#Itzy album listen-thru

[redpiperfox]

You know what Itzy's good at? Growth. You know what I absolutely adored? Itzy's new album. You know what I will never shut up about and be happy to waffle a whole tumblr post that's really only for my enjoyment? A freakin Itzy album, so without further ado--

An album listen-through of Kill My Doubt, an absolute gem of an album

Bet on Me

My first reactions are here but I think everyone agreed when this was dropped-- woah. This truly set the tone for the whole debut of the album, with a firm stance on who the album was for, and the confidence Itzy was bringing into the comeback.

The song itself does poetic and emotional, but unlike Trust Me (Midzy), does it from a soundscape that's uniquely and wholly Itzy. It's an emotional bop that you put on to push through the end of your workout/beginning of your cooldown. The video itself was a return to the metaphorical coding of the members that hit so close to the reality mark, I couldn't help but drawing parallels between their individual mv plots and their struggles as individual artists.

Bet on Me is a jog through the fog, it's running beside a train and beating it, and it's being on the edge of tears but turning your headphones up to walk away from the pain with your chin up.

Cake

I knew this would be a summer bop. I was prepared for a summer comeback. And I was prepared for it to be fun, but oh man!

It's Nayeon's Pop for this summer! It's a crackhead version of Stray Kids' S-Class! It's fresh and fun and bursting like a bag of starbursts, skipping down a pastel paved sidewalk, playful and teasing in a riddle that explodes in confidence!

Sononically, Cake achieves what Sneakers failed-- it fills it's soundscape completely, and does not leave it's verses to fend for themselves. Everything is fun and interesting and moves with the intention of keeping your attention and keeping you on your toes. Like Stray Kids, they defend the NMixx switch up in the second verse, and do it rather seamlessly.

Speaking of Stray Kids (and we'll be speaking of them a lot here, sorry not sorry in advance) the music video itself pulled some plot parallels-- lightning in the alley, headphones while a monster attacks, crackhead background plot while the foreground switches between a fun and dark colorscape, with the sassiness of hip hop running through. I hope and think it's intentional, as fourth gen and the generation bordering fifth gen further separate, and maybe as JYP as a company ride on the publically high opinion of SKZ and use that to bring all groups under their company who lack direction in this new corner of kpop that's being carved out, but maybe it isn't intentional, and even then (to me at least) that's pretty cool.

Now, I'm giving this more words because it's the title, and as a title, it speaks a lot for the albuma and direction of the group and I think it's important to notice: Cake is the end of a trilogy (more on this at the end). Sneakers to Cheshire to Cake has been a rediscovery of confidence, not just from their last trilogy, but within the three songs themselves. Just as they did in Wannabe, this song brings them to a peak of fun not giving a damn in that confidence arc.

And it's so fun and catchy! (Can confirm, will randomly start going CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE XP)

None of My Business

I have done /such/ an extensive dissection of this after my first listen, so I'll just leave that here if you want to enjoy.

This is such an easy listen, and there's a raw vocal edge to it, like they're simply monologuing and we get to listen in. It's the lazy feeling of being too tired from the heat to do anything, but happy that it's summer and there's nothing to do anyway but be tired and happy with it.

The video itself is a hazy dream-like flush, with an edge of tipping into womanhood and all the icky edges of it that will come (...along with that green lighting on the bridge, very kard icky XD). It's a stepping off the student sheltered tent and dipping your toes into adulthood, while still relishing every last minute of teenagehood. A hint of childishness that only hormonal teens could pull off in pettiness, all with a ribbon thrown in the air, carefreeness in a warm summer wind.

Bratty

Freaky from their Cheshire album steps into the ocean, with it's bubbling, easy-riding waves. It's bobbing on tubes, losing the beach in the horizon, playing games in a lost cove, sticking tongues and running away from adults that try to end summer, and being unapologetic in enjoying childhood.

This song feels somewhere between the Checkmate album, in revisiting their older fun, bouncing sound with a more developed and mature vocal sound. It's a good song to chill out to without falling asleep.

Psychic Lover

This is a playfully tricksy sort of love song, with the Itzy twist of fun on it. The verses have this enticing drawing in to some mature romance, only to build up to a chorus that's full western pop, of grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you down a kid's slide in bright saturated colors, like they know we both aren't ready for that regal, diamond-studded romance we thought we wanted.

A proper hats off to @the-sunshine-dragon for recognizing the intro and instrumental motif that's sampled is from the beginning Enya's Orinoco Flow possibly (slow it down a bit, to like x0.75ish, it's pretty cool~!)

This song has a quintessential kpop weight to it, with the full-bodied color of reality in the depth of the vocals that are balanced and tempered with fun.

Kill Shot

Mafia in the Morning grew up, joined covert ops, and comes for your throat.

Absolute hit, a complete sniper that rapid shoots itself to the wall. Vocals toy the edge of lazy cockiness and powerful skill, Joker painted in childishness with a finger on the trigger and the barrel to the temple. Their voices are woven into a flawless team, the cohesiveness of five unique talents that have learned each others' strengths and weakness into a well-oiled assassin crew that's good at what they do when you step back and let them do what they do.

The pairing of this song with the nursery rhyme gives it the perfect edge of insanity, a slight stumble in it's perfect edge that pairs a maturing group with it's roots. It's golden, and a powerful end to the album, almost a threat tapered into a taunt to dare and try come for their image again and see what happens.

Some final notes and ending remarks: there's nothing that sells an album more than a group itself absolutely having a blast and adoring the art of what they do, and this era has been topped to the brim of the members having fun. I don't know what Lia's blonde hair, but all the crackheaded, goofy girl we see in hidden corners of their content has come to center stage. Yuna is a full-fledged idol personality (which yall made in telling her she's doing such and such wrong, so I better not hear another comment on how she's acting). Chaeryeong is out promoting in all her charm, and RYeji continue to be their viral scene-stopping selves, everyone get off my lawn, I'm a grandma absolutely enjoying what they do and I won't hear anyone whining about people doing what they love when they do it in such a fun and positive way. (...Enjoy what you like, and if you don't like, find something else, don't tell them to change.)

