#also usually on their mini albums they put all the unit tracks right in a row

[lesbiancarat]

u know I say track #5 is probably vocal unit since it's a slower song but part of me wonders if this is gonna be another all ot13 mini album

#like 4 definitely seems like the title track to me #and tracks 1 and 7 are the opener and closer so they'll likely be ot13 tracks too #and aside from 5 maybe being vocal unit I'm not getting strong unit vibes from the other tracks #also usually on their mini albums they put all the unit tracks right in a row #which wouldnt fit if 4 is title track 5 is vocal and 7 is ot13 #but then again this might not be the actual order of the tracklist #i think ppl said the tracks were in a different order at svt street #even though i feel like 1 and 7 fit well as opener and closer #so who knows i feel like it could go either way (whether we're getting unit songs or not) #or maybe its all ot13 and mixee unit songs #but i also kind of think all ot13 would fit with the festival theme so? #guess we'll wait and see #melia.txt

[day6source]

Day6: “The last three years was the time of self-reflection”

The South Korean band tell NME about their new mini-album ‘Fourever’ and how time away from the stage has reignited their love for music

by Crystal Bell

In late-October, just hours after his discharge from the South Korean Navy, Kim Wonpil quietly resumed his idol duties. Sitting in the back of a van, still wearing his green military uniform, the sentimental Day6 member turned his head toward the camera beside him, softly touched his hand to his heart, and exhaled. “I’m really really really really happy,” he expressed. “Thinking about the four of us standing on stage… I think it would feel like something new.” It did feel new, in a way, but also the same. Upon reuniting in the studio in November, Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil and Dowoon – fresh from their respective military conscriptions and solo endeavours – fell back into a familiar rhythm, working on what would become their first album in three years, and their first album as a foursome, aptly titled ‘Fourever’. The music came naturally, as it almost always does for Day6, but their perspectives had shifted.

All that time away from the stage, away from one another, had reignited their passion for the band and redefined what it meant to each of them. The mini-album’s seven tracks reflect the aftermath of their soul-searching. “What we wanted to show was who we are at this moment,” Young K tells NME. And at this moment, amid an evening round of press interviews in Seoul, “It feels like we’re superstars,” drummer Dowoon jokes in English, always one to lighten the mood. Leader Sungjin, steady under pressure, veers the conversation in a more sensible direction, adding: “What we are at the moment is the band that does their best and will always do their best.” (Spoken like a man who says his idea of happiness is “a regular day full of mundane contentment”.) For Wonpil, this moment couldn’t come soon enough. As the last member of Day6 to enlist, the honey-voiced instrumentalist felt the weight of his members’ absences greatly. “I’ve been waiting for this day since I was in the military, before my release from the service,” Wonpil says. “I’ve been ready, and I’m really happy that this is happening right now.”

From the very first lyric of the album opener ‘Welcome to the Show’, it’s clear that this project is a reintroduction of sorts. “I’m so moved by the stage / That I won’t be alone any longer,” Young K sings, his voice wrapping around the melody with a newfound warmth. The song was the final addition to the album, having come together in an hour or two before being rewritten and reworked by Young K. But the essence remained the same. “There will be challenges in everybody’s lives,” Wonpil says of the song’s message. “But I hope this song, or maybe Day6, can help you overcome them.” Unlike some of the band’s more melancholic singles – the unbearable heartbreak of ‘You Were Beautiful’ and the timely existentialism of ‘Zombie’ come to mind – ‘Welcome to the Show’ is sonically brighter and lyrically sweeter and more affirming. Its anthemic sound was inspired by Young K’s experience on the summer festival circuit last year. “When I was going around, doing all the shows and performing songs like ‘Best Part’ or ‘Time of Our Life’, songs that make people jump and sing along, I felt like we needed that kind of track,” he says. ‘Welcome to the Show’ delivers on that front, aided by Dowoon’s thumping precision and a resonant pre-chorus chant that unites all four voices. “Usually, that kind of chant comes after the chorus, like a post-hook,” Young K describes. “It was our challenge to put it at the beginning of the chorus.” The band welcomed these challenges while making the record, together with their longtime collaborator Hong Ji-sang. “We were half excited and half fearful,” Dowoon smiles, describing the in-studio atmosphere by evoking their 2017 song ‘I Smile’. After years suspended in liminality, they wanted this mini-album to represent the here and now. “When we were writing this album, all of the songs were what we just wanted to try at the moment,” Young K says. They didn’t go in with any creative directive; their only goal was to “write good songs” and see what throughline emerged. After all, they’re not the ones who choose the single – they leave it to JYP Entertainment‘s top brass to decide. (If it were up to them, the members all have a particular fondness for ‘Happy’, a song that’s perhaps more in line with Day6’s signature bittersweet ethos.) “We just write the message or lyrics that suit the song the most,” the bassist explains.

The passage of time is a constant throughout. ‘Get The Hell Out’ wonders what life would be like if they could outrun the past (“time, hurry up and run fast / until you become a speckle far away”), while standout track ‘Sad Ending’ depicts the crumbling ruins of a relationship (“love’s expiration date has already passed”). And then there’s the closer “Didn’t Know,” a strumming ballad written that revisits the past with a new perspective (“I keep looking back at what can’t be reversed”). It makes sense that time would be at the forefront of their minds – the time they missed being together, the time they reclaimed for themselves while apart and the finite amount of time that hangs over every idol’s head in the K-pop industry. “The last three years was the time of self-reflection,” Sungjin says. Onstage, his voice bursts forth with grit and power; in person, he’s much softer. Before he enlisted in 2021, the guitarist took an extended hiatus from group activities in 2020 due to anxiety. It’s been four years since he’s performed with Day6, but the time away from the stage has allowed him to fall in love with performing again – and do so on his terms. “I think since I made my debut, I kind of lived to serve others. I put others before me. But for the last three years, I solely focused on myself. I thought a lot about myself, and I learned a lot about myself, and I grew as a result. I focused on discovering what my desires are and what I want at the moment, and I pursued it – I just did it.” Within that time, Young K, Wonpil and Dowoon debuted their sub-unit Day6 (Even of Day), releasing two projects in 2020 and 2021. Young K also went solo with the mini-album ‘Eternal’ later that summer before enlisting. Upon his return, he jumped back into songwriting, dropping his first full-length album ‘Letters with Notes’ in late 2023, while also penning tracks for K-pop acts like NMIXX, Jo Yu-ri and H1-KEY. He even performed at festivals with the sole focus of promoting Day6. “I learned a lot and thought a lot and experienced a lot,” he says. “It made me realise how much I want to do this.” “There has been growth, musically,” Young K adds. “While I was doing solo stuff, I would think about how to improve and how to put a Young K stage together. I tried to bring all of that into Day6. I really thought about how I could contribute what I learned from my individual work to the band. My main focus was promoting who we are, promoting Day6 by putting the name Day6 out there. To do that, I’m doing as much as I can, hoping that if people know who Young K is, then they’ll discover Day6. You don’t have to [choose] me as a bias…” he laughs. “Just please listen to Day6!”

Despite his obvious longing for the stage, Wonpil, who released his studio album ‘Pilmography’ in early 2022, found purpose in his service work. “There were a lot of long, strenuous activities involved but also meaningful work,” he says. “For example, I volunteered with the USS Nimitz-class aircraft carrier members.” Of course, working on ‘Fourever’ made him realise how much he “really, really, really loves Day6”. (And Overwatch, Young K teases.) Meanwhile, Dowoon, in addition to raising his plants (“They’re like my children,” he says in earnest), started asking himself more philosophical questions, thinking more deeply about himself, and getting introspective. “I spent a lot of time thinking about my place in the world and where I would be needed the most,” he says. “That thought led to an unhealthy state of mind, but I had a lot of time to ruminate on it, and in the end, I learned to love myself.” It’s why ‘Fourever’ is such a significant title for this chapter of their story. It’s more than the culmination of a four-year journey or a nod to their fans, My Day, who are celebrating their fourth anniversary. “It feels whole,” Young K says. In the music video for ‘Welcome To The Show’, there’s a scene in which Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil and Dowoon perform while looking at one another, their bodies turned inward with smiles on their faces. Like the endless knot featured on the album’s cover, it symbolises a sense of harmony and interconnectedness, an unbreakable bond tied in unity. At this moment, the four members of Day6 say, “It feels complete.”

#sungjin #young k #wonpil #dowoon #day6 #day6 even of day #park sungjin #kang younghyun #brian kang #kim wonpil #yoon dowoon #fourever #album: fourever #day6: interview #240404

[fyexo]

200926 SuperM Open Up About The Encouraging Message Behind Their New Album "Super One"

The group's members are some of the most skilled performers in K-pop history; Kai and Baekhyun are from Exo, Taemin is from Shinee, and Lucas, Taeyong, Mark, and Ten are from NCT and its Chinese sub-unit WayV, respectively.

When they join forces as SuperM, however, the result is incendiary — otherworldly vocals mesh with indomitable rapping to create powerful performances that leave viewers reeling long after the group has left the stage. Don't believe me? Just watch the group perform their breakneck power anthem "100" and prepare to feel absolutely exhilarated.

It's been less than a year since their debut, but SuperM has already made history by becoming the first K-pop group to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with the release of their debut EP SuperM — The 1st Mini Album. It's an achievement that youngest member Mark credits in part to their fans, who banded together from multiple fandoms to support their debut; it was also a great source of inspiration for SuperM to work even harder so their next album would be even better than the last.

Now, SuperM is back with their first full-length album, Super One, out Sept. 25.

AKA, today! With the world currently under lockdown due to the pandemic, it was SuperM's desire to create an album that would give fans encouragement and, according to Kai, "take [them] to a place of hope." The 15-track album still includes the group's signature powerful sound with songs like "One" and "100," but also highlights the softer side of SuperM with tracks like the gospel-infused "Better Days" and funky "Together at Home" too.

We sat down with SuperM in a roundtable interview to discuss their new album, Super One, and how they hope its overall message of coming together will bring comfort to fans around the world during the pandemic.

1. After the release of your first EP debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, did you feel any sort of pressure while preparing to release this album?

Mark: It was our first EP release, you know? So to have that No. 1 achievement itself was an honor. It was our first EP as SuperM and to have our fans really combine their strength to support us really felt great, so it motivated us to really work harder on this album. We put double the amount of effort we put in on our last album into this album, so we believe that the quality went up that much as well. We can’t wait for fans to listen to Super One too now.

2. What made you decide to combine two songs together to make your title track "One?" It feels reminiscent of Shinee's song "Sherlock!"

Taemin: When I recorded “Sherlock” with Shinee back in the day, it was one of the first times we were doing this [type of hybrid song creation], so it felt very experimental. At that time, I was a little worried about how it would end up sounding at the end of the recording process, but I think after recording [this kind of song] with “Sherlock,” I was able to see how this song would come to be as “One.” A lot of people might think that mixing two songs together is quite tall of a task, but we were able to do it and I’m really happy with the results.

3. What’s your favorite track on the new album?

Baekhyun: “Big Chance” is my favorite. I personally like taking big chances and looking for big opportunities, so just the title itself caught my attention.

Taemin: I would probably say “Wish You Were Here.” I actually think this would’ve been a great title track as well. I personally think all of the members did a great job in recording [this song] and I love how it sounds. This song is actually one that’s more unexpected from SuperM, because audiences usually expect a performance-heavy song and I think the message within it is one that really brings the whole album together and conveys the message that we’re hoping to convey with Super One.

