The MNET Asian Music Awards are finally upon us! The week-long awards started in Vietnam this past weekend, with another show in Japan and the main event in Hong Kong. After over a month of online voting, fans all over the world are waiting to find out which K-Pop acts will come out on top. Many categories are a head-to-head battle between EXO and BTS, but there are so many other questions to answer: Will all the recent hype over BTS in the US affect an Asian awards ceremony? Will EXO manage to grab their fifth daesang for Best Album? With three comebacks each, will TWICE or Red Velvet be named the top girl group of 2017? And after enjoying years of favoritism, will any YG artists get recognized at all? This year’s definitely going to be an interesting one.
That Time I Went to See SF9: Be My Fantasy in Boston
Being a Western K-pop fan can be frustrating if you want to go to concerts. Though more and more groups are embarking on world tours, usually “world” really just means “Asia and a select few other countries.” There’s an intense debate among international fans over which continent is truly the “K-pop desert,” but let’s face it: we’ve all got it rough. That’s why it’s so thrilling when you live in a minor city and a group you like decides to come to your own hometown.
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TWICE Profile Added + Plans for November
Happy November! (Late per usual, but whatever) I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Mine was quite low-key, because it’s not as big a deal in France as it is in the US. It’s mostly just a party theme for the weekend before. All my grad school friends were on October break and I’m a huge introvert anyway, so I just stayed in and played a Nancy Drew game (Ghost of Thornton Hall, in case there are any other ND fans out there). And I managed to get massively scared, despite the fact that I’m a grown ass woman I’ve played it three times already.
NU’EST W Comeback Review: “Where You At”
It’s been quite a year for NU’EST. Though they started 2017 on the verge of disbandment, they’re ending it more popular than ever before. They saw joining Produce 101 as a last-ditch effort, but in reality the show brought them more love and attention than they could have ever expected. With Minhyun in Wanna One, many were anticipating what NU’EST W’s comeback would be like. I’ll admit that I’m highly biased, but I think everything about “Where You At” is excellent. In fact, it’s one of my favorite releases of this entire year – perhaps even the favorite.Continue reading “NU’EST W Comeback Review: “Where You At””
Favorites of 2017: September
September started off what is turning out to be a long string of boy group comebacks, and my tastes are reflected accordingly. I really do try to stay balanced and listen to both girl and boy groups, but unfortunately, that doesn’t always work out. I confess that I spent most of my attention on EXO and BTS: the former because they’re my favorite group, and the latter because I was really impressed with their latest music. However, many groups reminded me that I shouldn’t be forgetting about them either.
That’s Right My Type: An Appreciation Post for NU’EST’s JR
October has been all about the rise of NU’EST W, from topping charts to getting their first ever music show win after five long years. They even got nominated for Best Male Group at the MAMAs this year! (I don’t think they’ll win, but wouldn’t that be nice?) If 2017 in K-Pop has proven anything, it’s that NU’EST are reversal icons and dreams can come true. So of course this month’s choice is the man who brought me and so many others to this wonderful group: Kim Jonghyun, also known as JR.
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Rapid(ish) Reviews, September 2017: B1A4, B.A.P., GFriend, and More
August was hectic, and October and November are shaping up to be just as wild. So September provided a nice little breather! Things were on the lighter side, but there were still plenty of comebacks to enjoy. I’ll admit I spent most of my time fangirling over EXO and BTS, but some of my other favorite groups came back with some quality music.
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[POLL] MAMA 2017 Nominees: Who Will Come Out On Top?
Awards season is coming, and the MNET Asian Music Awards (hereafter referred to as MAMA) is kicking things off with a bang! It’s only been two days, and my social media feeds are already filled with people discussing the nominations. As I write this, fans all over the world are diligently trying to get on MNET’s bugging website and vote for their favorites. I’m multifandom, so I’m having a really hard time choosing. Also, my computer seems to hate that site. So I thought I’d do something a little different!
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BTS Comeback Review: “DNA”
BTS is the group to beat right now. After exploding in popularity last year, they’ve continued to achieve new heights both in their home country and the international K-Pop market. There’s been so much buzz around them lately, from their Billboard award to their associations with popular Western artists like The Chainsmokers. The problem with massive popularity, however, is how quickly it can appear over-hyped. This is especially true in K-Pop, where a fandom’s job is basically to support and promote the group in any way possible.
To be clear, I really like BTS. I even converted my boyfriend into an ARMY (though he’ll never admit it). But I must confess that sometimes I catch myself wondering, “Are they really as amazing as everyone says they are? Are they really on such a different level from other groups?” When you’re constantly exposed to superficial things like memes and fangirl/fanboy posts on Tumblr, it’s easy to forget the skills and savvy that got BTS to where they are today. Luckily, “DNA” is the perfect reminder.
NU’EST Profile Added + Mid-Month Checkin
Hey all! I noticed that I’ve gotten into the habit of providing updates around this time every month, so I figured I’d make it a thing. I’ve had more time on my hands and I’ve been posting more frequently, but I’m playing catch up. Hopefully I’ll be on track by the end of October! So here’s the latest news on what I’m planning for this blog:
Profiles
October’s boy group of the month is NU’EST W! I’m super obsessed with “Where You At” and have been playing it nonstop. You should definitely give it a listen if you haven’t already. I also updated the profile for GOT7 in anticipation for their comeback, so it’s all nice and reformatted. I’m not sure if there’s going to be a girl group for October…I was planning on it being Twice, but since they’re coming back on the 30th it might be better to just push them to November.
Reviews
I’m just about finished with September! There should be a review for BTS and “DNA” out in the next couple days, and then my Rapid(ish) Reviews and Favorites posts should come out quickly after that. Then I’ll launch into October. I’m not sure which solo reviews I’ll do yet, but they’ll most likely be GOT7 and NU’EST.
Miscellaneous
*I was planning on alternating between male and female biases for the That’s Right, My Type column, but Twice’s late comeback put a wrench in those plans (again). This month I’ve chosen NU’EST W’s JR, who we all know captured my heart during Produce 101.
*Last month I mentioned on working on an EXO quiz. I finally got all the material together to make one, but their comeback’s long over. So I’m going to put that on hold and choose a new group. I might get my act together and do a quiz for one of the boy groups that’s currently promoting, but it’s more likely that I’ll wait until November for Wanna One’s comeback.
*This fall’s going to get crazy with all of the survival shows! I was planning on recapping them like I did with Produce 101, but we’ll see how that turns out. It depends on how much time I have and how quickly subs come out. If I choose one to recap though, it will most likely be The Unit.
That’s it for now! I hope you’re all enjoying the wealth of excellent music we’ve been blessed with this month. I know I have!
Love, K
Katherine Does K-POP 