Itzy has been releasing music in trilogies, alternating between a powerful self-image concept and a powerful love concept. Their third album of each trilogy has been the culmination of the concept from introduction to end, with It'z Me, Crazy in Love, and now Kill My Doubt holding the most amount of songs of the trilogy and the widest exploration of sound scape.

I am so excited to see where they go next, as we possibly return to the love trilogy and experiment with new sounds and themes. (As I write this-- Japanese release?! {straps in for some more hype music] Second half of the year is always Itzy season yall~!)

#Red's album dissections #red's week in music #red's album listen-thru #red's thoughts #kill my doubt #Itzy album listen-thru #tldr: good album! highly reccomend! is a summer-soaked fun vibe and for people who don't care about chitter-chatter opinions! #Youtube #Spotify #red's album listen thrus

[blackbellaswan1]

huge day tbh guys Itzys Itz ME came out 3 years today! probably my favorite kpop ever listened to it all day in school when it came out so much has happened since then! the EP literally means so much to me guys y’all don’t understand plus SOPHIE produced a song i’m so happy! i love them and i Love SOPHIE. anyways, drinking a monster for breakfast yk the vibes , but seriously one of the albums that got me thru the pandemic 😭

#swag #transgender #kpop #itzy #itz me

[diosmenu]

> me again hello!

mamamoo

(not a group? but bibi if u have time)

itzy

twice

red velvet

kep1er

txt

jsbdhsbs ty ur so real

itzy

favorite member / bias line: ryujin + chaeryeong + yeji

which member I’d fight (& why): ryujin i think if we were friends we’d just fight for fun. aries tingz or whatever

favorite song(s): oooo i need to sit down and figure this out soon but atm i’d say mafia in the morning i think

favorite thing about the group: theyre really good dancers and it shows in how good their choreography always is. plus theyre monster performers their show stages are crazy

something i’d like to see from them: hm nothing in particular honestly. i think it might be interesting to see them do a darker concept or something with a story? think their mama 2021 performance lol

twice

favorite member / bias line: my line is so funny i just keep adding to it everyday. anyway momo + jihyo + nayeon + sana + dahyun

which member i’d fight (& why): momo but like homoerotically. intricate rituals and whatnot

favorite song(s): i dont think ive even heard half their discog yet so idr have this figured out but. the feels, f.i.l.a., hell in heaven, i can’t stop me, fancy, ho! & prolly more idk theyve never made a bad song

favorite thing about the group: like i said the inability to make a bad song

something i’d like to see from them: radio silence. like literally please give these women a break

red velvet

favorite member if i have one: irene

favorite song(s): psycho & really bad boy changed my life im so serious

why i don’t stan (yet) / if i want to: i dont think i need to be a Stan of every group i listen to buuuut i also havent heard that many songs by them even tho i want to and the reason is im lazy LMAO ill do them justice at some point

question for veteran fans: im probably gonna ignore this question in general like i got nothing to ask lmfao

kep1er

i’ll listen to their top song on spotify & tell you my thoughts: in all honesty i already listened to wa da da and i didn’t like it </3

i’ll look up photos & tell you who stands out to me: i don’t need to cos xiaoting is my gf actually. but also that pink haired girl is so pretty too

i’ll tell you if i’d look into them more: i mean. they just debuted so i can’t really say either way. maybe if their next release is different from wa da da sjbsjsnsj

txt

favorite member / bias line: yeonjun + taehyun + i think im adding beomgyu too

which member i’d fight (& why): yeonjun. i just think he deserves it and im sure the members would help me. but also beomgyu bc hes also a menace in a different way

favorite song(s): loser lover, puma, can’t you see me?, 0x1=lovesong, blue hour, etc. also i think cat & dog might be unironically making the cut

favorite thing about the group: i think they do really interesting concepts and pull them off very well no matter how different they are

something i’d like to see from them: i need them to actually pull thru w the loser lover sound. honestly first time i listened to the album i didnt like it bc i was expecting some pop rock-ish vibes and i was disappointed when i saw only one song was like that LMAO but its still my fave i think they wld kill a full album. but ALSO straight up rock bc the only reason i gave them another chance after that disappointment was bc i saw the yj blue hour teaser and i thought it was gonna be a rock song 💀 theyre lucky theres crack in it or we wouldnt be here <3

bibi

i’ll listen to their top song on spotify & tell you my thoughts: (listened to the weekend) this is GOODDDDD whoa

i’ll tell you if i’d look into them more: yea! ive heard a lot ab her and thought id check her out eventually

send me a kpop group

#skipped mamamoo bc of some stuff ab them that put me off #ask #i went a little off w txt there lmfao i just need them to actually do a rock album at some point

[grlsgen]

my favorite 2020 kpop songs

there were some bangers this year... this includes title tracks & bsides and everything else under the sun.

i always got shit to say and i always see youtube videos like this but i simply can’t edit so here we are

you never know - blackpink

okay yeah i didn’t really fw hylt or lovesick girls when i first heard them but when i listened to the album you never know really stuck with me... i never get sick of it. definitely the best track off the album imo. rosé’s prechorus has made me cry a few times ngl

alien - lee suhyun

alright miss thing... i was obsessed with this song when i first heard it... the pre chorus with the ooo ooo ooo and the switch to the chorus is so good it gets me every time. she’s cute i like her... while we’re here i’ll also mention i really liked her ost in your time for it’s okay to not be okay.. i loved that drama and that’s my fav ost from it.. but anyway

lalalilala - april

They Served. Big time. the music video is so pretty and the song was stuck in my head for 6 months straight... they really did the damn thing with this. kinda sounds like an apink song but that’s a compliment... overall this whole comeback was really good and deserved better. honorable mention : the bside on this ep you.zip is so good too

open your eyes - iz*one

this is all i listened to for months after bloomiz dropped... izone’s music is really a hit or miss for me and i didn’t really vibe with fiesta but i’m so glad i gave the album a chance because open your eyes is definitely in my top 5 releases of this year. their other bside dreamlike is really good too

the book of us : the demon - day6 album

now where do i start with this... to this day i am still obsessed with 1 to 10... like that’s gotta be the best off this album imo. zombie was so good and i really liked the lyrics. the album as a whole was really really good. i sound like a broken record