Kai: “Tiger Inside” is one of my favorites because when you listen to it, you just feel energized and you feel that strength coming from the song. And I feel like it’s a song that showcases all of the members really well.

Mark: I honestly really like “Wish You Were Here” as well, but I’m going to say that I really like “Infinity” right now. "One" is a song that combines “Infinity” and “Monster,” but I feel like “Infinity” has its own story and dynamic and you can feel a different side [of it] than you can feel from “One” when you listen to it.

Taeyong: I'll pick “Together at Home,” because I like that message. Overcome this situation and—

Mark: Netflix.

Taeyong: And just Netflix.

Lucas: My personal favorite is “So Long” because the melody is really addictive, like once you listen to it, it hooks you right away. I really think it’s a song that fans will all appreciate.

Ten: “Infinity!” Like Mark said, the dynamics and storytelling were outstanding on that track. Also, I was so lucky that I got to try this rap/vocal kind of style that I had been wanting to try for a long time on “Infinity,” so I enjoyed recording it very much.

4. What is something you learned about yourself while creating Super One?

Baekhyun: One of the new things that I learned while preparing for this album in particular was that we were able to stretch our limits even more. As you know, we released "100," "Tiger Inside," and now we’re releasing the title track “One." Each of these songs has such a great concept and choreography — just putting all of that together was really challenging, to be honest. I think that was something that I learned when we were able to come together as a group and face that together.

5. Given that each member comes from another major group, how do you make sure that each member has their moment to shine on Super One?

Lucas: Visually, we all have different aesthetics that go along with our individual styling and I think that kind of points to each of our charms. In our upcoming music video for “One,” we all had different designs and colors, but it all still stayed connected. I feel like through those points that we give out through our art that it adds a charm for each of us.

6. Super One features a wider variety of musical styles and influences than your first album. How do you feel SuperM’s musical identity has grown with this new album?

Taemin: I would say that while putting together this album, we were able to [bring a greater sense of] harmony between the members than we did initially. Everyone is just so skilled, but with this album, we were able to experiment more and try out these different genres and see how it all comes together.

8. Which song on the album have you personally come to fall even more in love with in time, and what made you fall in love with it?

Ten: I would choose our ballad song “Better Days” because at first when I listened to the song, it sounded kind of old — seriously, it sounds like it’s from the '90s, a very old pop song. But after we recorded, I realized the song goes well with us and the concept we want to release because the lyrics are very healing. I think when you listen to “Better Days” you can get that energy that us together, we can make a better day.

9. SuperM has all of these modes of transportation that are featured throughout your music videos. At a time when we can’t travel and the world is kept apart, what does this represent to you and how do you want it relayed through the album?

Kai: If you look at our past music videos, there are helicopters, tanks, and a lot of cars. I think that goes really well with SuperM’s concept as a group. That’s why those modes of transportation were kind of illustrated through our music videos in our past songs. We can’t really travel right now because of the pandemic and everything that’s going on, but we really hope that, just like these modes of transportation take you somewhere, that this album can be that mode of transportation to take you to a place of hope and to a higher place where everyone can enjoy themselves and be happy.

10. Looking back on all of your journeys so far, what is one event that you considered a failure at the time, but now you feel it ultimately led to your success today?

Taeyong: As artists, when we start out our careers, I can’t help but feel like a lot of the moments that we go through feel like we’re still trying to get there, or like we’re not fully there yet. There are a lot of moments where it might have felt like a failure, but actually everything was a step to build up to what we have now.

Mark: When I first debuted, my hair was very short, so my bangs were above my eyebrow by like four inches and I honestly hated it during my debut. But coming back to it now, I feel like it was alright.

Taeyong: It was cute!

Mark: It was appropriate just for that age, you know! Just for that time in my life.

Ten: Like Mark, mine is the same. During the debut days like “The 7th Sense,” when I saw my own hair, I was like: “This is not going to work out.” But now I miss it so much; I’ve got to get it soon!

Mark: Hair is an important factor for a debut for us!

11. Mark and Taeyong, you both wrote and produced on the last two albums. When you're writing a song like "100" or "Together at Home," what is your creative process like?

Mark: Most importantly, I feel like whenever we have to create or produce something for our raps and rap making, the main theme and the meaning are what’s most important. This particular album, for “100” or any other song, the main meaning for the whole album is to really bring hope and to encourage people that unison is the only way for us to get through this and through all of our problems. So we kind of used that theme, in a way, to interpret each and every song. So for “Together at Home,” we really felt like, we’re all staying together at home, so what are the benefits and what are the goods that we can bring out of this? What are the ways that we can connect through our songs while we stay at home and everything? So I feel like that process worked for every other song and we enjoyed that while making the raps as well.

Taeyong: Also, the most important thing is the performances. This time, Taemin hyung fixed our choreography [so it has] more detail. I think, this time, our performance is really dope and great and untouchable. I think I’m very excited — please look forward to it. Thank you!

12. What is the key ingredient needed to transform a song into a SuperM song?

Kai: Each member's individual charms are a main ingredient, but if I had to add one more spoonful, it would be the producing and direction of our executive producer Lee Soo Man. As you know, SuperM is a group that is really strong with its performances, so that’s a really key ingredient that’s needed when making a SuperM song.

13. And finally, how has SuperM evolved since your debut together?

Baekhyun: With this new album, especially just the process of recording it, we were able to emphasize the message within the album. All of the songs have their own message, but Super One is all about unity and being unified. I think in terms of the sound of the music itself, we wanted to make sure to relay a message of positivity rather than just focus only solely on the performance. This was an album where we were able to focus on the messaging more, so I think we’ve matured in that sense.

Emelyn Travis @ Buzzfeed

#exo #kai #baekhyun #t: interview #200923 #e: interview

[dc-translator]

[ENG TL] 201709 HIM Interview

Notice: This translation was completed without any permission or endorsement from the copyright holder. I do not hold the copyright to the original article or the photos used here. As such, a license cannot be specified. This translation will be taken down if the copyright holder wishes so.

7 girls who bring sweet dreams, Dreamcatcher

Girls who sing rock have appeared. Refusing to fall into the dichotomy between pure and sexy that has taken over the music scene, the combination of rock and girl group summons a peculiar charm. We met Dreamcatcher, the seven girls who will present sweet dreams in the place of the nightmares they chase out.

Written by Kim Hee-eun  Photography Park Geun-wan

JiU

Kim Minji/1994.5.17/Leader/Sub vocal

"Dreamcatchers have the meaning that they'll give you good dreams. We want to give people a good feeling every time they listen to our music."

Dreamcatcher made its debut early this year with 'Chase Me', choosing a genre rarely seen in girl groups. The basis of their concept is rock. The strong melodic tones, the precise group dance where the seven members move as though they are one person, and the mystic, fantastical atmosphere around them left a clear impression. The recent mini album <Prequel>, which includes the lead track 'Fly High', catches one’s eyes as it is filled with songs that brings the musical quality and popular appeal of their music up a notch. Showing off a beautiful yet dark charm, they attracted much attention domestically as well as overseas as soon as they made their debut. Maybe it is because of their name which means 'girls who will chase away nightmares and give you good dreams', but listening to their music makes one feel like slipping into an eternal sweet dream.

Please introduce yourselves individually.

JiU: I'm Dreamcatcher's leader, JiU. I'm the redhead for our current promotion. (Laugh)

Yoohyeon: I'm the lead vocal Yoohyeon.

Siyeon: I'm the main vocal of Dreamcatcher, Siyeon.

Sua: I'm the main dancer, Sua.

Dami: I'm the rapper within the team, Dami.

Handong: I'm Handong from China. I'm a vocal within the team.

Gahyeon: I'm the sub vocal and the cutie maknae Gahyeon.

How was today's photoshoot? Wasn't it hard?

Sua: I've been really looking forward to the photoshoot. I was actually sad that it was over so quickly. I wanted to show off our cool image more. But it was still so so fun. It was the first photoshoot of this promotion, and I felt that the great synergy was worth the wait. Thanks to the photoshoot being done in two concepts, we had even more fun.

We're curious about the meaning behind the team's name, 'Dreamcatcher'.

JiU: ‘Dreamcatcher’ is originally the name of an accessory made by native Americans. It has a sacred meaning that they'll filter nightmares and give you good dreams if you hang them on windows or doors. We want to give people the feeling of good dreams when they listen to our music. Our team is telling a story that revolves around the 'nightmare'. Three parts of the story have been released so far, with 'Chase Me', 'GOOD NIGHT', and 'Fly High'. It'll probably be easier to understand once you see the music videos.

Sua: To add a little, we are a girl group of a new concept that makes music of the rock genre, so listening to our albums will probably be very exciting.

There probably were many stories behind your debut.

Sua: We first debuted as a 5-member girl group called 'Minx', and there were many twists and turns until we were reborn as Dreamcatcher. It took a long time for the new members, Handong and Gahyeon, to join us, too. When we first practiced with the new members, it was difficult to coordinate with them, but thanks to the members being compliant, it's become a lot better. Beyond everything, I want to praise ourselves for the great teamwork between the seven members.

How does 'Dreamcatcher' of today differ from 'Minx' of the past?

Siyeon: First off, our visible concept has been completely changed. When we were promoting as 'Minx', our concept felt like younger girls next door. Now we're able to display a more mature, unexpected charm. Back then, our concept was cute and tomboyish. You'll notice differences in in every aspect such as the team concept, the atmosphere, and the music.

It sounds like a fresh start and challenge. You are probably very determined.

JiU: We're restarting as a new girl group, so we want to do better, more so than anyone else. We were ambitious in the past, but now even our mindset changed for the better.  We're practicing hard and putting in a lot of effort to get ourselves seen. We can't expect to achieve much at once, but if we keep walking forward step by step, I'm sure we'll see good results. Also, we're glad that more and more people are recognizing our efforts.

What kind of song is your lead track, 'Fly High'?

JiU: Our new track 'Fly High' starts with a beautiful piano melody and leaves a deep impression with powerful guitar sounds. Incorporating Dreamcatcher’s unique story into the lyrics made the song a more dramatic number. The concept may feel less intense than before as it presents two sides, the girl and nightmare. But once you know the whole storyline, you'll understand.

Is there something that you are focusing on the most for this promotion?

Sua: There's a lot of new makeup points, like putting shiny stickers under our eyes.

Siyeon: Personally, I worked hard on the expression. This time, our concept required us to express both the girl and the nightmare, so I had to embody both the purity of the girl and the evil of the nightmare in me, which was difficult.

Dami: I focused the most on the gestures. I'm always studying to do different gestures every stage.

It probably isn’t easy to do oversea promotions along with the domestic ones. How have the fans overseas been responding?

Yoohyeon: We went to a restaurant in France, and it was a place owned by Korean people. We didn't think they would recognize us, and were focused on eating without thinking about our image. Then, our song began to play in the place. We realized 'ah, they recognized us'. We were all surprised. They even requested autographs before we left so we gave it to them. I felt really proud.

JiU: When we visited Japan for promotions, we saw fans singing along to us and even crying. Seeing that made me realize again how love for music is without borders, and made me thankful towards our fans.

Sua: We're going to do a long promotion in Japan this time. Seeing the love they showed us last time, we've prepared a larger promotion. (Laugh)

Let's change the mood. Have you been to military units?

Gahyeon: I've done a show in a military unit when I was in middle school. Back then, I did the show without really knowing anything. Recently, when I went to do a show as a Dreamcatcher member, it was surprising how much they cheered for us. It felt different from back then.

