovelyz that I actively like! Yein is in my honorable mentions above (as is Lee Sujeong who wasn’t one of my Lovelyz biases but had an excellent song anyhow), but Ryu Sujeong’s “Pink Moon” (above) was definitely my favorite solo release from a Lovelyz member post leaving Woolim. It really showcases the versatility of her voice and a direction that her style could be going as a soloist. Definitely looking forward to what she does next!

3) Lee Chaeyeon

I was so excited for Chaeyeon to finally have her solo debut! While I’d been hoping for her to eventually re-debut in a group post Iz*one because I feel like she really thrives in a well balanced group environment, I’m pretty happy with this album and MV. I was able to listen through to the album several times after it released and found it enjoyable and noticed new things each time. I love her voice, I think that the overall concepts present in the album and MV suited her, and most of all, I was relieved she was doing things again. Many of the songs off the album went on various of my playlists, and I do come back and listen to a lot of them just to listen to that song. I think that “Danny” (https://youtu.be/GOP_bBJ1pOo) also deserves a special mention here for having incredible storytelling based choreography that really captures my interest to go along with an awesome song.

2) Chungha

Chungha’s “Sparkling” really did a good job of showing off her voice and is yet another song and MV in her growing list that show off how versatile as a dancer and vocalist she is. She’s got such a nice voice, and this release is catchy. She’s such an amazing performer, and as I always, her releases make me want to see what she will do next along with really appreciating her current work.

1) Changmin

A thing that a lot of incredible vocalists in Kpop don’t have yet is vocal maturity, and Changmin’s “Devil” is really showing off just how complex and interesting Kpop gets when you have vocalists into their thirties who are really getting into the strength and maturity and richness of their voices. Very few vocalists in their teens and early twenties could execute this even a fraction as well, Changmin couldn’t have executed this even remotely this well in the early stages of his career, and I’m glad that he’s stuck around long enough to give us this incredible song. His voice is so rich, and he’s exploring new styles to him that showcase that. I am really hoping that we keep getting incredible solos from him that showcase that vocal maturity and richness.

While I’m not generally as into soloists as I am into groups, feel free to recommend things to me! I’m sure that I’ve missed people that I would really enjoy.

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022 #Kpop Edition #Soloists #personal #Kpop #Changmin #Chungha #Lee Chaeyeon #Ryu Sujeong #Ryeowook

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives 2022 - Roundup Post

For the first time in a few years I’m getting to these in a timely fashion! Every year, I do a series of Top Fives of things that have caught my interest and held them. What I focus on varies a little bit from year to year. I am also always open to suggestions! So if there’s a Top Five that you want to see that I’m not planning to do, just shoot me an ask, and I’ll see what I can do! (I’ll answer any asks about this that I get and let you know if I’m going to make a list for it, but each list will end up getting it’s own non-ask post for organizational reasons). 

This is my look back on what brought me happiness in the past year, and I’m always down for talking about these things! So if you want to chat about something that I end up listing in these, definitely shoot me a message or an ask. I’ve gotten into some new groups in the past year, and since late June, I’ve had a lot more time to do things that I care about than I did at the beginning of the year (this may be reflected in me having missed some things from earlier in the year).

Below the cut, I’m going to outline the posts that I’m planning on making, and as I make them, I will add links to those posts.

KPOP

Rookies (https://shadowetienne.tumblr.com/post/705196357070241792/etiennes-top-fives-of-2022-kpop-edition)

Boy Groups (https://shadowetienne.tumblr.com/post/705202738636701696/etiennes-top-fives-of-2022-kpop-edition-boy)

Girl Groups (https://shadowetienne.tumblr.com/post/705205516964642816/etiennes-top-fives-of-2022-kpop-edition-girl)

Soloists (https://shadowetienne.tumblr.com/post/705297623148609536/etiennes-top-fives-of-2022-kpop-edition)

CPOP

Just one list planned this year, it fell through the cracks for me a little bit more than I would have liked.