children - bvndit

oh boy... another one of my top 5 releases from this year. not only is the overall sound of this amazing but i love the lyrics too. these girls deserve so much better

d-2 - agust d/yoongi/suga mixtape

my king. i shit myself when this dropped ngl... i don’t even know how to elaborate on how much i love this. daechwita was stuck in my head for the longest time.. i think the highlights off this for me have to be people, honsool & dear my friend. this mixtape was really a moment.. i love yoongi y’all

love again - baekhyun / underwater - baekhyun

alright alright .. i put these two together since they’re from the same album idk but it took a while for candy to grow on me but i’ve loved these since i first heard them... i was Obsessed. the final bridge/chorus whatever the hell thing he does in love again put me into shock for 3 months straight and the beat in underwater is heavenly

the dream chapter : eternity - txt ep

this serve. has to be my favorite from txt yet... rookies with the best discography fr. i love dark concepts and really like that they did something different with this. can’t you see me was Amazinggg. fairy of shampoo has to be one of the best songs i’ve ever heard it’s insane. i also really liked eternally, who else has that range... Nobody. top to bottom this ep is really good, i hope they do another dark concept like this again soon bc this hit big time

eight - iu & suga

it took a while for this to grow on me but whew...when it did... kinda makes me feel like i’m in a coming of age movie and i like that, makes me nostalgic for that. eight soty, they both did great on this

# - loona ep

Now... Cmon. so what was either a hit or miss for a lot of people but something i think everyone can agree on is that the bridge is godsent. like that shit makes me cry sometimes. the music video was really good, i always come back to the subway/train scene. number 1 is also so damn good. overall i really loved this ep. they really ate with this one

eyes wide open - twice album

when i first heard this album i didn’t like it That much but it’s really grown on me lately. the whole retro trend was fun and then it got a little overdone so i was tired of it by the time this dropped but actually.. some of the bsides are insanely good. behind the mask is definitely a highlight for me, mina’s bridge is heavenly. i love mina so bad. but anyway, i can’t stop me took some time to grow on me as well but it always gets stuck in my head. i also really like up no more & depend on you, they’re cute

maybe - gidle

Y’all... i love this song. it’s short and simple but it was so addicting to me. i really like that one part in the last two choruses if you know what i’m talking about (i’m not sure who sings it ? some people say soyeon some say shuhua idk, shuhua my queen btw) and soojin’s verse in the bridge hits. to this day i’m still obsessed with this song

a song written easily - oneus

this is so underappreciated, this is easily one of my favorite title tracks released all year. i’m not a huge fan of beat drops but this one was really nice imo, i also liked the lead in before the drop and the final chorus. this was really good and i never get sick of it

wannabe - itzy

CUT THE DAMN CAMERAS.... no fr this is my #1 favorite song released this year. talented brilliant incredible amazing... itzy seriously ate up everyone with this. i keep going back to this song it’s insane. iconic choreo good mv good styling amazing song.. like everything here lined up. i don’t know how they’ll ever top this for me. definitely my soty (next to psycho)

black swan - bts

this is excellent idk what else to say. i thought it was just okay when i first heard it but it’s seriously so good, me being yoongi biased i loved that he got multiple verses but i love the do your thing with me now breakdown part too. the choreo is one of my favorite from them and the mv was really pretty. black swan is one of my favorite movies so the comparisons with it made me love this song more. overall, probably my favorite off mots7

my time - jungkook of bts

jungkook always has the best album solos fr. i loved this the second i heard it, kinda justin bieber esque but it’s so good. i love the lyrics and transition it takes thru the song. the chorus hits man.. this song always makes me a little sad but he really did amazing on this

monster - red velvet irene & seulgi ep

my queens what can i say. i was so excited for this unit and they did not disappoint. monster still hits, aged like wine. the best track is fr feel good, i still have it on repeat.. insanely good. seulgi really delivered with uncover, it’s so beautiful. i think sm’s intention was always to have a subunit this year but i thought it was smart to do while wendy was recovering, hoping for ot5 soon y’all..

never gonna dance again : act 2 - taemin album

taemin my king wtf!!! i loved criminal so i was really excited for this and of course... he always delivers. top to bottom i loved this album, he really did amazing on it. identity might be the best song i’ve ever heard... and of course i loved the collab with wendy 🙏 overall such a good album, taemin always serves the best

pporappippam - sunmi

what can i say i love a little retro tune. even though i just said earlier i was sick of it idc i loved this. sunmi always shows up, i don’t know what else to say. this song never gets old

dystopia : the tree of language - dreamcatcher album

i didn’t expect to love this album as much as i did... i don’t listen to it as often anymore but i can’t deny that scream was a major serve. every time i hear it it’s like the first time... their bside jazz bar was so good. dreamcatcher’s bsides always hit what can i say

12:00 - loona ep

Yes. why not is not necessarily my favorite title from them ever (it’s butterfly, btw) but it’s always stuck in my head... obviously i loved voice/star, was obsessed for weeks and i was happy they decided to promote it a little. styling on those stages were so cute btw. i also loved fall again from this ep, chuu sounds angelic on it. loona had some amazing cbs this year

la di da - everglow

Obsessed. i watched every stage as they dropped and listened to this every 5 seconds, Amazing. sihyeon really owned this era for me and shes my bias so of course i ate this whole thing up. this was definitely one for the books, what more can i say

literally everything gfriend released this year

this might be their best year yet for releases imo, i really liked how they tried out different concepts and sounds this year, i’ve always loved their music but the switch was refreshing yknow. crossroads was so good, i loved that mv. here we are is still on repeat almost a year later... and now APPLE. apple was so mf good. i love that they decided to do a dark concept, this song really fit them well, still obsessed w it. mago might be my least fave out of the 3 but it’s still so good. don’t even get me started on yuju in the mv.. Queen. i liked the subunits on walpurgis night, especially better me. gfriend had a really good year imo, they deserved more for it.