JiU: Because of our dark concept, I thought that men wouldn't like us very much. But they shouted 'Deu! Rim! Kae! Cheo!', cheered, blew whistles and clapped for us. I was really surprised. Someone even prepared a placard, which was surprising. It was touching how passionately they cheered for us.

Is there anyone who has a serviceperson in her family?

Sua: My older brother is serving as a gunnery sergeant in the marines. Maybe it's because I've visited the military to see him before, but visiting military units felt familiar. Having seen how they train, I thought it looked very hard. Then I got to experience it firsthand, and it was very hard. We recently got to experience the training for K2 tanks, you see.

It was your first time on a tank, right? How did it feel?

JiU: It felt so hot and humid in the tank. It made me really appreciate how they protect our country. I want to give them energy through our shows.

???: That's right. After being told we were going to experience training, I was very worried. But thanks to the soldiers who kindly explained it and looked after us, we got back safely. I want to go again if I'm given the chance.

Siyeon: It was a bit hard for me too, but it was fun. If programs like 'Real Man' return and I'm given the chance, I want to participate in them. I'm sure I can do well! (Laugh)

What do you usually do when you get free time?

Yoohyeon: I've gotten really into escape room games recently. I've been going with Gahyeon too. I managed to escape in just 20 minutes. I did well, right? There are places that have 'dreamcatcher' themed rooms as well.

JiU: I generally like playing mafia with the members or games like red light green light.

Sua: When fans give us board games, we play them at least once with all the members.

Gahyeon: We even have beyblades in our dorm. Do you know 'Go shoot'? (Laugh)

With there being 7 members, funny things must happen frequently. Are there moments that stick out in your memory?

Siyeon: We all tend to talk a lot in our sleep. We even have conversations in our sleep sometimes.

JiU: There are times when I realize I've become very used to the members. I can't wake up to the sound of my phone alarm, but I wake up to Siyeon or Dami's voice saying 'Unnie, get up.' It's really interesting. It means that us members are that close to each other, right? Living together, there's a lot of episodes and funny happenings. It's to the point that I can't choose just one.

Going forward, as a team, how do you want to be remembered by fans?

JiU: I want us to be remembered as singers that fans can be proud of, and as the best group to our fans. They often tell us that watching us perform is thrilling. I don't want to lose that. I want to keep showing them performances like that. We want to be singers that can give confidence to our fan's shoulders!

Your goal for the year was to release 3 albums. Now that you've achieved that, do you have other goals?

Sua: Luckily, we've been able to achieve our first goal. While we have many goals,above anything else, I want us to continue on with our musical style while giving people songs of a higher musical quality. I also really want to perform in the year-end award ceremonies this year. I also want to win the Rookie of the year award if we get the chance. Lastly, I'd like all the members to be healthy and happy.

JiU: I'd like to make it into the top 100 in the charts, and I really want us to win first place with the new song. I want us to become the best as singers. Do I have too many goals? They're big goals, but I think we can do them if we work hard.

Lastly, is there a message you’d like to give to servicepersons?

Siyeon: People call our songs 'work songs'. Once you listen to our songs, you can't stop working and have to continue. Please listen to our songs lots. (Laugh)

JiU: Servicepersons, thank you for your service for the country. We'll work hard on our promotions, so I hope you’ll be able cheer yourselves up listening to our songs. Because of our dark concept, we've generally only shown you our charismatic side. Don't be scared, approach us a bit and you'll see our brighter side. Please look us up!

#dreamcatcher #translation

[idolizenews]

SCHEDULE 09/29.

Each schedule post provides a snapshot into the way the company is marketing your group as a whole, the expectations they have for your involvement in the industry, and so forth. They’ll range from fun things like CF deals to run of the mill events like fan parties, concerts, or rest time. We’ll be varying things across the board and using this as a way to tease upcoming plot lines for groups. Schedules illuminate the often difficult realities of being an idol, and because of that we award +5 exp / + 5 sp to those who complete a 350+ 4/4 thread or a 500 word solo. Solos must be completed during the three week run of the schedule, but threads may be finished after the end of the prompt provided they were started well in excess of the end point (e.g. finishing up a reply or two after is fine, but posting the starter right before the next prompt goes up is not). These needn’t be taken extremely literally when threading and are open to tangential preparation threads and other flexibility.

OLYMPUS  – Olympus is proving themselves to be the flagship of Midas groups once more as they embark on a new project. Midas has been teasing the concept of group-centric Company produced web-series for awhile now and are now launching their first: Olympus Next Door.  Rumor has it:  Fans have only just learned the show has started filming and they’re already rabid over it.  It promises to be both cringeworthy and immensely successful amongst fans, proving that Midas will do anything to make a buck. 

JINX -  The ladies of Jinx will be gracing the cover and a large spread for Ceci this month, including an interview portion dedicated to their transitioning image, rollercoaster career, and explosive debut. It’s a rehashing of the usual fare, but sure to remind everyone how attractive they are ahead of their next comeback.  Rumor has it: Midas is investing a lot into keeping the girls on board as their reimagined concept took off with their latest releases. The upcoming November comeback is likely to reflect further movement in that area hopefully finalizing a return their prior impressive popularity.  

FANTASY –  With an upcoming Nightmare comeback of course preparation is serious business. The girls will also be the new faces for Lens Nine, doing a circle lens colored contact modeling shoot and promotional material titled Lens Nine x Fantasy : Fantasia. Each girl will be modeling a particular color with a whimsical name to suit.  Rumor has it: The upcoming Nightmare comeback bodes well for the unit concept and promises it will be sticking around at least for awhile, leaving fans curious about how Daydream will promote now that they’re lacking a member. Rumors are beginning to buzz that an additional member may be added. 

PROMO/PROLOGUE & GLIMMER & XLNC & TITANIUM & NITRO  Every year Gangnam hosts a culture festival in one of it’s more residential areas, with a modest number of stages provided for up and coming groups. Given the more modest scope of the affair, the attending groups are generally newer or less established, and have been listed above in order of billing, with the yet-undebuted Produce groups opening and Nitro as the featured act/headliner. Produce groups will be performing their unit stages from the final episode set alongside the Pick Me! song. Glimmer will perform their debut song and a cover of Heaven’s I Swear . XLNC will perform their 2 most recent title tracks. Titanium will perform their debut song and a cover of Olympus’ Growl. Nitro will perform their last three title songs, with a dance break remix transition.  Rumor has it: Of course this is an excellent opportunity for rookies to get their name out there, and Gen-N fans are feeling bittersweet about the whole thing, as this is likely to be the last of these mid-range festivals that Nitro plays at, with the group gradually outgrowing the opportunity. It’s always a hotbed for intermingling rookies backstage, too, so managers ought to be keeping a careful eye out. 

IMPERIAL –The boys are preparing for heading out on an Asia tour for the next month or two, bounding off the positive reception for their fan meeting. They’ll be working on choreography and staging prep as well as pitching concepts for special stages to the company.  Rumor has it: They’re solidifying their hold in the overseas (notably in the SEA market) to prepare for an upcoming comeback in the second half of the year. This concert capitalizes on their existing momentum and will have them in and out of the country - and as a result in plenty of airport fashion and concert gif media play articles. 

WINK  – The girls will be performing the ceremonial first pitch and doing a brief performance before a number of baseball games as the season kicks off, once for the LG Twins and once for the Doosan Bears. The appearance of the girls in cute, baseball inspired attire is sure to draw attention and positive reception.  Rumor has it:  Behind the scenes, the girls are being put through their paces to prepare for an upcoming image shift, with coaching for interviews and increased dance practices required of them for the time being. Rumors of a more sultry vibe for the comeback are all but confirmed if one glances at the concept directors hired on recently at the company.  HEAVEN – With an uncharacteristic push forward for the girls of late, they’ll be taking it a little bit easier this week, with a simple fan meeting mini-concert (expected to run an hour and a half) featuring a hi-touch event for those who qualify, maximum 100 participants.  Rumor has it: This is an attempt by 99 Entertainment to demonstrate the grounded and kind nature of the girls, reaching out to fans in an intimate venue and on a personal level, likely to continue in juxtaposition of the shaky reputations of some of their other group efforts. 

POIZN – Mexicana Chicken has taken on the boys as their new brand endorsers. They’ll be filming a commercial and doing a photoshoot to provide material for their various promotional items, such as boxes, flyers, posters, menu pictures, and so on.  Rumor has it: While not the most glamorous of things, landing a chicken endorsement is a major step, and one that further cements the idea that POIZN is hanging on fairly well despite past scandals, which is a good indicator for their future. 

HONEY –  With the girls in a bit of downtime between comebacks, MSG has decided to capitalize on the time in their schedule to launch Honey TV, a one-a-week Vlive series to connect the girl’s with their audience. Material will cover photoshoots, snippets of dorm life, comeback and album prep, and so on. The first episode set will follow the girls on a fun trip to Everland together, as they go on a safari ride, buy matching headbands, ride rides, and more.  Rumor has it: The MSG board saw the success of KJH in reaching out to fans via Vlive and has decided to follow suit, jumping onto the trend, while also allowing a bit of an easier time for themselves and the idols by filming schedules they’re already embarking on for the company: photoshoots, filming, etc, rather than following the KJH practice of separating out, allowing MSG to pump out a stream of shorter episodes consistently without having to find time to film a full “variety show” to air for 45 minutes weekly. 

CHERRY BOMB! – Gourmet Road is hosting the girls for an upcoming episode. They’ll be prowling around a night market and having a blast trying food, interacting with passerby, and talking together. They’ll be showing off their close relationship and their mukbang talents.  Rumor has it: Increased attentions payed to their newer groups indicates that MSG is ramping up efforts to get them established as the company moves forward, putting a lot of pressure on upcoming comebacks. 

ATLAS –  The boys of Atlas have been cast in the show Birth of A Family, a variety that involves a group of idols (in this case) raising two puppies in order to bring further attention to the serious situation of animal abandonment in the country of South Korea. They’ll be taking on the dogs for a period of roughly a month and a half, and filming will happen semi-regularly.  Rumor has it: This is the boy’s first variety show aired on television, with KJH preferring in the past to keep their variety work in house, on V-live and self produced. It’s a big step in potential visibility and risk for the boys, since editing will be out of the company’s control.

JAWBREAKER – The girls are deep into the preparatory period for their upcoming comeback.  KJH has the girls tight under lock and key right now to be sure nothing is given away, which means promotions outside the company have been limited for the moment, and the girls have gone quiet on social media. KJH has big plans for the upcoming song, hoping to cement the girl’s image as Jawbreaker with this sophomore effort.  Rumor has it: Planning for the KJH family concert is well underway at this point, with Jawbreaker’s former discography now regained.  The company is gauging reactions to individual members with this comeback to begin pushing the girls further.

GALAXY – The boys are heading out on to Happy Together 3, taking part in the classic talk variety that canvasses various fictional settings, participating in various corners, such as being asked to take part in a don’t laugh challenge or to bring a cherished object to explain. Hopefully this will bring some further attention and affection to the boyish, charming group.  Rumor has it:  Increased attentions payed to their newer groups indicates that MSG is ramping up efforts to get them established as the company moves forward, putting a lot of pressure on upcoming comebacks.

#id.schedule

[numberonerandomblogger]

OK Computer (original) album mini-review

So I have started diving in the not-so-deep void of Radiohead. Yes, it’s 2018 and I just started listening to Radiohead for the hell of it. It’s never too late to listen to music, I suppose. I also listened to OK computer and discovered it’s apparently really good. I mean, it got the United States Recording Preservation Board’s attention, so it must be THAT good. What did I think of it? The answer is quite simple, actually.

