Katherine Does K-POP

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Don’t Fight the Feeling” by EXO

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know how much I love EXO. They weren’t the ones who got me into K-pop, but they were the second group I discovered and they quickly became one of my favorites. They’ve consistently remained in my Top 5 groups throughout the years, and seeing them in Seoul in 2019 was hands down one of my best K-pop concert experiences. Since EXO is currently in the middle of their military service period, full-group comebacks are sadly few and far in between. But before Baekhyun and Chanyeol enlisted (cry), they and the other available members were able to gift us with a special album – and it’s everything we were hoping for.

Katherine’s K-pop Recap: June 7-13, 2021

A summary of the news, current and upcoming comebacks, charts and music show wins, and more!
(Sorry this is a little later than normal – this past week and weekend have been pretty crazy for me)

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Gambler” by Monsta X

Monsta X was one of the very first K-pop groups I discovered and started following, so they’re truly near and dear to my heart. One of the great things about being a long-time K-pop fan is seeing how your favorite groups evolve over the years, and I’ve really loved watching Monsta X’s musical journey in particular. You all know I love my dance jams, so their signature sound has always been right up my alley. And while I’m totally satisfied with that, I also appreciate how they’ve been able to expand their concept into other kinds of strong and sexy. Now a respected veteran group, the mature confidence of their latest comeback “Gambler” shows just how far they’ve come.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “OX1=Love Song (I Know I Love You)” by TXT

It’s pretty clear TXT is blossoming as one of the leaders of K-pop’s fourth generation. And while they’re doing really well for themselves now, I predict that success and popularity is going to rise exponentially over the next few years. But although I definitely see and understand the hype, I must admit I don’t personally feel it myself. I think it’s because their debut seemed very young to me, and I haven’t really clicked with many of their singles except for “Run Away” – which I really just listened to a bunch rather than watching any videos or using it as an opportunity to get to know TXT. So I’m not super invested in them at this point, but I have a lot of students who love them and some friends who do too. Because of this, I always lowkey hope that each comeback is the one that will make me more interested.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Hello” by Joy

I was absolutely delighted to hear that Joy would be the next Red Velvet member to get a solo album. I wasn’t expecting that at all, so it was a wonderful and welcome surprise. Her solo debut is a little unique in that her album is actually all remakes of songs, specifically Korean tracks from the 1990’s and 2000’s. It’s an interesting choice, but also pretty logical given that Joy has done covers for drama OSTs before and they’ve been well-received. While part of me wants to see what she could do with some original music, it’s undeniable that this kind of sound is pretty much perfect for her.

Favorites of 2021: May

(I feel like this post comes out later every time I do it, but life has been truly crazy lately @.@) Up until this point, picking a few favorites each month was pretty easy. I found myself naturally gravitating towards some comebacks more than others, and everything just kind of fell into place. But now that more and more groups are starting to drop new music, it’s getting really difficult. May had so many great releases that I had a really hard time choosing just four! I managed to narrow things down for my monthly favorites, but don’t be surprised to see a bunch of May songs pop up in my ongoing year-long lists.

Katherine’s K-Pop Recap: May 31 – June 6

A summary of the news, current and upcoming comebacks, charts and music show wins, and more!

K-Pop Starter Kit: What’s In Store for June

Happy June, everyone! Because of some shifts in my schedule, my plans for the K-pop Starter Kit have changed just a bit from what I’ve said before. So, I just wanted to briefly talk about what I’m going to do this month before I start in earnest.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “First” by EVERGLOW

EVERGLOW is a group that I’ve definitely had my eye on for the past couple of years. Their music and aesthetic are both totally my style, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that I live for their comebacks. They reeled me in from the beginning with “Bon Bon Chocolat,” and I’ve been here ever since. While girl crush is trendy in K-pop, there are few groups who are really willing to go all-in on that concept and deliver truly fierce and powerful music. Not only does EVERGLOW eagerly take on that challenge, but they’ve been building their whole discography off of it. Since this is something I very much vibe with, I was definitely intrigued to see what their latest comeback would bring.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Butter” by BTS

I’ve been listening to BTS for over five years now, and I’m constantly impressed by everything they’ve accomplished. I’ve seen their whole meteoric increase in global popularity – something that will never cease to amaze me – and I’m certain that “Butter” will help their star rise even higher. That being said, I must confess that my personal interest level in them has plateaued due to way too much overexposure. I’m a multifan at heart, and my style is to completely immerse myself in a group’s comeback and then take a break to balance things out. This doesn’t work with BTS because they’re everywhere in South Korea; since I moved here, I’ve never had the chance to take a step back and renew that enthusiasm. So I’ve always liked them and I always will, but I’m just not spending too much time on them right now. Thankfully, it seems like “Butter” might start changing that for me.