Anyways. that was my 2 cents.

wannabe & psycho soty

#kpop #red velvet #bts #itzy #twice #gfriend #so many good ass songs this year #hoping 2021 is even better... #txt #baekhyun #everglow #loona #taemin

[honeysahi]

Kpop fan profile✨

thanks for the tag luna hehe @lunatens ilyyy💖💓💕💗

fandoms: oof let me think,,, alice, stay, carat, nctzen, midzy, atiny, moa, tomoon, universe, goldness, verrer, toogether, fuse, aroha, ahgase, myday, moodz, exo-l, deobi, abnew! i think those are my main groups that i keep up with the most lmao 🥴

ult bias(es): tbh this changes constantly but as of now,,, probably seungwoo, bangchan and taeyong 😩 i’m going thru it

ult group(s)/soloist(s): skz always and victon rn probably

other groups/soloists: twice, red velvet, dc, bp, sunmi, chungha, kim wooseok, everglow, bts, onewe, kard, cravity, monsta x, mamamoo, momoland, girlfriend, taemin, sf9, clc, ikon

(i took that as groups i dont stan but i listen to a bit/ kinda like)

kpop albums i own: hehe i’m broke so i only got 2

Don’t Mess Up My Tempo - EXO

We Boom- Nct Dream

Other kpop merch i own: sadly, nada :/ a few extra pc’s maybe??? lmao does that count???

kpop concerts i’ve been to: none so far, i was considering getting tickets to onf, but i didn’t even have time to before covid appeared so... yeah. Hopefully more groups will come to south america

biggest wreckers: OOF, subin and sejun (victon), almost everyone on skz lmao, and everyone in ateez literally!! 🤡🤡🤡

fave songs: nowadays not shy (itzy), GUNSHOT BY KARD!!!, sacrifice by seungwoo , and all time faves probably miroh and side effects (skz), hit and thanks (svt), blood and shoot me (day6)!

fave albums: skz cle 1: miroh, day6 the book of us: entropy and the book of us: the demon, nct dream reload (idk/idc if they’re albums or eps or what but i’m grouping everything together)

kpop doppelganger: I obviously don’t look like any of them BUT i think quite a few have my same personality type, a few other enfps are jangjun and joochan (golcha), seungkwan and vernon (svt) too i believe! also some aries sign ppl that i relate to are probably subin (victon), yunho (atz) and renjun (nct) ( my birthday twins! ) but i don’t really know hehe maybe jinho (ptg)?

I’ll tag @pastelsicheng if u wanna do it, if not it’s okay and i understand! 💖✨ i had fun thinking abt these lmao, altough i reaaally don’t know about the last one  🤧

#mim talks to herself #tag game #about me #kpop profile #kpop #long post #emmy🥰 #luna💖 #lunatens #pastelsicheng

[jensungf]

nooo pls dont post less!!!!!! i need your cute lil posts about everything 😔🥺 yes cancer sun moon leo!! thats me uwu n i watch football a LOT LOT i love it so much, but its the kind that americans call soccer btw hahaha culture difference ✨ n no its not my bday!! its taeyongs bday!!! but we didnt go for lunch bc of that (or maybe we did 🤔) but my friend n i are quite close so we went for lunch bc of that!!! n also!! no need to be productive? whos that anyway, idk her :p red anon p1 💃

sooo for things i got!! some new converse shoes (black ones), an nct album 🙈 (pulled the bday boy uwuwuwu), handcream, somestickers n some cards bc im almost out of birthday cards to send/give! n yes i stan some other groups!! my faves are day6, red velvet n got7, but theres many more that i like! especially girlgroups hihi, basically day6 got7 and nct21 are the only boys i stan and i like to write but i dont publish it much bc im an insecure potato n theres an about me carrd if you dig p2/3 💃

omg this is becoming such a spam HAHAHAHAHAH ive been on tumblr for years upon years, although this account is on the newer side!! also i remembered i LOVE ITZY SO MUCH theyre definitely also in my faves! i think i also said in my deleted ask that i had been working on a header for a story ill most likely wont write skskskks how do you find motivation/inspiration uwu do you have any plans for today!! -red skirt anon 💃

ima put my response underneath hehe to avoid spamming ppls dash <3

ur so cute bub ily my posts are deadass shit posts but ok <333 excuse me if im being a bit dry hksdhjs im half awake like always hehe and i will be on the lookout for that 😳😳 and hakjd i figured hehe but omfg do u play football? and thats so cute nonetheless!!! i hope u n ur friend had fun hehe taeyong’s spirit appreciates ur hangout dedicated to him <3 and unfortunately i have chores to do and errands to run :cc and OMGGG YAY THOSE R ALL GOOD SPENDS OMG but thats so much money bub?? ru rich 😳😳😳 chenle vibes my dear

hahaha jk ofc but i havent had black converse since my emo phase when i was 11 omg i bet they look so cute on u! i prefer black chuck taylors/hightops hehe wbu bub? also which album did u buy!!! ur blessed by the bday boy himself how adorable 🥺 ooo do u get any specific brand or scent of hand cream? i rly like the tonymoly rose scented ones haha but i ran out :c and i LOVE STICKERS my little sister has a lot and i always steal from her!! she usually uses them in her bujo haha do u use them for fun or on ur art/bujo? and thats so cute omfg stocking up on bday cards is something kinda traditional no one does anymore but thats so cute <333 i admire ur tast ein doing things

omg i dont stan any of those groups besides got7 and unfortunately i havent stanned any gg since sistar disbanded but who r ur biases bub?? ive listened to some day6 but if u have any recs lmkkkk and rv r queens <3 and ive heard about itzy!! i dont know too much about them but theyre all stunning and iconic queens (ive seen ryujin and lia hahaha) 

omg bub ur not an insecure potato,, i would lov to read ur writings and i bet theyre amazing! everyone has room for improvement but dont be shy hehe im sure ur writings would pique everyones interest! and time to go digging thru all my moots again round 2 hhhh 

and its ok hehehe thats pretty cool! ive been on tumblr since like,, 2015 or sum but like i fell out for two yrs and remade in march this yr haha so i feel u and OMG HEADERS i had the most trouble making headers cus i usually find a random pic of them i think is nice and slap on some txt using canva and call it a day!! id love to see ur header!! what do u use to make it?? (++ pls write a story for it i would love to read it 🥺🥺) and honestly idk sometimes inspo randomly hits and my motivation fluctuates!! like rn my wip is flopping cus i dont have any motivation to sit down and write but some of my other stories are spur of the moment writings hahah like better together or jsmr bc i was watching jenos jsmr fails or i fell off my bike and i decided to get inspired while sitting on the couch ahkdhfks so i think its diff for everyone!

and no hehe i dont besides doing stuff online for my fam and /hopefully/ making progress on my wip :c wbu bub???