FIGURE SKATING

Men

Women

Pairs

Ice Dance

I may decide to add a list for Kazakh music that I liked this year, but that is something that fell through the cracks for me a little bit.

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2022 #personal #Kpop #Cpop #figure skating #I'm going to try to get these out in a fairly efficient fashion this year

[shadowetienne]

Etienne’s Top Fives of 2021

Well, this is coming very very late. I spent the 2021-2022 school year as a first year middle school teacher, with a very long commute, and it really sapped my ability to compile things like this. I had my list all made, but I just never quite got around to making the post or finalizing what I was going to put in it.

At this point, like 6-7 months after when I would normally do such a post, I want to get a record of those lists up, but I’m not going to do an in depth series of posts the way that I normally might. I’m just going to have it all below the cut on this post.

KPOP

Overall, this was a year that I had people to watch kpop MVs with and talk about what I liked and didn’t like. I feel like I got reasonably good coverage of stuff, especially during the second half of the year. When it comes to a lot of groups, my bias is based purely off of how much I like their voice/presence in music videos and songs. There’s a group here and there that I know more about, but I’ll generally say so. NOTE: Honorable Mention categories (not included in the numbered list) are written down in the order that I wrote them down in throughout the year, so semi-chronological, not by preference order.

Rookies

Purple Kiss: I liked their predebut stuff, and really liked both “Ponzona” and “Zombie.” Don’t have a strong favorite song yet, but they’ve had solid, reliable quality and interesting music. Biases: Goeun, Ireh, Swan

Kingdom: Their concept is interesting and so is their music. I think that “Black Crown” is the song that hooked me of their songs with music videos, but I don’t have a strong favorite so far. Good quality across the board and well thought out music videos. Biases: Arthur, Jahan, Louis

Lightsum: I’ve been waiting for Chowon to debut in a group so this was exciting! I really love their sound and overall group strength so far. Looking forward to seeing more of what they do. I’m a little more familiar with this group since some of them were on Produce 48, and I’ve watched some of their stuff beyond just MVs. While they’re only in 3rd here, I think that they will be reappearing in future lists. “Vanilla” was my favorite of their songs with MVs from 2021. Biases: Chowon, Juhyeon

Billlie: I loved their debut with “Ring x Ring” - great catchy song and they’ve got a marvelously weird sound overall in their discography so far. Biases: Haram, Suhyeon

MGX: I really love “Painted Love” and “Hug” was also delightful. Like their sound overall, hope to see more from them, and don’t know much about them at all.

Honorable Mentions: Hi-L for “Too Too (22)”; Epex for “Do 4 Me” (note that I didn’t like their first song, biases: A-min, Ayden); Just B for “Damage,” “Tick Tock,” and “Try” (biases: Geonu, Lim Jimin), SKYLE for “Fly Up High”

Boy Groups

Seventeen: They’ve been first in this ranking for years, and they are going to probably stay here for as long as they exist. “Rock With You” launched itself to near the top of my favorite Seventeen songs with MVs (and songs in general) list, and I was really pleased with “Anyone.” I can talk about Seventeen for ever, but I’ll keep it short enough here. Love their stuff, love them, absolutely my favorite group. Biases: Junhui, Wonwoo, Woozi

OnlyOneOf: Kpop group with a company embracing and leaning into queer content with the members involved in the creation process and very clearly on board! I’m very here for this, and I have fallen into loving this group so very very hard. “libidO” was an amazing song and MV, but I’ve fallen in love with their discography and overall sound, and they’re up there in my top groups to follow now. Biases: Rie, Junji

Ateez: The race between this group and the one in fourth was really tight, but “Turbulence” won out for Ateez as one of my absolute favorite songs of the year. They’re still pretty new to me, but they’ve got a really amazing discography and talented members across the board. I’ve been really happy to get more into them and learn more about them. Biases: Seonghwa, Yeosang