 OK computer’s music is surprisingly different from Radiohead’s previous album:” The bends”. Instead of making other grunge rock songs, the band decided to make alternative rock songs. Do I personally love these songs with my heart despite the change of musical style from their previous work? Yes, I do. Despite not being my favorite CD from the band, I think every single track of this album is great due to the experimental nature surrounding each of them. You want to hear eerie music being played while an automated voice instructs you on how to live? OK Computer is for you. Speaking of eerie, the album’s lyrics are very vague, yet are all interconnected to form some kind of existing universe, which isn’t something any band could attempt in 1997. The themes tackled here represent a future society that barely has any freedom and is ruled by technology, corporations, and a sketchy government. The “worst possible kind of future” in this album is basically criticizing our modern society and the evolution of technology. Whether the lyrics are relevant today or not depends on your point of view on society. As for me, I think these lyrics are surprisingly still relevant due to how fast technology is evolving these days. As for the vocals, I don’t have anything to say aside that they’re pretty amazing. I also approve the use of automated voices, which immerses the listener even more in this universe.

 As for the presentation of the booklet, I was once again flabbergasted by the amount of effort put into it. The amount of art created for this album is pretty surprising and easily helps you understand the atmosphere. I ended up loving the art style and understood how it inspired quite a few artists out there. The lyrics, which are usually read from left to right, are placed in rather unexpected spots, as if to hint at something corrupting this “perfect” society.

 Overall, I really loved this album and the way it introduced an interesting yet creepy future. While the songs aren’t my favorites, they’re great enough for what they are and that’s what counts. I still think it’s A BIT overrated, though.

#radiohead #ok computer #rock #future

[shutupkimjongdae]

[TRANS/MAGAZINE] Jelly Magazine - EXO-CBX for July Issue 2017 To view as HQ scans, click here and zoom in!

source: x translator: fai please take out our translations with full credit only!

To read as text only, keep reading!

EXO-CBX ARRIVES AT JELLY!! Korea’s popular idol group EXO’s first unit, EXO-CBX has come to JELLY to celebrate their Japanese debut! The members look cool in their solo shots, but when they’re complete as 3, the atmosphere become exciting (laughs). Bringing you plenty of EXO-CBX’s natural selves across 10 pages ♡ EXO-CBX PROFILE The first subunit of the 2012 debuted Korean idol group EXO, with Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin. Debuted in Korea in 2016 with first mini album 「Hey Mama!」. Getting close to everyone around the world with their pop and colourful sounds. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF EACH OTHER!? Understanding the three's relationship! Since this is their first appearance, let's have them talk about their characters. No holding back! Q. Between the three of you, which member is the most reliable? B & C: Our eldest, Xiumin! X: I’ll say me too (laughs). B: Xiumin knows a lot of delicious shops so our menu is always decided smoothly, and he always go last to choose what he will eat (t/n: letting JD and BH choose first). Q. Between the three of you, who do you think is the coolest and manliest? X: I think it’s me. C: I think it’s me! B: No no, it’s me! ALL: Hahahaha (laughs). B: I’m cool when I’m playing games! C: Xiumin’s firmness when making decisions is manly. X: That’s right! B: And Xiumin carefully plans on his own, and he acts on (his plans), so I think that’s very manly and adult-like. Chen also can do a lot of things on his own, so that is manly and cool. C: Well, I like doing things on my own than having someone doing it for me. X: Chen has the drive to challenge everything! Q. 「Actually… I think this side about this member is cute!」 Please tell us your thoughts! B: Xiumin keeps a cat, and he’s very smitten with his cat! I don’t know if Xiumin is keeping the cat or if the cat is keeping Xiumin (laughs). Since he has started raising his cat, he has never gone out of the house, and I think the fact that he spends his whole day tending to his cat is very cute. X: For me, it’s when Baekhyun uses casual speech with me. (When he does this) He says 「Yah!」 and drops honorifics, but I think that’s cute (laughs). B: Of course, those are expressions of closeness! X: Chen has one too! Chen’s butt is really cute (laughs). When he steps out of the shower, it makes me want to hit (his butt) (laughs). His butt is round and perky. B & C: (roaring laughter) X: Sometimes, I touch it (laughs). B: His butt is round like an apple. X & B: (looks at Chen) C: Waaaee~e (laughs)! B: Please show us a bit (laughs). C: No, no (embarrassed laugh), but even I think my butt is my charm (laughs)! Q: Between the three of you, which member cries the easiest? B: I don’t think the three of us cry that easily. C: Even in EXO, the three of us are the hardest to cry, but the one who has shown the most tears since debut is definitely Baekhyun. He cried during the award show (t/n: 2016 Melon Music Awards). B: Also, I cried when I watched D.O.’s movie 『My Annoying Brother』, so I thought of sending D.O. a selfie of me crying (laughs). Q. Please say a few things about each other’s personality! C: Xiumin is the eldest, even in EXO, so he’s 「A VERY RELIABLE PRESENCE」. X: Baekhyun is 「A HAPPY VIRUS」 that makes everyone around him have fun. He picks up skills very easily, and he’s good at everything except for sports (laughs). B: Hahahaha (laughs). But I can snowboard, and I can play billiards! C: But you cannot even run. When he runs, his form is weird and very clumsy (laughs). B: I had a running scene for a photoshoot before, and Xiumin and Chen said to me, 「You’ve never ran before in your entire life, have you?」 and I was found out (laughs). X & C: (roaring laughter) X: But he’s good at games, singing, and even impressions. If Baekhyun is there, it becomes really fun, so he’s a presence that EXO cannot be without. C: I think that EXO would probably be a boring group if Baekhyun wasn’t here. B: Yes, yes, I agree (laughs). Okay, so I will introduce Chen. Chen is 「A PERSON WHO IS VERY GOOD AT SINGING AND CAN SING HIGH NOTES EFFORTLESSLY」 「His butt is firm and cute ♡」, personality-wise, he is very 「gentle and passionate」. I cannot express him with just a few words (laughs)! Even when he laughs, he gives off a warm feeling like a father looking at his son or his daughter, so I think he will be a good father in the future. Also, no matter what clothes he’s wearing, he wears it stylishly with his own personality. X & C: Woo~w! (claps) C: I’m so happy! Q. 「I want this member to fix this!」 Please expose your thoughts on the members! X: Me! It’s about Baekhyun! B: I knew it was about me… (laughs) X: I want Baekhyun to wake up earlier. B: I usually get ready 15 minutes before we have to go. However, I take 20 minutes to get ready. X: So everyone has to wait for him for 5 minutes (laughs). It’s not that he cannot wake up, it’s that he doesn’t wake up. C: He says ‘I will wake up!’ with determination, but he doesn’t wake up (laughs). B: Okay, then I have something to say too! Actually, these two are very bad at billiards. But recently, they’ve been getting better and better so I DON’T WANT THEM TO GET ANY BETTER AFTERWARDS!! X & C: Oooooh (laughs)! C: I don’t have anything in particular. I’ve gotten used to the members now. X: So kind~ ♪ C: But really, the thing about Xiumin’s billiard ability getting stronger and stronger is true. X: (pointing at Chen) I WILL BEAT YOU! C: No, I think I’m better (laughs)! Q. Between the three of you, which member do you think has the most gag sense? X & C: BAEKHYUN! B: Yeah, it’s me (laughs). C: Xiumin worked very hard and now, he became funnier, but I feel like he doesn’t match my sense of humor. X & B: Ahahaha (laughs). B: Sometimes, the things I think of are really funny, even I go 「Wow~ How can I think up of such funny things」 and admire myself (laughs). I’m surprised at my (funny) sense. I must have been born with it~ ♪ C: Ahahaha (laughs). X: But (Baekhyun’s sense) has one downside, if Baekhyun talks too recklessly, then I’ll hold the back of his neck and stop him (laughs). ALL: (roaring laughter) SOLO INTERVIEW Q. Not as EXO, but as EXO-CBX, what kind of charms do you want to show? C: From the start, EXO-CBX is a unit that was created with the concept of being “easily enjoyable”. I think EXO has a cool, mysterious image but as EXO-CBX, we want to have that relatable, familiar presence of your regular boy-next-door or your older brothers, so I hope we can become closer! B: I think we have more relatability than EXO. Towards our fans and also to the people who only knew of us, I hope they can get the feeling of being friends with us. X: As EXO, (the image that) we show puts emphasis on strength and coolness. But as EXO-CBX, while coolness is still a plus, we want to show our cheerfulness and the side of us that’s having fun. To say more on this, I want us and our fans to get excited and have fun together! Q. Your debut mini album [GIRLS], what kind of album is it? C: Because there’s a lot of up tempo and addictive songs, so maybe an album that is easy to listen to? Please do listen to it a lot~! Even the MV was made by the Japanese staffs, so I hope you can pay attention to it. B: It’s an album that was created with the thought of being a present from us! In our song 「Ka-CHING!」, there is this line 「Diamonds, dresses, cars… that’s not the limit」, even so, (in the MV) we looked like “rich guys with lots of money”, didn’t we (laughs)? But the song is all about the message of 「Money is not everything」. Recording a Japanese song with the three of us is a new experience for me, and I had lots of fun! X: I really like our title track 『Ka-CHING!』. Musically, it is excellent and even the choreography is fun and unique. It gives off a very sophisticated feel, and you can see a new side to us, so I believe that all of you will like it! Of course, (songs) aside from 『Ka-CHING!』, each has their own message, so I hope you could listen to it and receive the messages that we want to tell to all (our female fans). Q. Recently, what kind of thing do you enjoy doing most? C: Aside from preparing for our album, personally, I’ve been having singing and dancing practice since the year started, so I enjoy doing those the most. For singing, I’ve been practicing EXO’s songs and also other artists’ songs. But hip-hop songs, those are still difficult (to sing)… (laughs). B: Recently, I’ve had a new interest, which is snowboarding! Going snowboarding with Chanyeol and returning to the lodge and talking about a lot of things at night, that was very fun. Am I a pro!? I only started recently, but since it looks like I’m getting better at it really quickly, I could become the 'the star everyone is waiting for' (laughs). X: Playing billiards with Baekhyun and Chen and also with the other members, that is the most fun. But since I always lose, I have to pay all the game fees…. (cries). The members are all good, but the best amongst us is D.O and after him, Baekhyun is good too. Q. Please tell us of any new Japanese phrases that you have learned recently. C: 「(In Japanese) There’s still a long way to go.」 I learned this (laughs). Japanese is difficult~! The three of us have been getting together and learning Japanese by asking our manager who is good at Japanese to teach us. B: 「(In Japanese) (I’m) taking it (clothes) off」…Eii, I’m not saying anything weird (laughs)! In photoshoots, we had to put on and take off a lot of different (sets of) clothes, so this phrase just stuck in my head. I think this (phrase) gets used often, even amongst our stylist. Q. Please teach us any Korean phrases you frequently use as of late (t/n: マイブーム is slang for something you’re into, like trends; in this case, of the Korean language). C: Hmm.. (thinks for a while), I can’t think of one in particular. But I’m sure Baekhyun will know some (laughs)? B: It’s not a phrase, but more of a reaction. When you’re trying to make people laugh, but they didn’t get your joke, tilt your head sideways, hit your hand on your forehead and say 「A~ah↓」. With this action, you can end any boring conversation (laughs). Q. What food do you like most recently? C: I’m eating a lot of delicious food, but the yakitori (grilled skewered chicken) I ate with Xiumin and Baekhyun yesterday was very good! Eating while drinking sake (rice-wine, Japanese alcohol), it was the best! B: The yakiniku (grilled meat) I ate with Xiumin and Chen yesterday! Afterwards, I bought a cold, hard bagel with cream cheese on it at a coffee shop and ate it while drinking beer. It was very delicious! I really recommend it! X: Sushi is delicious! But the sushi I ate was in Korea, so this time with our activities in Japan increasing, I want to try real sushi! Eel and salmon are my favourites. Q. What kind of women’s fashion do you find cute? C: Before this interview, I read JELLY, there were a lot of fashion that I like and I thought that they all looked very cute. I think casual styles and street fashion look good on girls. (While pointing at the front cover of JELLY April edition) Like these clothes here, a loose long-sleeved T-shirt with the logo on the side of the sleeve, I like those kinds of fashion! B: As long as the fashion fits the person’s style, I think it’s already fine. Wearing denim is a stylish fashion that I find cute. Before this, I used to like street fashion, but recently I like simpler fashions like matching something with skinny jeans. X: I don’t pay as much attention to fashion as Baekhyun and Chen, so I don’t know that well, but any kind of fashion, if the girl likes it, then it’s OK! But, if I were to give a certain style that I like... then maybe skirts or dresses, a more feminine fashion is nice. Q. What kind of fashion are you into nowadays? C: For me, I really like hoodies. I’m really into comfortable, loose styles, like (wearing) oversized tops with hoods. B: Something that doesn’t look coordinated, but is actually coordinated… Something that doesn’t look like it was thought out, but if you look closely, it looks cool… I like those kinds of fashion! So, just T-shirts underneath a jacket, matching it with denim (pants) underneath, just a casual and chic vibe is nice. X: I like loose and oversized clothes with hoodies. Because I’m not tall, I always fuss over sizes so that I look well-balanced! Q. Please tell us of anything you recently bought. C: I recently bought NIKE sneakers! I like it, and it was very comfortable to put on. I absolutely love sneakers, so I just bought it without thinking (laughs). B: Snowboarding wear that I bought together with Chanyeol. Up until now, I’ve gone snowboarding three times, but I bought 2 snowboarding wears. People ask me 「Do you plan to wear new clothes every time you go?」, because normal beginners usually go for one set that would be good for the whole season (laughs). For me, I place importance in my clothes, so I want to go for appearances that make me look like a pro, and (I am) not outdone by anybody! Because I don’t want to only go down the (ski) slope, I want to look cool doing so (laughs). X: I bought sportswear and sports sneakers! I normally like sporty fashions with clothes that I can wear comfortably, so I have lots of sportswear. Even so, I still buy more of them (laughs). I always wear (the clothes) and go for practice! Q. What kind of picture did you take on your phone recently? C: Umm… (pulls out his smartphone and pretends to take a picture with Xiumin next to him) It’s this! (referring to the ‘picture’ with Xiumin)… that would be a lie (laughs). I think it was a picture at the skiing area at a resort I went to for work two months ago. I’m normally not the type to take pictures, but at that time, to remember the background of the skiing area, I took a selfie. B: When I was dyeing my hair, I took a picture of myself to make sure. That was the most recent picture. I really like the orange colour I have now. X: I’m shy when I have to take pictures of myself and I’m bad at it too, so I rarely take any selfies. But recently, I took a picture of only my face to show my newly dyed hair to my manager (laughs). I’ve been asked why I always dye my hair showy/bright colours, but there are 3 points to this. Firstly, I want to try colours that I have never used to dye my hair before. Secondly, I think of whether it fits with the album concept and thirdly, I think of whether it will suit me and decide from there. Q. How do you spend your vacation days lately? C: Recently, I’m always in the studio or the practice room, but I have an ideal scenario on how to spend my vacation day. That is, I want to go to the cinema and watch everything they have on that day! I have watched two movies consecutively before this, and it was very fun. I really like the 「X-MEN」 series, so now I want to watch 「LOGAN」! X: I don’t normally go out on my vacation days, so usually I just stay at home. I watch TV shows and movies, also I always play with my cat. I’m already busy just tending to my cat (laughs). MESSAGE FROM EXO-CBX C: The activity in Japan that I really wanted to do... 「Finally I get to do it!」 so I’m very excited! We released CDs in Japan as EXO, but we didn’t get to do a lot of activities (in Japan), so this time with EXO-CBX’s activities, I’m anticipating more meetings with our Japanese fans. We’ll work hard so we can meet all of you more, so please take care of us! B: As EXO, we couldn’t really meet with our Japanese fans, so debuting as EXO-CBX and knowing that we get to have more meetings with fans, it makes me happy and immediately, I get excited! We worked hard as EXO, but we as EXO-CBX are still rookies so I want to work harder to become closer with the fans and grow together with them. Please watch over us! X: I’ve always thought that it is not enough to meet with all of you just through EXO’s activities. Because of that, when we were set to debut in Japan as EXO-CBX, I became happy knowing that we’ll get to meet (the fans) more frequently! To show our new colour as EXO-CBX, we prepared a lot and worked hard from zero so please do anticipate a lot, okay? To have fun together with our fans, we’re also working hard to learn Japanese!