#hoo boi this was long #sorry bub hope u dont mind #leyna.asks #red skirt anon 💃 #secret admirer💌

[sweetheartjeongguk]

For the kpop asks: 2, 3,4,5,6,7,11,14,18 and 25

oof sorry im hella late with this, i got busy with college stuff :( but here we go!

2 -  List your top 5 favorite k-pop groups

bts, twice, red velvet, txt, and a tie between g-idle and itzy!  

3 - Who is your ultimate bias and why?

jungkook mainly because when i first got into kpop thru bts, he was the first member who rlly stuck out to me! 

4 - Has a k-pop song or music video ever made you cry?

spring day bc oof those lyrics about missing somebody :( 

5 - Name your top 10 favorite k-pop albums.

holy moly, top 10... truthfully, i dont listen to that many groups outside of bts that extensively. a lot of my favorite kpop albums are mainly bts albums but perfect velvet and the dream chapter: star were quality albums too. even though square up just had four songs on it, they were still bops! 

6 - Who is the funniest idol in your opinion?

kim. seokjin. not just bc of his corny dad jokes, but whenever hes truly Done with anything (aka most of the posts on weverse), i die a little inside with him. i also laugh at 90% of chungha’s facial expressions. 

7 - What is your favorite k-pop choreo?

boy in luv for bts! regarding non-bts choreo, i’m so into itzy’s icy choreo at the moment. twice choreos also never disappoint me - catch me in front of my bathroom mirror singing “fancy youuuu” 

11 - List your top 10 bias wreckers.

literally all of bts minus yoongi and jungkook who are my biases (5), yuna from itzy, soojin from g-idle, jihyo from twice (i’ll forgive her for cheating on me with kang daniel), lisa from blackpink, and seungyeon from clc

14 - Do you have a favorite music video of all time? If so, what?

i need u by bts bc i love the storyline with it!! i know a lot of people are sick and tired of going back to the hyyh storyline but i love it and i dont care!!! 

18 - Do you own any k-pop albums? If so, how many?

oof i have so many. at the moment, i have 24 LOL i collect mainly bts albums but the others are red velvet, blackpink, and txt 

25 - If you could hang out with any of your biases, who would you pick and why?

probably jungkook bc he radiates broke college kid energy despite being hella rich and i can vibe with that

even though im intimidated by literally all of them and probably would throw myself into the bushes if i ever saw them in person

thanks for sending me these questions! it’s always fun to do them - sorry i was a little late on answering them, ya girl be hella stressed for school :( 

send me some kpop asks!

#asks #t:bleusidemv

[redpiperfox]

another Itzy album, another Red review, so hi, welcome, buckle up for--

Born To Be Album Review

Born To Be

Starting off the album with a loud, brash, gut-punching anthem. Fanfares to herald their arrival, and explosive vocals to as boots hit the ground.

I'm going to be honest, before this album, I was going to have a bone to pick with how Itzy arranged an album. Kpop in general had me nitpicking people who tastefully put together and arranged their songs on an album so I could enjoy them from start to finish without shuffling, and those who just made good songs and threw them together. (Note to the reader: my general standard has become Stray Kids in the kpop world of album arranging) But then! Itzy released this! And this is how you open an album-- comparable to Megaverse and Hall of Fame and Cheese by Skz opening up and setting the stage for what to expect from an album, Born To Be boldly and powerfully sets Itzy's standard of self-confidence and power. Lyrically, the first listen had me a little critical of the English lyrics, but it's grown on me in the way Itzy has always been upfront and blunt about who they are and the message they're trying to send. I will listen to "aespa concept copying" only to say that this is reminiscent of their debut era choreo, that's grown and modified styling from an era that aespa has left. Itzy's dance styles have always caught my attention, because individually they've got such complex skills and talents, and they sacrifice that individuality (like most members in a group do-- we hear more often about artists having a "group" vocal tone and an individual vocal tone) for a strict, angular, stiffer group movement. Watching the interview done with the choreographer, it was satisfying to hear him say that he often makes choreos and then has to modify them for the group's skills, but Itzy has such a strong dance base that he was able to flush the choreo out to his contentment. Do I love the choreo? For a dance on it's own, not particularly, but as a performance? Damn, I watched every stage, it was larger than life and powerful, and those high kicks O.O XD

Untouchable

She took the sultry beat of I Want That by gidle and made it a Boots Are Made For Walking, chin held high backtrack, while also maintaining a cladenstine spy operation, that's the only way I can describe this track.

One complaint before I begin-- why do all my favorite titles from Itzy feel like they have the least amount of plot T-T Cheshire and Untouchable, my loves, I LOVE YOU MORE.

NOW COMPLAINT ASIDE-- WHAT A BOP. This is Itzy listening to "Aw, I miss the old Itzy" and smashing them in the face with power concepts. I was worried they might just re-hash a Japanese release, and take from that musical plot they were developing, but no, they took their darker concept and made it sound like it was coming from a matured Itzy. The vocals, the harmonies (that they sing live *chefs kiss), and production, all lean into a dance group that's confident in what they're doing. A note to "I miss the old Itzy"-- the back and forth between the summer fun concepts and the darker mature winter concepts are precisely the "Old Itzy" for a developed group. They can't go back to making fun kids dance songs, because this wave of kpop standom wouldn't stand for it (I say as I look over at my lovely StayC, going strong in releasing music for the fun enjoyers. keep at it girls T-T). They've separated their image into the two fundamental pillars that make them up, and honestly, they're doing it well. Even against my own complaint-- the mv highlights their stage presence and dance movement as a group, and focuses on cementing their confidence, both lyrically and visually. (Also. I adore their dresses in their solo sets and shots. *chefs kiss*) (Also also, cannot wait to see what Lia brings to the song when she returns!)