Stray Kids: They’ve had so much interesting new material and I’m really excited for what they will do in the future, especially because I love Han’s and all of 3racha’s talent as producers so much. They leave me anticipating what I’ll see from them in the future. “Winter Falls” was probably my favorite song from them this year, but everything that they released was at least interesting. Biases: Han, Lee Know

Golden Child: This is a group that I’ve been into for years that has flirted with being on these lists, but they had an amazing year this year! I love their overall sound, always have, and I’ve been enjoying diving into their discography a little deeper. Favorite songs from this year of theirs (with MVs) included: “Ra Pam Pam,” “Burn It,” and Bomin & Joochan’s “Singing In the Rain.” I liked everything from them this year though! Biases: Y, Seungmin, Bomin, Joochan (yes that’s a long list, no I’m not accepting criticism at this time)

Honorable Mention (nearly tied) - E’last: The only thing keeping them from being a true tie with GolCha is volume (GolCha released so much this year!). I have loved them since debut, and they just keep getting better and better as they go. “Dark Dream” was my favorite song with MV from them this year, but I continue to love all their stuff. Biases: Won Hyuk, Baekgyul, Choi In, Seungyeop (yes I know that’s half the group)

Honorable Mentions: AB6IX for “Stay Young” and “Close”(Biases: Daehwi, Woong); Cravity for “My Turn” and “Gas Pedal” (Biases: Minhee, Jungmo); Got7 for “Encore” (Biases: Jinyoung, Yongjae); SHINee for “Don’t Call Me” and “Atlantis” (Biases: Key, Minho); Nu’est for “Inside Out” (Biases: Ren, Minhyun); Drippin for “Young Blood” and “Free Pass” (Biases: Hyeop, Changuk); B1A4 for “10 Times” (Biases: ... literally all three of them); Onewe for “Rain to Be,” “Veronica,” “AuRoRa,” and “Star” (Bias: Dongmyeong); WEi for “Bye Bye Bye” (Biases: Donghan, Seokhwa); A.C.E. for “Higher” and “Changer” (Biases: Jun, Wow); Up10tion for “Spin Off”(Bias: Sunyeol (and Wooseok)); The Boyz for “Thrill Ride” and “Maverick” (Biases: Ju Haknyeon, New); ONF for “Popping” (Biases: MK, Hyojin); BZ-Boys for “Close Your Eyes”; TXT for “LO$ER=LO♡ER” (Biases: Huening Kai, Soobin); TO1 for “No More X” (Biases: Donggeon, Kyungho); Oneus for “Luna” (Biases: Hwanwoong, Leedo, Seoho); Victon for “What I Said” and “Sweet Travel” (Bias: Sejun); B.I.G. for “Flashback”; BF for “Adonis” (Biases: Jeongmin, Youngmin).

Girl Groups

Rocket Punch: Definitely one of my top girl groups right now! They’ve had very consistent discography, and I loved “Ring Ring” as a song and a concept for them. Overall very much a fan of their sound and follow what they do pretty closely. Biases: Suyun, Yunkyoung

Everglow: They had a series of really good releases during 2021, my favorite of which was definitely “Pirate” though it doesn’t dethrone “La Di Da” as my favorite Everglow song. Biases: Sihyeon, Yiren

WJSN: While I’ve not been as into their subunit stuff up through this point, I really loved “Unnatural,” and they have really found their footing as 10. I am excited for their stuff going forward. Biases: Dawon, Luda

Laboum: One of my long term groups that I’ve liked still holding on and releasing good songs and MVs like “Kiss Kiss” makes me happy. Overall, still super into their sound, really glad that they have a new contract! Biases: Jinye, Soyeon

Mamamoo: They really hit it out of the park with “Where Are We Now” for me. They are unquestionably incredibly talented, but a lot of their music recently hadn’t been as much up my alley, so it was good to have them go with a sound that I enjoyed! Biases: Solar, Moonbyul

Honorable Mentions: (G)i-dle for “Hwaa” (Biases: Yuqi, Shuhua); GWSN for “Like It Hot” (Biases: Lena, Miya); Dreamnote for “Ghost”; Weki Meki for “Siesta” (Biases: Doyeon, Lucy); T-ARA for “Tiki Taka” (Biases: Eunjung, Hyomin)

Soloists and Duets

KEEMBO: I am so happy with all the music that Kim Boa and Kim Bohyung have released together. Their songs from this year continue to have my captivated by their voices and so glad that they’ve stuck with making and sharing their music together. “Love Me 4 Me” was probably my favorite 2021 release, but it was all good.