#chen #xiumin #baekhyun #cbx #exo cbx #exo #translations #t: magazine #july 2017 jelly #trans: japanese #shutupkjdsubs #scanlation

[what17says]

[ENG] SEVENTEEN’s Dazed Korea Interview (Hip Hop Team)

Word count: ~2400 words

Other team’s parts: Performance Team - Vocal Team

trans cr: miko & kass @ what17says source: Dazed © take out only with credits

It was a hot evening when we met the first part of SEVENTEEN. It was a perfect autumn afternoon when we met the second part of SEVENTEEN. It was the middle of winter when we met the third part of SEVENTEEN. Now the 13 pieces have been perfectly put together. Although many things have changed over the three seasons, even more things have remained the same. A boy has grown a span more. However that doesn’t mean he will become an adult immediately. On a spring day when the flowers are blooming, what kind of faces will they have? I look forward to the day we meet again. It would be good if it’s during spring. I think I’ll be glad (if that happens).

Q. It’s 9AM on a Monday morning. In the past two months, the performance team and the vocal team slept in to their hearts’ content and met us when they were in good condition, but we feel bad that the hip hop team cannot do that. Thank you for waking up early even though you must be tired.

S.Coups/Wonwoo/Mingyu/Vernon: We had a music broadcast yesterday, which was a Sunday, but we slept earlier than usual so it’s alright. Our conditions are great.

Q. That’s a relief. I woke up after sleeping in on Sunday and saw SEVENTEEN during the music broadcast. It was nice seeing you guys. Today is also the day that I’ve met all 13 members of SEVENTEEN. Congratulations on your comeback.

SC/WW/MG/VN: Thank you so much.

SC: We were very worried before our comeback. It’s because we have prepared performances that were slightly different from our previous album, but had thoughts like “what do we do if our fans, ‘CARATs’ don’t like it?” But many people liked it so we’re very thankful and happy.

Q. Music broadcasts also broadcast quite early these days. What time do you wake up?

SC: I think we woke up at about 3.30AM yesterday. We did a pre-recording at 7AM, had other schedules in between and wrapped up the live broadcast at noon. We also had a fansign event in the afternoon. Fascinatingly, we don’t really feel tired.

Q: After observing the leaders of each unit for three months, Hoshi and Woozi left quite a lasting impression. Now I finally get to meet the leader of SEVENTEEN’s hip hop team and the big hyung of the 13 members. S.Coups. You look reliable.

SC: It was rather burdensome when I first became the leader of the 13 members, but now I feel comfortable. I just think of it as being like a older brother and a friend. They all do well on their part so I’m not worried. Thank you (to the members).

MG: Coups-hyung is the most considerate. I think it’ll be possible to witness the best of his consideration today (laughs).

Q. It’s been a week since your comeback. I’ll set the ground for you, so please introduce your third mini album and the title track ‘BOOM BOOM’.

MG: Although our ‘SEVENTEEN-ness’ is retained in this album, there were also some areas that deviated away from it. In the early stages after our debut, we showed a refreshing and energetic image, but this time we worked hard to show some masculinity in addition to our current image. As we wanted to return with a matured and cool appearance, all the members exercised diligently and did thorough self-management. Personally, according to my taste, I like all the tracks in our album. It’s my style.

VN: It’s an album we are proud of. Woozi-hyung who participated in the producing of the album also said that this album, musically-wise, sounds like it is the most mature and developed out of all our albums. I feel really proud. I think we have definitely become more mature than in the past. This is the case for the members individually as well as our performances.

WW: I would say it is an album that we have paid a lot of attention to. It is filled with songs with a wide spectrum as we wanted to show t

hat all 13 members have a great command of a variety of genres. We all worked hard preparing for it as we wanted to show music with a level of completion.

SC: I didn’t know the members would explain it so well. I’m surprised. The title track ‘BOOM BOOM’ is a song describing the beating of the heart when one is chasing their dreams. We wanted to show passionate side of SEVENTEEN. This is because SEVENTEEN’s strongest point is (our) energy. It’s like the process of maturing from a boy to a young man.

Q. I also listened to the album diligently for a week. The front part was filled with the existing SEVENTEEN-like, bright, healthy and refreshing songs. Of course, I liked it. The ballad track in the back part was rather unexpected and I was shocked at the level of completeness. I’m curious about the song which the hip hop team sang together, 'Lean On Me’.

SC: The hip hop team is primarily in charge of rap but we wanted to deliver our new image to our fans, and our fans wanted it as well. It’s a song that we revealed at a concert before putting it in the album. We are always on the receiving end from fans, so we wanted to give something in return (to the fans). Honestly, everyone’s having a hard time and feeling tired these days, right? We wanted to become a source of healing. If you’re tired/finding it tough, then ‘Lean’ on us.

MG: Like what Coups-hyung said, this song wasn’t made to be included as a non-title track in the album, but was prepared for the hip hop team to show a different image at the concert. However, because many people loved it, it was able to be included in the album.

WW: It’s a song I’m very attached to. When we first planned the song, I liked the intention as well as the general feel of the song. Whenever I sing this song at a concert, I would feel choked up. I really wanted to include this song in this album.

Q. I was surprised because all 4 members of the hip hop team have such good vocals. Seeing you guys today, firstly, the voices you were born with are so nice.

SC: Actually because we are people who rap, when we sing, it’s rather comfortable. While the vocal team members carry the responsibility of having to sing well, for us, we would just have to sing to an extent where we are able to, sing comfortably and assimilate the song in a way that fits us without feeling burdened.

SC/WW/MG/VN: If you find our voices nice, it’s probably because it hasn’t been long since we woke up (laugh). Thank you for the compliment.

Q. We met Woozi last month who said he wanted to include a song for your fans in every album. The other ballad song ‘Smile Flower’ is also that type of song, right?

SC: That’s right. We made what we wanted to say to our fans as well as to our members into a song.

VN: I really like the lyrics of this song. Of course, I like the melody as well. I choked up while singing it during the comeback showcase.

WW: Woozi’s songs and lyrics are impressive. Because the expressions are really beautiful and lovely, I listen to this song a lot as well.

MG: It would be good if our fans could receive some comfort upon listening to this song. I think I’ll be really happy if that’s the case.

Q. You must have felt happy to be standing on stage with a new song.

WW: It was great. I was really excited. I have many thoughts that I enjoy (the performance) these days.