Mr. Vampire

[Inhales deeply] [Screams]

An afternoon high tea even in the 21st centry, off the shoulder dresses, straightened hair pinned up, winking over your shoulder, the siren luring the sailor in broad daylight.

I am discovering that I absolutely adore Itzy's growth in this genre they've carved for themselves, of softer, summer breeze type songs. Yes, Ryujin as a vocalist slays, absolutely, but also could hear Lia's fingerprints ghosting my mind in ever part of this. This track instantly became my None of my Business for the season, it's absolute perfection. Yeji mentioned how she didn't know how all their voices would meld cohesively in a track like this, and was surprised at how well it turned out and YES. There's something about this that highlights their voices and even cheeky, alluring tones individually, and together make it sound like an even richer track. Love! Adore! Claimed! (This is mine, everyone else back off, I own this track now XD)

Dynamite

Itzy's debut era b-sides reborn! "What I want" has a sister! My "noisy" music enjoyers, this is a stage sparkler, a flare you dance with at a night party, neons at a party. And all the way through, an Itzy club and workout bop.

Crown On My Head (Yeji)

"Someone said I'm like a leopard / Hell yeah, I'm untameable, I'm born to be wild."

Crawling, pouncing, claws, but also gritty in wiping the blood from your cheek with the back of your hand, tying your sweaty hair from your face, and cackling in the middle of a volcano.

Yeji and a rock song are just fitting. Her voice and vocal style just complement a harder song so well, and this track really leaned into her strengths. Lyrically and visually, this felt like Itzy Yeji meeting a middle ground with all her solo projects, and feeling the firey core she has an artist. Lyrically it definitely felt like a template Itzy song in just stating what it is and wants to tell you and accomplish, but it lends itself to the image and message Yeji puts forward.

"Even though I hit a barrier / I'm not afraid, be bold, ay / I know my way / Got no limit, I go straight, ay"

Blossom (Lia)

"How was I like? / How was I like? / How was I, How was I, How was I like? / We weren't alike / We weren't alik / We weren't a- We weren't a- We weren't alike"

A spring greenhouse, dewy and sparkling in the morning, where a young heiress hides and talks to the little creatures that give her the time of day to dream.

"Hunched up, curled up / Even if I endure everything without blooming / It's not late, not late to give me love / I'd love to be a flower too"

Going to be honest, lyrically, this made me so sad when I first heard it. Maybe because it was fresh off Lia announcing her hiatus personally, but there was something raw and crying out in the lyrics, that made me think she could use this hiatus as a way to leave the group, and if she did, I would have been happy for her and her freedom of being held under the critical microscope that's followed Itzy and burned her for not fitting an image of the group that people have come to expect. But since the album's release and the firm assurance of her return from the Itzy members, it's felt hopeful and quietly reflective. It's lyrically soaked in doubt that's given way to patience, and the imagery it brings is so fitting to the image Lia puts for herself vocally and visually in her collab and cover projects. I was expecting more of an RnB track, but as the only track with her voice on this album in an era she's completely hidden from public speculation, it's a little like gems hewn into stone, and a soft breeze on a wild field, and makes me await her return all the more hopefully. The vocalist solo album of a group always holds the highest expectations for me, and I think Lia will not only exceed them, but bring a sound to kpop that we don't hear enough. Girly's set to be on the same level as Taeyeon in my head, idk yall.

"Cause I really want, I really want / I truly want to be blooming"

"Actually the words I wanted to hear / 'You're beautiful'"

Run Away (Ryujin)

"It flew like the cigarette smoke / There will be nothing left, as if it was a dream."

The anti-hero to her own story, the grey morally complex character who spirals into a descent of madness that everyone sees coming, a trainwreck no one looks away from, because despite it all, you're still rooting for her.

It wouldn't have been a Ryujin solo without her actress side bursting through, as it does in everything she does, and it burst through in an array of splattering oil paints. While the English lyrics it opens with come off a little cringey, she follows in the shoes of several western artists and through her lyrics, paints a very distinct and vivid picture. The complicated story of taking the fall for a relationship that's doomed, but also making the main character all the more soaked into the image of a "bad" girlfriend-- Ryujin nailed it. The track also draws out the absolute best in her voice. We don't hear the lower voices sing much in kpop, and to hear her range and the emotions she's able to trill between in the bridge is absolutely skillful. While she lacks the refinement of experience, she pulls powerfully from the getgo, and makes me excited about where she'll take her solo projects as they unfurl.

"If you're afraid, I will be the villain / If you really can't say it, you can blame it on me"

Mine (Chaeryeong)

"I've been looking for somebody / like you / I circle around you again and again / All of my attention / will always find you / I circle around you again and again"

A doomed and haunted mansion, candelabras and crystal chandeliers, and a playful corpse bride laughing at you through ornate mirrors and little hand watches.

The people have spoken that Chaeryeong is Sunmi's daughter, and I'm inclined to agree. I was expecting something a little cutesier for Chaeryeong voice and taste (hello number one SNSD fangirl XD), so the sound of this track came out unexpected and out of left field to me, but then paired with her AOTM image and the alluring innocence of her voice, the track brings out something in her character that still feels like the Chaeryeong we've known and watched grow from Kpop star. The quality of her voice and the way it melds and echoes off itself are enchanting and charming. Cute, in an unexpected way.

"Forever mine, already mine / Just say it / du-du-bi, du-bi, da / Forever mine, already mine / Not a secret, du-du-bi-di, du-bi-di, du, la-la"

Yet, But (Yuna)

"Nothing matters, it's all about ya / Flawless, that's what you are / I mean, maybe you don't know yet, but / Not yet, huh"

Bursting bubble pop, a bright encouraging fairy in the mirror, skipping through the mall in a cute outfit and a pep band behind your back, and glittering diamonds in your hair, eyes, and smile.

" After passing through the painful times / (No matter, no matter what they say) / I’m waiting for your perfect time, ooh / Oh, hot like a fever!"