Chungha: I love her so very very much as a soloist, and “Killing Me” was a very very good track that is pretty much at the top of my favorite songs from her now.

Woodz: I love his production style and songs and voice. He’s grown so much as an artist since his start in Uniq, and I am always interested in hearing his new music. I definitely had some of his stuff on loop for a while, but did note down “Feel Like” as something that stood out to me. It really changes what my favorite is based on mood though.

Hyolyn & Dasom: My two favorite Sistar members teaming up for “Summer or Summer” was definitely a musical highlight of the year! A great song, and I hope to hear more from the two of them together in the future.

Youngjae: I really liked “Vibin” and it was good to see Got7 members doing well after their departure from JYP. I am breaking my usual rule of not having someone both on the Soloists & Group lists because it was part of a career transition for the group and the member.

Honorable Mentions: Hong Eunki for “On&On”; Kim Wooseok for “Sugar”; Sungmin for “Goodnight, Summer”; Eunsang for “Lemonade”; Choi Suhwan for “New Hero”

CPOP

I’m doing Cpop as a single list this year. 2021 had a lot of Cpop controversy around the QCYN & Produce Camp shows, and I in many ways do not want to touch that with a 10 foot pole. It also put a damper on some of the things I was really excited about. (If you’re interested in things I was posting at the time, dig back through my tags for them/search my blog. I was writing about it a lot.)

Sunnee: I’m thrilled to see Sunnee doing well as a soloist. I’ve loved her voice since pre-debut of her A’N’D days, and it’s so good to see her finally succeeding with all the talent that she’s got. “Want To” is the song that I want to highlight of hers from this year.

Liu Yuxin: Her solo career taking off has been a highlight for me as well. I’ve been following her since pre-Lady Bees days, and seeing her finally get acknowledgment and love is so good. I’m highlighting “Of Course” of her music from 2021, but everything’s worth a watch, especially for the spectacular dancing.

Hua Chiyo: “Kiss N Run” was such a fun song to start out the year with! I really love her voice and want to hear more of her stuff!

Liu Lexie: Honestly, just do yourself a favor and check out her discography! She’s amazing, and her songs have some incredible weaving together of Chinese and English in interesting ways in the lyrics. Recommending “有吗炒面” [“ALGTR”] and “Shadow” especially.

NAME: Yuehua’s new Chinese side girl group. “Say My Name” was a great debut song, and I hope that they can keep up that momentum.

There were a lot of groups and soloists that I liked. I want to give a shout out for Junhui’s Chinese solo stuff with “Crow” and “Silent Boarding Gate” because I loved it so so much. I considered putting him on this list, but figured it would be worth highlighting some artists not already represented elsewhere on this list.

FIGURE SKATING

I’m just doing a my favorite competitors from the first half of the 2021-2022 season across all disciplines here. Not really going to say much about why, feel free to come ask me about these.

Shoma Uno (Japan / Men)

Sui Wenjing / Han Cong (China / Pairs)

Wakaba Higuchi (Japan / Women)

Wang Shiyue / Liu Xinyu (China / Ice Dance)

Kaori Sakamoto (Japan / Women)

There are a lot of other figure skaters that I love who did well this season, but the season was somewhat eclipsed by trying to keep on top of things for the school year for me.

Hopefully, my 2022 lists will be much less delayed and return to their normal format.

#Etienne's Top Fives of 2021 #personal #Kpop #Cpop #figure skating #this is less detailed than it has sometimes been #but I want it for my records/archives