SC: I was nervous and felt burdened for the first stage, but I relaxed upon seeing our fans in the audience. It is physically tiring during our promotion period, but I felt mentally at ease and enjoyed it. I would rather be physically tired (than mentally).

MG: I’m the type to usually not feel pressurised mentally (laughs). I’m happy because we receive a lot of love. It makes me want to show my best image. I have a lot of such thoughts whenever I stand on stage.

VN: I looked forward and worried a lot before our comeback. If that’s ambiguous, when we stand on stage, we get direct feedback immediately. Many people liked it (our comeback), so I felt good. I was excited.

Q. We first met the performance team who, as expected, was healthy, positive and filled with fighting spirit. I thought the vocal team members would be emotional, but they were unexpectedly bright and cute. How are the hip hop team members like? I’m asking this because there is a specific image about the genre called Hip Hop.

SC: I think (our personality) is in between that of the hip hop team and the vocal team. It is important that the members can harmonise well in SEVENTEEN, which has 13 members. As all the members work, they have strong personal opinions, but in SEVENTEEN, we are harmonious. I think our individual strong points stand out because we know how each other feel very well.

Q. Watching SEVENTEEN’s performance made me think ‘you guys are really firm and complete now’. Performance, songs, appearance, everything. It feels like you guys have a secure path to the top now.

MG: Ah those words make me really happy. These words are nice to hear wherever and whoever it’s from.

VN: I think I feel slightly more comfortable on stage now than before. I used to be nervous about making mistakes in what I had practiced, but I feel like I can control that better now. It’s to the point where I can clearly see the faces of the fans that are looking at us.

SC: Thank you. Those are words that make me feel good. You can definitely see the increase in confidence levels of all the members while promoting this album. I can feel it when I’m standing on stage. The energy of the members has changed. However, this is all thanks to the fans. I’m serious.

Q. I’m not just saying this, but I think I’ll remember 2016 as a very important year for SEVENTEEN.

MG: That’s right. It was a year where we were able to try out many experiences we were previously unable to try. We received the rookie award, won 1st for the first time and also held concerts. Personally, it was also a time I felt the conviction that 'This is what you need to do’. When I was still a trainee I thought everything ended when you debuted, but it’s only starting now. I think the year that marked the beginning was 2016.

WW: I think this year will be remembered as a year where we went into positions right before running. It was a time where we learned how to take one step back in order to move two steps forward. I want to show better music and performances in the future. We’re currently filled with confidence and the desire to do many things. It’s really a relief that 2016 was better than 2015 for SEVENTEEN. I have hopes that 2017 will be even better than 2016.

VN: 2016 was when I opened my eyes to a new world. While on the Asia tour, I met fans from various countries and had a lot of thoughts whilst coming into contact with different cultures. They were all really meaningful moments.

SC: When we debuted in 2015, I thought there wouldn’t be a moment that would be able to make me happier, but sorry to 2015, the number of happier days spent in 2016 is many times more. It’s an overwhelming feeling when you realise you’re receiving love from someone. Whilst experiencing things I wouldn’t have been able to experience had I not picked this route, I can promise that I will work even harder. I will remember 2016 as the year of SEVENTEEN’s turning point.

Q. It’s 2017. Instead of SEVENTEEN, I want to hear the small and minor individual plans or goals that the four of you, Mingyu, Vernon, Wonwoo, and S.Coups have. Just minor things. It can also be short-lived resolutions too.

SC: I thought of something since you mentioned short-lived resolutions, I want to work harder. Diligently. I think I need to be stricter with myself.

MG: I want to self-manage thoroughly. I want to exercise hard and study about this and that. Something like preparing to become a complete person (laughs).

VN: I think I should pay more attention to my body. Be it internally or externally. I think that is necessary if I want to promote healthily. I want to read more books and contact my family more often.

WW: My goal for 2017 is to read 50 books. No matter what happens, I really want to accomplish this.

Q. Not long ago, I watched an award ceremony held in Hong Kong on TV. While giving the acceptance speech, one of the SEVENTEEN members said 'self-producing idols’, and those words struck my heart. It wasn’t even something that I had heard for the first time. I want to end my three month-long project of meeting the different units of SEVENTEEN with an obvious question. 'Self-producing idols’. It would be good if you could stay that way in the future as well.

SC/WW/MG/VN: We hope for that as well. Although it’s important to let everyone listen to good songs, we’re writing songs and choreographing the dances ourselves in order for it to be filled with our sincerity. We might promote with songs written by other people in the future, but as of now we are only thinking of sharing our stories.

Q. Let’s meet up with all 13 members of SEVENTEEN in the future together and have a cool photoshoot. Stay healthy.

SC/WW/MG/VN: That sounds nice. Thank you.

MG: Ah, it feels weird now that it’s ending..

Other team’s parts: Performance Team - Vocal Team

trans cr: miko & kass @ what17says source: Dazed © take out only with credits

#seventeen #s.coups #vernon #mingyu #wonwoo #seungcheol #hansol #t #interview #t: interview #dazed

[sapphylicious]

Time for the B1A4 con report! First off, let me just say it was TOTALLY WORTH IT, but as soon as @cactuarneedles and I arrived back in KC at midnight we were like, “Let’s never go to California again.” It was that kind of trip.

First off, our connecting flight in Denver was delayed. Not by a lot, but in retrospect that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. We still managed to arrive in SF on Saturday around noon, checked in at the hotel, and then got ramen for lunch in Japantown. It’s been, oh, 11 years since I was last in SF for Hyde’s Faith tour, and wandering around Japantown was a bit nostalgic. I wanted to buy All The Things but couldn’t have fit anything else into my carry-on except a Pusheen shirt I ended up getting just because. Also, makeup remover, since I forgot to bring any and didn’t realize until I was putting on my eyeliner (very, very carefully). The salesperson in Kpop Beauty liked my Big Bang hoodie lol.

We were running out of energy fast since we’d been up since 4am Central, so we went back to the hotel and ordered in for dinner. I slept as I usually do in new places, which is to say, not well, but I managed not to be too tired on Sunday.

As for Sunday. 

Well.

It was raining all morning, and we’d bought umbrellas the day before at CVS, so we were like. The bare minimum of prepared. We also bought some trash bags to sit on. It was in the 50s but felt like it was in the 40s, and there was some wind, so overall it was a cold, wet, miserable experience. I’ve queued in line when it was colder (Akanishi Jin’s Yellow Gold tour in NYC in November was hella cold) but a) I was younger then, and b) I wasn’t being rained on. So Janel and I discovered our Too Old For This Shit threshold. If we hadn’t been close to the front of the line we probably would have said fuck it and stayed in the hotel room all day.

We took a break for lunch at a Vietnamese place where I was able to stop shivering for a while, and stayed there as long as we felt was reasonable. We’re not fans of the “claim a spot in line and then fuck off for the rest of the day until an hour before the doors open” tactic some people (read: assholes) like to use. Getting to be right in front of the stage is privilege you suffer for.

On the way back we decided to stop in a Target to buy some of those mini folding seats to help make the rest of the wait bearable (the trash-bags-on-ground was not working out for us). And this is where the trip really went to shit.

Janel left her purse in the restroom by accident. She realized it the moment we stepped outside and went back to the restroom in three minutes tops, and by then everything inside her purse had been stolen. Cash, cards, ID, keys -- the only thing she still had was her phone since it had been in her pocket (which luckily also had the tickets).

Soooo she pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon making phone calls and filing a police report -- not that the police could actually do anything about it, but it was good to have for getting through airport security for our flight back. So note: you can fly domestically without an ID, but it’s a huge pain for everyone.

At least by then it had basically stopped raining. There was a little bit of a situation when the lines were separated and we had to leave our spot to wait in another line for our VIP wristbands. I asked a girl I recognized being a couple people ahead of us to save our spot (couldn’t find the people who’d been directly in front or behind), but when we eventually got our wristbands I couldn’t find her again, or anyone else who had been near us in the original line. So we kind of just cut in at roughly the same area and miraculously no one gave us shit about it.

Let me just say, out of the several cons I’ve been to, B1A4 fans are the most chill. I remember standing in line for Big Bang and recalling how VIPs used to claim to be the most chill fans and lol nah man just nah. We chatted a little with the people around us, told the "everything got stolen” story a few times -- and also the “we’re from the Midwest” story. YOU PEOPLE IN LA AND SF DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE LIVING IN THE ENTIRE REST OF THE UNITED STATES. Travel for Kpop is a given. I’ve made weekend trips from the East Coast all the way to the West Coast for Kpop. This is also why we only go to cons for our absolute favorite groups, and will pull out all the stops for them. I figure I’ll only do this for B1A4, Big Bang, Epik High, TVXQ/JYJ, and maaaybe I might do it for VIXX. Maybe.

Getting into the venue wasn’t an issue and we wound up about four people back from the stage. We were hella sore by then, although I think it was worse for Janel since she was running back and forth a lot and under a ton more stress. Luckily the con didn’t start too late, and I forgot how much my feet hurt most of the time (I’m really glad I have a pair of comfortable boots).

So. B1A4 in person.

This is the first concert where I bothered to take pictures and record video, but I don’t know how some fans can dedicate their attention to recording the whole time because I was a flailing mess lol. THEY WERE SO CLOSE. They’re all really attractive in person??? I mean Gongchan is of course a given and he is EVEN MORE HANDSOME THAN ADVERTISED no wonder Sandeul and Jinyoung don’t shut up about how he looks. The suits they wore for most of the show were very nice and ESPECIALLY when they took off the jackets because men in waistcoats are my weakness. Jinyoung rolling up his shirtsleeves jesus christ and he does it all neatly too (whereas Baro’s sleeves kept falling and flopping around lol). Jinyoung is so fucking charming it’s unfair. When the water bottles came out he liked to hold them up and tease the crowd lmao how... typical...

CNU was amazing with the fanservice and the body rolls lol and he has such pretty hair. There was a moment duringggg I think Baby Goodnight when he and Gongchan were really cute together. I was filming Sandeul and had to quickly cut over to them with their arms around each other.

Baro did a lot of talking in English, I was surprised and impressed and I think this con has cemented him as third in my lineup of faves (Sandeul-Jinyoung-Baro-Gongchan-CNU). I feel like he interacted with the crowd best and I saw him paying attention to the balcony people often too, but someone needs to take the word “lit” away from him hahaha.

The venue was small so it was really easy for them to reach every part of the stage, we got to see all of them up close in roughly equal amounts but ngl my memory is like 70% Sandeul because I tracked him all across the stage.

BOY CAN HE SING. Not only does he sound amazing but you can tell just by looking at him how passionate he is, the way he moves and puts more of himself into it than the others do. The only way the con could have been more perfect is if he’d been able to perform a solo. Or just. If he could release a full-length solo album and then go on tour that was be okay too. He teased us by singing 그렇게 있어줘~ and augh so good. SO GOOD. AND SO CUTE. He’s so adorable I can hardly stand it. Near the end he was crouched down in front of us and stuck out his tongue bUT I DIDN’T MANAGE TO RECORD IT. OPPORTUNITY LOST.

I did however record the cheek squishing. It was so classic. Jinyoung goes for the cheeks, Sandeul tries to retaliate but misses, Jinyoung waits for a few seconds and then goes in again to get a good grip and Sandeul looks SO RESIGNED before he jerks his face away. They did this while Baro was talking and he was like “Hey, it’s my turn now!” lol poor Baro.

I also have some pics of CNU lowkey harassing Sandeul and Sandeul giving him this Look afterwards. And Gongchan fussing with Sandeul’s clothes. And Sandeul limp in Baro’s arms. I ship my bias with everyone, can you tell.