I want to know if Yuna had creative direction for her mv. I need to know. Because from first watch, girlie is READY for a solo career, I swear-- and I'm sorry, but she was the last person I expected, but she really burst in and filled the space! We already knew she was Nayeon's baby, but HOT DAMN POP! DIED AND WAS REBORN IN YET, BUT XD This solo preserves everything we know and love about Yuna and bursts out in confident joy I was afraid kpop standom had killed in her. It's talking into the mirror to herself, and to all the girlies who are stumbling in doubt in the places she's been already. Learning "not yet but" was a wordplay, on korean "I'm pretty," and then the fifty-eight cuts of a diamond-- lyricism was just the cherry on top. Everything, from her pop voice, to her cute and fun visual aethetic, to the simply complex lyrics themselves, everything is bubble pop perfection! I love! Well done Shin Yuna!

"Fifty-eight ways to shine / For you who will meet your most perfect time / Not, not yet, but"

Escalator

Another debut era and Checkmate bside cousin, we're literally riding the Dalla Dalla escalator in darker leather and those big kpop stomper boots. And maybe some nice big shades. With the cute sparkles on the sides. Leveling up in a video game, the popular trendy girl winking as she passes by.

On a whole, the promoted three songs absolutely hit expectations, and the solos exceeded and made me excited for their upcoming touring schedule and whatever lies ahead of them. I wished they would've pulled a Twice in the way they handled Lia's hiatus, but I can imagine the strain was truly too much for her to not even record her voice in the title and bsides and not have a small feature in the mvs. I wonder if they'll perhaps recosider their promotion schedule and not go back to back to back (Korean-Japanese-Korean comebacks, it was mentioned they prepared for Born to Be right after Cake promotions ended) in the second half of the year like they have been, and perhaps pacing themselves out a little more? But however they do it, I am listening, and await their growth musically as individual artists and a group as a whole.

Lingering final thoughts on Itzy-- I have been hearing a lot of hate for JYP and Div 2 and whatever people and the girls say about management, the thought hasn't left me about how much less protection and promotion they would get if they left, and how they would probably not be signed together anyway, and Got7 hasn't taught me much, but they've made me hope Itzy doesn't get discouraged and scared off to leave the company. Not renewing is as good as disbandment, it seems. Like with Twice, I hope they're able to get themselves more satisfactory contracts, maybe... but we'll see!

Anywho, if anyone listens or has thoughts on the album, I would love to chat! January is looking to be Quite the comeback month, and I eagerly all the music for the upcoming semester :3

#Youtube #Spotify #red's week in music #red's thoughts #red's album dissections #red's album listen-thru #itzy born to be

[redpiperfox]

Cheshire Album listen-thru~~

I would have liked to do this earlier. I have been thoroughly listening through the album, but it came out during finals week, and I had to put this off because of that, and then it just reminded me finals to think about doing this for a while so--

I have been enjoying the album on my own. But I’ve only just worked up the energy to be able to do this (see my other essay on Cheshire thanks to Mera), and now you all must suffer the energy of me being absolutely Insane about this album, because thanks to Sunny, I am Off-The-Walls-Crazy about this album.

Cheshire: What a track! What a title track! This is hypnotizing, sitting with Maleficent at the chessboard, playing politics with the queen over tea, and dancing in a ballroom poised on the edge of battle with all the cards in your hands. This track has the girls on the outside of the status quo, peeking in and out of a serious plot with airy power they can flaunt if they want, but instead they hide under sly smiles. This track is everything. 

From the moment “La-la-la~” came out, I knew we had a hit. This wasn’t the ungrounded base beat of Sneakers with the floating “Ye! Ye!” flying with no support, this wasn’t the teasing fresh beats from the debut trilogy, or the teasing opening lines of the previous costume-changing Itzy. This Itzy came out of the gate with layered vocals, fresh sounds with their classic powerhouse beat. And their voices, oh sweet heaven, their voices! Not a single line felt anything short of tailored for the member it was given to. The staircase-falling sound motif in the chorus provided just enough mystery, and the pitched up choir in the back providing the depth to an Itzy track that tells us this group is maturing and moving up. Harmonies! Members singing with each other! And in their range!

The core of this is subtlety. From the building of the track, to the music video, to the dance itself. There are less huge movement, more little movements of incredible complexity. Everything is in the details, and the details are bedazzling! The video itself grew in how stunning it was the more I watched it, and I can attribute a lot of my awe to Jordan Orme and his analysis of it.

Lyrically, I see we are comfortably in the identity era, and we’ve returned back to our debut era of being in-your-face, and still not as complex. But I’ll take my victories-- perhaps lyrical complexity is the place they aim to grow... or perhaps not. Perhaps being blaringly obvious about identity and what they want to do and sticking it to people who tell them otherwise will be the think Itzy carry with them as their group identity. Who knows! It’ll be interesting to watch...

Personally, this track feels like the product of ten months (next to the japanese titles, those are gold). Had the company not been planning the english release for when they had, and maybe tried to preempt it with Sneakers... or maybe if they hadn’t decided on using Mama as their comeback stage... (what a power move, by the way! SkzItzy were unashamed of owning those stages, and we love them for that.) I can muse about Sneakers being the b-side track of the century, and not stealing time and money from Cheshire, and I can muse about how much well-deserved traction Cheshire could have gotten on it’s own two feet after their little break... I could, but I won’t. This is the title track of queens, and you can feel every bit of their growth in this track, and their confidence in who they are. I hope the company doesn’t get cold feet like they did with Twice after I Can’t Stop Me and Cry For Me (I loved Talk That Talk don’t come after me) and see this evolution to it’s end!

Snowy: Here’s a halloween witch, waving the hypnotizing watch in front of your face, and transforming into a cat that leaps into the snow and laughs back at you with the little “Nyan-nah-nan-nah-nah-nah’s.” A fantasy power character dancing along the edge, with the power to mold the plot to her favor, but instead throwing in cryptic words of wisdom for the character to grapple the whole journey and realize they could’ve finished much earlier. This song, is the real Cheshire.

