Katherine Does K-POP

Katherine’s K-Pop Recap: March 15 – 21, 2021

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

Knee Jerk Reaction: “After School” by Weeekly

Weeekly is yet another rookie group that I’m not super familiar with. I pretty much just know them as the latest group from Apink and Victon’s agency (Play M). I can recognize a couple of the members, but I don’t know most of their names. And while I did listen to their first two singles, I don’t really recall what they sound like. (Though I do remember I found them pleasant yet just a little cute and young for my tastes.) So I wasn’t really expecting to be into their latest comeback, but I have to admit: there’s something about “After School” that piques my interest.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Killa” by MIRAE

MIRAE, the latest boy group from DSP Media, is the third rookie to debut this week. I literally know nothing about them except that one of the members is Son Dongpyo, who famously competed on Produce X 101 and was part of the short-lived X1. Plus there’s one other member was also on Produce X 101 and two who did Under Nineteen – but I don’t really recognize them because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the former and I never watched the latter. (Sorry!) So, I went into this music video with no idea what to expect.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “House Party” by Super Junior

IT’S FINALLY HERE! At long last, Super Junior’s tenth full album (originally meant to celebrate their 15th anniversary) has been released. I have been waiting for this moment for months, and I’m so happy to have another Super Junior comeback to jump headlong into. Since they’re one of my favorite groups, I was originally planning to set aside some time and do an in-depth review and analysis. But because I generally avoid teasers – especially music video previews – “House Party” ended up being a total surprise for me. While there’s a lot that I want to say, I don’t think I can convey it all using the structure that I specifically set up for my reviews. And also… I had another crazy busy week. (^^”’) So Knee Jerk Reaction it is!

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Young Blood” by Drippin

Woollim Entertainment’s newest group Drippin made their first ever comeback this week. Like many of the current male rookies out there, I know *of* them but not much *about* them. The main thing I’m aware of is that former X1 alumni Cha Junho is a member (and possibly the group’s face?), along with several other Produce X 101 participants. I do remember liking their debut single, so I decided to check out their latest release as well.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Do or Not” by Pentagon

Pentagon is truly a group that’s been through so much. I’ve detailed their ups and downs in some posts before, and I probably will again once I resume my Road to Kingdom recaps. So this time, I’ll just say that last year was thankfully a turning point for them in many ways. They poured a lot of their emotions and experiences into their work, making some of the best music they’ve ever had (in my opinion). They appeared on Road to Kingdom and got some increased visibility, and all their efforts paid off: they FINALLY earned their very first music show win with their last comeback “Daisy.” So now that things are more stable for Pentagon, they’ve made a return to the more upbeat style of music they originally became known for.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “Ponzoña” by PURPLE KISS

FINALLY, I get to write about a girl group again! Nothing against boy groups, but I feel like I’ve been covering so many of them lately. And I normally listen to an even mix of both, so I’ve been feeling rather out of balance for a while. Thankfully, PURPLE KISS has provided me with something new to fixate on. They’re the latest girl group to debut from RBW Entertainment, the agency most known for creating MAMAMOO. I felt like I’d been hearing about RBW’s plans to launch another girl group for a couple of years, so this was one debut announcement that definitely caught my attention. By the way, it’s worth noting that PURPLE KISS has released two pre-release tracks; however, I didn’t watch or listen to either yet so I could experience their debut with a completely fresh perspective.

Knee Jerk Reaction: “I Like You” by Ciipher

This week is a super busy one for K-pop – not only are several groups having comebacks, but we also have a few rookies making their debut. First up is Ciipher, formed by veteran soloist Rain under his own agency Rain Company. Some of the members might already be familiar to you – especially if you watch survival shows. One of them was on No Mercy, the show that eventually formed Monsta X, six (!!!) years ago. Two of them were formerly under YG and appeared on YG Treasure Box with future members of TREASURE. Another competed on Produce X 101 as a former Starship Entertainment trainee with future members of CRAVITY. And yet another was on Under Nineteen and made it into the temporary group 1the9. (And I also think one of them is/was on High School Rapper???) Since most of the members have some experience, I was definitely curious to see what their debut would be like.

Katherine’s K-Pop Recap: March 8 – 14, 2021

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

Knee Jerk Reaction: “On the Ground” by Rosé

Rosé’s song is FINALLY here! After many months (and a couple years) of promises, YG has finally delivered and brought us the much anticipated solo debut of BLACKPINK’s main vocalist. While I’m constantly frustrated by YG and their annoying delay tactics, I have to say: when they get something right, they really get it right. “On the Ground” is absolutely perfect for Rosé, and it’s everything I imagined and more.