They were all so cute though, ugh, I love B1A4. I’m so glad I gave Kpop another chance after I thought the TVXQ breakup was the End Of All Things.

We fought with another girl over one of the towels thrown into the crowd. I only made a claim so it would be 2 vs 1 but we both lost the rock-paper-scissors battle and had to give it up. In retrospect we maybe should have played the “she was robbed today” pity card because you’d think after losing all the contents of your purse you could at least get a towel in compensation. We’re unfortunately not that combative though. At least this time the opponent didn’t cheat and throw down her choice late. Like I said, in terms of the fans B1A4 has much fewer assholes than I’m used to encountering.

I felt like a drowned rat by the end of the show and feared for my eyeliner but luckily it wasn’t running or even smudged (thanks, Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eyeliner). My hair was rather bedraggled though and after the rain and the water bottles it was like, why did I even bother curling it that morning, but what can you do.

I wanted to say something to everyone during the high touch -- I knew it was going to be quick but the staff really hurried everyone through which was annoying, and I had a holyshitholyshitholyshit internal monologue going when actually face to face with the boys. So I only managed a weak “thank you” to Gongchan who said it back (he’s so sweet ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥) and I blurted out a rather embarrassing “I love you!!” to Sandeul ahahaha god so much for being a cool, mature noona.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The walk back to the hotel was short, although we did wind up briefly walking in the wrong direction somehow because I can’t be trusted with directions even if the distance is only a few blocks. Our flight home was around 11am so we planned to get up extra early to have plenty of time for Janel to get through additional screening.

Aaaand then in the morning the flight was delayed to the afternoon, which would cause us to miss our connecting flight. So we had to book a whole new trip which didn’t leave until 3:20 pm.

Getting through security wasn’t too bad for either of us, and we waited around watching B1A4 fancams and reading fan accounts. As it got close to departure there were some confusing announcements about delays and we found out our gate had changed with no warning. Also the flight was slightly delayed. Luckily (?), our connecting flight in Vegas was also delayed. Still, by the time we got there we only had 15 min before we began boarding. 

(Also, even the airport in Vegas has slots lol.)

It was a veeery turbulent ride back. All of our flights for this trip have been turbulent, but that last one was the worst. I’m not afraid of flying but I can now understand how some people could be. At one point I looked over at Janel and said, “I hope we don’t die.” If the plane went down I decided I would just pray for a quick death and also to be reborn as a cat so I can spend my life eating, sleeping, and being petted.

Finally, around midnight, we were back in KC.

Me: Let’s never go to California again. Next time there’s a concert, NY or Chicago or even Jersey is fine. Janel: SF is a flaming trash heap. It is the Tumblr of cities.

Sorry, SF, I liked you for years but now I am okay with never setting foot in you again.

But still: WORTH IT.

#down the b1a4 rabbit hole #real life junk

[bharatiyamedia-blog]

Don’t Simply Take Photographs—Do One thing With Them – LifeSavvy

http://tinyurl.com/y3xjqafg Vadim Georgiev/Shutterstock What number of digital photographs have you ever taken? 10,000? 20,000? 50,000? As an alternative of leaving all these photographs sitting in your smartphone or a tough drive, why not do one thing with them? Wander round any metropolis, and also you’ll see tons of of individuals all with their telephones out taking photographs. A few of these footage would possibly find yourself on Fb or Instagram, however for essentially the most half, they sit forgotten an unappreciated in digital limbo. That’s an actual disgrace. Photographs are a good way to recollect folks, locations, and occasions—plus, the images your smartphone takes are actually good now. The good information is there are many cool issues you are able to do along with your digital photographs. Listed here are a few of our favourite concepts. Type By means of Them I’ve shot 1000’s of photographs with each my smartphone and devoted digital camera. Most of them are horrible. Blurry selfies, missed photographs, screenshots of memes, and God-only-knows-whats. They don’t need to be ignored—they need to be deleted, and have no matter laborious drive they have been on smashed to dust. Buried in there, nonetheless, are some excellent photographs. The sort of factor I wish to maintain ceaselessly. So long as the great and dangerous all keep mingled collectively, I’m by no means going to see the great photographs. I’m certain it’s the identical for you. Now, the dangerous information. There isn’t any straightforward technique to kind photographs. The one actual technique to do is to take a seat down, throw in your favourite TV present, and undergo, deleting all of the dangerous footage, sorting the others into albums, and favoriting the best possible. However, you’re most likely not going to do that. Nearly everybody (myself included) is on the level the place they’ve shot method too many digital photographs for this to be a practical choice. Meaning we have to use some much less thorough methods to get the great photographs out: Undergo your Fb and Instagram accounts. If there are any photographs you actually like there, undergo your cellphone and pull out the unique. Additionally, use it as a springboard to remind your self of occasions or locations you really liked, and return and discover photographs from them too. Use your picture app. Each the iPhone Photographs app and Google Photographs (obtainable on each iOS and Android) will present you photographs from previous occasions, arrange photographs by location and occasion, and extra. Whereas they’re made with machine studying, they may pull out some helpful options—like that trip you took to the Florida Keys. Get right into a behavior of, once you bear in mind one thing enjoyable, taking 5 minutes to return by your photographs and seize the photographs out. It can take time, however you’ll progressively kind by chunks of your photographs. You probably have an iPhone, you need to use Gemini ($2.99/month) to filter a great deal of the dangerous photographs, which is able to make discovering the great photographs rather a lot simpler. Print Them Out Harry Guinness My granny’s home was lined in photographs. She had 4 youngsters and 14 grandchildren (plus a pile of siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and buddies who made the lower) and every of us was featured no less than 4 or 5 occasions. The favorites would have a whole mini-shrine devoted to their achievements. A lot of the photographs have been fairly horrible however, as a result of they have been those she had, they have been those on show. Now, most individuals have tons of of a lot better photographs, however as a result of they’re not printed out, no person sees them. The one smartest thing you are able to do along with your digital photographs is print them. You can print a number of dozen footage you like as 4×6″s and put them in picture frames round your home, similar to my granny. Or, you would get one or two of your greatest made into 36×24” framed prints or canvases that dominate a wall—digital photos, even ones from a smartphone, can be printed pretty damn big if you work from the original. Actually, the choices are limitless. You can additionally make a photograph album. Simply make sure to check out our guide to why photos don’t look the same when you print them on How-To Geek to be sure to’re doing it proper. Create Shared Albums In addition to taking 1000’s of photographs of myself, I’ve additionally taken 1000’s of images of my buddies. And so they’ve taken a great deal of footage of me. The issue is I solely have the photographs I’ve taken, they usually solely have the photographs they’ve taken (they usually’re all sitting on laborious drives or smartphones). We haven’t shared greater than a handful with one another. There may be, nonetheless, a easy resolution to this: create some shared, on-line picture albums. That method, everybody finally ends up with all of the photographs; even those they didn’t take. If everybody makes use of the identical smartphone platform, then issues are very easy. Simply take a look at How-To Geek’s guides to creating shared albums on your iPhone or with Google Photos to get began. If not, you then’ll want to make use of a cross-platform service—here are our favorites. Make Them Your Wallpaper or Screensaver Whereas the default wallpapers on most trendy units are fairly good, there’s nothing that units your smartphone or laptop aside as a lot as utilizing a picture you took your self. Why not discover a good picture and set it because the wallpaper throughout your cellphone, pill, and laptop? Or better of all, set it to the screensaver in your TV. Right here’s how to do it with an AppleTV and a Chromecast. Anytime you wish to see your favourite photographs you possibly can flip in your TV and watch the slideshow. Make Greeting Playing cards You don’t simply need to print your photographs as, properly, photographs and dangle them round your property. You can too do extra with them. Certainly one of my favourite issues to do round Christmas is creating private greeting playing cards and sending them to my buddies. Harry Guinness And it doesn’t need to be for Christmas—you would create private birthday playing cards, postcards, and even simply random stationary. Make each letter higher along with your face. Do One thing Bizarre In the previous few years, a marketplace for very bizarre—and great—customized picture merchandise has popped up. Ever needed your face on a pair of socks? Well, you can. Need customized Vans footwear to match? They have you covered. There’s nearly no restrict to what merchandise you possibly can print or make along with your photographs. In case you can consider it, it will probably most likely be executed. I’ve seen jigsaws, smartphone circumstances, murals, and skis. You probably have a passion, you may get gear constructed from your photographs. Give them as Items For all that individuals ignore the photographs they take, they nonetheless love them. Everybody desires to see their buddies’ childhood photographs or footage from their blunder years. In case you’re going to spend the time to kind by your photographs and pull out the great ones, you’ve set your self up with items to offer for years to come back. Both print the images and body them or go together with one of many wackier options, relying on who you’re giving the present too. They’ll admire it. No matter you do (or don’t do) along with your photographs, there’s one factor we haven’t talked about but that’s essential: backing them up. Onerous drives fail; smartphones break. Don’t leave the safety of your photos down to luck, or they might not be there when you want them. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','267914477473431');fbq('track','PageView'); Source link

[vskpop]

June 2017 ⋅  Critical Cute Concept

As If It's Your Last - BLACKPINK

In the last few weeks, I’ve been fascinated by k-pop fans’ obsession with finding similarities between Blackpink and 2NE1. I was particularly struck by the huge deal made about the fact that As If It’s Your Last is not a new song, as if songs weren’t composed and left there until the right person comes along since the beginning of time (and as if all Teddy songs didn’t have elements in common).

Just to make one example, Russian Roulette had been doing the rounds at SM since before Red Velvet even debuted, but I didn’t see anyone reacting with outrage to this, even though the song might well have been for f(x) for all we know. I am seriously shocked by the amount of energy that the k-pop fandom is putting into trying to take Blackpink down, as if that even made any difference in their favourites’ career.

That said, before the comeback actually happened, I had one real problem with it: the fact that it would be a single digital release. Blackpink have never been generous with their releases: they only put out two couples of songs so far, with no b-sides. I’m not sure why they would waste a perfectly good song and delay their “actual” comeback (and a physical release) even more.

All in all, I think it still worked out well for them. Even though it is just one song, it’s clear that YG is not doing things cheaply (despite people finding problems with the MV as well, of course): each member has seven or eight changes in the video, there are a thousand sets, everything is lusciously designed and studied down to the last detail.

As If It's Your Last is the limit of how many mismatched sections I can take; it switches quite jarringly from the head-spinning bass of the verse to the slower pre-chorus to the super-pop chorus to Lisa’s intense rap section (which is also, quite confusingly, entirely in English). It could have done with being a bit more cohesive, but with more listens, the haphazard structure of the song is drowned by how catchy it is.

Before the song was released, it was described as the first “pink” release from them, as opposed to the “black” of the previous edgier songs. I think that they made a seamless transition between their signature style and this colourful, more joyous version of themselves. They are cute, but not saccharine, “innocent”, baby-voice-y.

I’m waiting for Blackpink to do something I hate, but for now, I will keep following them as if they’re my last love (get it?).

Kwon Ji Yong - G-Dragon

 June has been a terrible month for Big Bang fans.

 The short story for people who have been living under a rock is that T.O.P was charged with smoking marijuana (a criminal offence in South Korea), expelled from the police where he was serving his military service, he overdosed on anxiety medication, was unconscious for a couple of days, then recovered and was moved to a mental health unit, then was tried and sentenced to two years of probation with ten months in prison if he breaks the terms.