Also, let’s talk about classical music sampling done right. The sister the chorus trickled down, I was in love. My sister had it on loop. I didn’t know why until my sister figured it out-- Fur Elise melody sampling. Brilliant. And highly effective. Hats off to the lyricism for stepping towards immersive, descriptive languages that shows and doesn’t just tell me what it’s trying to convey. The members are in a comfortable range, and they own their lines-- it’s every bit a beautiful b-side to be promoted and showcase their abilties. Top notch, love it!

Freaky: What a chill bop. It’s the mood of walking the streets while Christmas shopping, two weeks before, when there’s no pressure or rush, just hanging out with your friends in the soft glow and twinkling of Christmas decor. It’s got a a cozy, by the fireplace playing games feel, steeped in all the character and sass of Itzy in Ryujin and Yuna, with the easy confidence of Yeji, Lia, and Chaeryeong’s voices. Throw in some casual vocal runs, teetering on the edge of jazzy bounces, unseriously tinkering around. 

I have to say though, I am surprised as how contrasting the actual content of the lyrics are. How very Han Jisung of this song. I know they didn’t write it, but it’s got a maturity in lyric writing, in description and emotion, that I really love. It feels a little like 3racha lyricism, and no, that’s not me willing a collab into the universe.

Boys Like You: This is a sophomore year of high school romance. Singing from the window into a hairdryer, laughing with your friends over the love-blind days. It’s very cute. 

I get it. Sure, it sounds like Taylor Swift in the chorus, but other than that? I like the stamp of independence, confidence, and girl crushness in pop. My first thought was “Why are they trying Twice with Itzy?” but this isn’t a Twice track. It’s an expansion of Itzy. I support experimenting. It experimented better than Sneakers anyway. Also, Chaeryeong high note!!! What a win! And Lia fits this song like a glove, like she fits covering Taylor Swift songs. (Speaking of which, more please? Can I get them to cover I Know Places? Please? No? Okay sorry--)

The music video is so so cute, I love the style, and how it’s not as bold, but leans into the small sideplot, storybook, scrap-booked horror in a journal. Their outfits were cute, the acting was cute, it was all very cute.

....but I hope they don’t bring it to their Korean and Japanese titles, with all due respect. Sorry girlies!

All in all? Very solid mini album, not one throwaway song to be found. It’s a crying shame they couldn’t have started their tour with this under their belt, but ah well, c’est la vie, we can’t everything I suppose.

However, I think it would be a shame to pass up this opportunity to speculate what a gorgeous and cohesive album Checkmate and Cheshire would have been together. @the-sunshine-dragon​ and I went through both mini albums and put together, with much careful thought and consideration, what we believe would have been a solid full album, Checkshire. 

But regardless, what we do have, is the growth of an iconic group, that absolutely has my attention. Anywho, would love to talk and discuss with people~

#Red's album dissections #Album Listen-Through #itzy cheshire #Red's personal sitcom #an open invitation to talk to meeeee #Youtube #red's album listen-thrus

[redpiperfox]

Checkmate Album listen-thru~!

For no reason, except it helps me enjoy the music more, and I love doing this with k-pop artists I follow and trust to give me full albums of music I can appreciate.

Sneakers: so tweet to what I dissected on this, but basically I get why people are calling it a more b-side title track. It feels too simplistic in the chorus and verses compared to the flash of something new and unusual we’re used to from Itzy. But all the critique aside, Chaeryeong and Yuna feels so comfortable in this style, and the pre-chorus makes me so happy, not only for the royal vibes but how every members sings and owns the same lines in their own ways. The dance is also a cute balance of cute and simple, but making it look complex is a way that only Itzy can XD and all the stage outfits look :D

Racer: Ooh this is an Itzy song stepping in the skz territory if I might be so bold? Both groups play this game with the music, where they give it time to shine, and blend into it (ie. vocal fray, modulating up or down to make it sound deeper or higher) or the music stripping back for their voices. I love the places in the prechorus where three different voices overlapped! 

What I want: Huh! The chorus feels very It’z Me bsides (actually that whole triology!). It gives party EDM, the elevator dings from Dalla Dalla, and a prechorus from Icy. I loved the little video game sounds at the end of the song-- it caught me off gaurd, and kinda felt like they “leveled up” and got what they wanted hehe

Free Fall: Another first triology song! Haha the “Wheeee”s made me laugh XD OK ok wait, I had to listen twice to process but hear me out-- this feels like the video game we leveled up to from the previous song? It gives jungle level of a nintendo game, under waterfalls on cliffs, scaling vines, and all with those suspended pixel character jumps, where they hold that position and seem to float for a moment? Idk I can’t explain, it just gives Mario/DK level, and the end of the song the chorus has more sounds built into it, like we’ve made it to the sky, up above the clouds, settled into the rhythm of how to hit each jump, until we’re met with a--

365: OK THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER SONG IDK (rapping like Hello by Twice and flow from Beg for Me by Red Velvet maybe??) There’s something very Aespa-- perhaps because we just got a very intense game-concept comeback from them that leans into this? It stands next to the house music of their It’z Me album again, pulling away from any sort of dramatic emotion and rippling like a declaration of sorts, menacing and threatening. Maybe Venom by Skz but on the side of the one building the webs? Especially with the siren sound in the beginning dropping down into these deep and clicking sounds-- OH HEY THERE’S A THOUGHT? This song is like the builders and sirens of a maze, pulling you through a puzzle that’s destroying and building itself in videogame pixels, the slow and barely noticeable additions of sounds in each chorus as it progresses slowly trapping you deeper in the center of a trap, before abruptly and suddenly leaving you in the dark there. 

Domino: (raises hands to the skies) This song! I knew from the snippets I would love it, but oh man! It feels like a beautiful ode to friendship, a 2000s drive, a graduation dedication of throwing the hats up after four years of walking and struggling together. The stripped verses into the electric guitar and drumkit of the chorus just feels like a celebration, with that repeated high harmony at the end of the second half of the chorus pulls forward and upward. While most of the songs pull back to their previous eras, this one moves forward to wherever they’ll take us next, and it just makes me (happy face of bliss)

Would love to discuss if other people have thoughts~!

#Red's personal sitcom #Red's album dissections #album listen-through #itzy #itzy checkmate #red's album listen-thru