 In the midst of this, G-Dragon had announced his comeback and had to go through with it because he was about to start a tour with 30+ announced dates, which would have been pretty complicated to cancel.

 I don’t think it’s necessary to explain that, like anything put out by G-Dragon, it’s a masterpiece. As usual, it has very little to do with what people expect when they talk about k-pop, and I would argue it doesn’t have a lot to do with pop in general.

 To me (and to him, considering the title is his real name) this is the definitive G-Dragon album. Even if he didn’t put out anything else, this would complete and explain his oeuvre. Each of the songs captures a particular time and feel of his career, and he has space to examine his public life, his persona, and his personal struggles. This comment on Reddit really explains the trajectory and the meaning of the album and I don’t think there is a lot to add.

Ceremony - Pentagon

I love everything that Cube is doing with Pentagon right now. Fresh from the good run of Hui and E’Dawn in Triple H, as well as the stellar success of the song that Hui penned for Produce 101 Never, Pentagon have a lot going for them right now.

 In a sea of tropical house (drink!), they reference Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock and find their voice with a hooky chorus and an image built around being ironic instead of trying to be edgy at all costs (which, granted, they had tried to do before).

 The costuming of this comeback deserves an honourable mention: they have been wearing some extraordinary suits on stage, and they are always tailored perfectly. Some favourites: M Countdown on 15/06, Music Bank on 23/06, Inkigayo on 25/06, Music Core on 01/07.

 I have especially come to appreciate the fact that the members of Pentagon have different enough physical builds (some tall, some short, some bulky, some skinny) to never look like a shapeless mass of people even though there are ten members. Each of them gets a moment to shine on stage, which is not always the case when a group a lot of members. I don’t like big groups, but this one just works.

Cherry Bomb - NCT 127

I have a long history of loving NCT despite the mess of their structure, but why do they always look so unhappy and try-hard on stage? I can’t find a single performance where they seem to be enjoying what they are doing.

While I appreciate that they are trying to be edgy and experimental - something k-pop always needs more of - I feel that they missed the mark with Cherry Bomb. The dissonant voices, the distortion, the intense bass, the mismatched sections are too much to work as a pop product this time.

The repetition of various sentences (“I’m the biggest hit on the stage”, “빨리빨리 피해 right / Cherry bomb feel it yum”) in Cherry Bomb makes up for almost the entirety of the song, which gets really obnoxious really quickly. I found “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands” funny the first five times, then I was tired of it.

Differently from Cube with Pentagon, SM just can’t seem to find a song that gives space to every member of the group. Johnny and Haechan are basically invisible in the performance; WinWin and Yuta get to mouth to some of Taeyong’s lines, without actually singing any of them.

Once again, the rest of the album is quite good, but sounds like they were given the scraps of other groups (especially SHINee, in this case). What’s important to note is that literally any song would have been a catchier single than Cherry Bomb (full disclosure: they’ve still sold like 70,000 physical copies).

Archangels of the Sephiroth - Stellar

 I ended up sort-of following Stellar because they were someone else’s unfortunate favourite - that group that’s always on the edge of disbanding or worse, wallowing in their trainee debt until the end of time.

Archangels of the Sephiroth is a sharp turn from their previous concepts; they have added a new member, and to celebrate this they have gone down the fantasy/dark route with a music video in which they literally drown the new girl in a bathtub full of blood.

I don’t know why I’m so excited by the pseudo-satanic concept, but I love it and I love their new song. I like the intensity, the sort-of-mystical vibe, the shouty chorus, the big drums. I’m not so enthusiastic about the weird use of the Kabbalah they made in the insane additional material/game/alternate universe for the comeback (I was sure it was a Final Fantasy reference, oops), but I don’t have the instruments to understand how bad it is, so if you do, let me know. 

It’s bizarre to consider the title track Archangels of the Sephiroth in the context of the mini-album; the rest of the songs definitely belong to the “old” Stellar vibe, and most of them could have been good lead singles without the witchcraft.

  RAPID FIRE ROUND  

Stroke - Gummy

Whether Gummy qualifies as k-pop is part of a larger debate on what the label actually means, but this is hands down my favourite album of the month, so I will put it here anyway because I want to. Don’t miss Stop Talking and Room Service.

Shine Forever - Monsta X

Is this at all meant to be a conclusion to the story Monsta X started with All In (aka the song that got me into Monsta X)? Who managed to give some decent hair to Jooheon for the first time in his entire career? “I’m fascinated by the bright light of your beauty”?

Jinsoul - Loona

 I’ve been following Loona very very closely since the beginning of their debut project and I’ve been loving almost all of their releases (my favourites are still Heejin and Haseul). This second sub-unit of the final group has been receiving much more interest than any of the first five girls ever did, and I have to admit that I have fallen for Jinsoul’s future bass track Singin’ In The Rain. I’m curious to see how she and the other “girl crush” members will fit with the “innocent” ones ... in a year or so.

 MORE SONGS OF NOTE

I Smile - Day6

Finally - Mamamoo

Never and Hands on Me - Produce 101

What’s My Name? and Diamond - T-ara

Happy and Babyface - WJSN

STRAYS

Dreamcatcher save the day once more with their amazing rock covers:

iKON’s Bobby on King of the Mask Singer. His singing voice is incredible:

Is there anything better than Taemin’s Japanese releases? I don’t think so.

Day6 cover a bunch of Twice songs:

Kings of everything Seventeen on Immortal Songs:

#blackpink #g-dragon #bigbang #pentagon #NCT #stellar #monsta x #gummy #loona #kpop #k-pop

[fyexo]

200430 SuperM are the stylish K-pop superheroes destined for world domination

The allure of K-pop can be difficult to explain to the uninitiated – it’s much better to simply experience it in all of its polished pop glory. That’s easier said than done right now, but had you made it down to The O2 Arena in a pre-lockdown London at the end of February, you’d have had the ultimate introduction to the genre: a night with the aptly named K-pop supergroup, SuperM.

Despite having only debuted late last year with a five-track “mini album” (that also featured two additional instrumentals), SuperM managed to pack the 20,000-person capacity arena with feverish fans, each clutching the hefty light sticks that are considered essential armoury for K-pop concerts, which would later illuminate the venue in a synchronised sea of LED allegiance. How do you land a gig at the UK’s second-largest indoor arena with only five songs to entice potential ticket purchasers with?

Well, its seven members have already been in the limelight for some time now, rising to fame in other boy bands managed their record label, SM Entertainment, who put them together with the aim of them becoming “the Avengers of K-pop”. Now 26, Taemin has been a part of Shinee since the tender age of 14; Baekhyun and Kai have been performing as part of Exo for almost a decade; Taeyong and Mark debuted with NCT in 2016; and Ten and Lucas have been a part of WayV since 2018. You can tell which band member pulled in which fans by analysing their light sticks: slime-green cubes for NCT’s Taeyong and Mark, turquoise crystals for Shinee’s Taemin, white hexagons for Exo’s Baekhyun and Kai and a green V for WayV’s Ten and Lucas, while SuperM’s own light stick is bright pink.

“I definitely never predicted that K-pop would become so loved by so many all over the world,” says 27-year-old Baekhyun backstage before the show. For many of the band’s members, this is their first time performing in London and their excitement is palpable, as they sing and joke around between themselves before sitting down to be interviewed. “I’m really thankful for all the artists and groups that worked hard and eventually paved the way for the genre to be where it is today, especially looking at how many fans there are globally and how open people are to different genres and cultures,” Baekhyun continues. “That in turn pushes us to work even harder.” What does hard work look like to SuperM? “Well, we practice hard… all night long, until we all get the choreography down.”

It may sound gruelling, but their rehearsal schedule sure pays off. On stage, SuperM attack their dance routines with military precision, with footwork so intricate that it’s a miracle they have time to catch their breath, let alone sing. By the end of the show, many of them look as though they’ve just run in from a sudden downpour, dripping in sweat and panting for air in between statements of gratitude towards the crowd. Just as well, then, that they’d saved their most intense song, “Jopping”, for last, a track that swells rock, pop, house and hip-hop influences around the catchy hook of “Cause when we jumping and popping, we jopping.” It’s the kind of song that wouldn’t sound too out of place on a superhero film soundtrack and, to be honest, the band members could probably scrub up to be pretty decent superheroes themselves – no doubt doing their own stunts as well.

It’s clear to see that SuperM are having the time of their lives, as seven guys in their twenties travelling the world, reaping the rewards of years of practice and dedication. The best part is that, despite being put together by their record label, the members genuinely seem to get on with each other. “It’s our first time touring together as SuperM and the bond has gotten a lot stronger between us as we’ve spent time together,” explains Baekhyun, who, as the group’s leader, is the most vocal. “On a regular day, we like to eat together or, if we have time, go out and shop together.” It turns out that the band had even found time to squeeze in a quick shopping trip around London before their show and, as Mark lets the audience know during the show, Taeyong went on a big splurge at Dover Street Market.

If you've already noticed the band's impeccable sense of style (and you should have; at any given time they each look as though they could be walking down the runway at fashion week), you're probably wondering what kinds of clothes SuperM like to fill their shopping bags with. Taeyong likes to keep things classic, anchoring his outfits with a black base. “Then I accessorise more on the jewellery side,” he explains. The bleach-blond-haired Taemin takes a slightly different approach, tailoring his looks to his surroundings. “When I travel, I tend to have a certain concept or image in mind for that particular city or region I’m travelling to,” he describes of his styling technique. “Sometimes I’ll dress up my outfits a bit more if I feel like it matches my perception of that city or the atmosphere, or maybe put on a coat, or maybe go all black.” Baekhyun leans more towards streetwear, favouring brands such as Supreme, but when it comes to selecting pieces he takes a similar approach to Kai, who depends on reliable basics. “I think sticking to nice basics is key, so you don’t look so over-the-top and look comfortable,” he says. As for Mark, Lucas and Ten, they prioritise comfort over anything else. “I usually think of all the clothes that I can dance in,” explains Lucas. “I think the base of whatever I wear comes from dancing.”

On the way home from their blockbuster show at The O2, I feel as though I'm coming down from a state of giddy delirium, riding a residual high from the non-stop energy that consumed the arena for the past two hours. I can only imagine how SuperM must feel, having performed the show in Paris and across the US in the weeks prior. There's been much said about the demanding nature of the K-pop industry and the impact it has on its stars. Although the band are all in high spirits, even from the eye of a spectator it looks exhausting. “We’re just like everyone else, we like to unwind the same way everyone does,” says Baekhyun when I ask how they find time to de-stress within their schedules. “Some of us like playing games, or some of us will go to the spa to relax.” Taemin cheekily chips in that some of the band members have also recently begun hitting the gym to let off some steam. “Yes, we’ve been working out hard,” agrees Baekhyun. This clearly tickles Mark, who lets out a loud laugh, in turn sparking a wave of what I assume is playful banter among the group.

And that's the beauty of K-pop, the fact that, even if there's a language barrier, you can still understand the heart and meaning behind a sentiment. In the past few years, the genre has done a phenomenal job of bridging cultures and uniting fans all over the world.

SuperM are in lockdown right now, but they've been live-streaming gigs online for their fans, complete with revised choreography and AR effects, and took part in Lady Gaga's “One World: Together At Home” concert last week. At times like these, their power to connect audiences globally feels more significant than ever. When all this is over, the Avengers of K-pop will assemble, ready for world domination, but, for now, turn up the music and get jopping in your living room. It's a guaranteed mood booster, promise.

Source: Olive Pometsey @ GQ

#exo #kai #baekhyun #t: interview