Music Sharing | July Releases

Hello!

I wanted to talk about some of the song releases that I listened to last July.

 MORE & ARSON BY J-HOPE 

Photo taken from Google Images.

These two songs are from J-Hope’s solo release. “More” is the pre-release song and I think “Arson” is the title track.

“More” was released last July 1 and I first watched the music video on July 3. While “Arson” was released on July 15 and I was able to first watch the music video on July 24.

Before the release of the music videos, especially “More”, I knew that I was going to see and hear a different side of J-Hope because of what I saw from the teasers. Despite this expectation, I was still really surprised and maybe slightly disoriented by the difference from his usual persona that I see when he’s with the members. 

Both songs seemed to have a darker, edgier, and more hardcore vibe which is the opposite of his usual persona which is more cheerful and sunny. So seeing this, I get why they also wanted to explore solo careers because they wanted to grow as artists. Seeing this side of J-Hope felt like he was letting us see this side of him that was previously hidden.

Also, after reading the English translations for the songs, we get his side of how they rose to fame. The passion they had and their plans for the future. We also learn how he felt and the struggles he had to overcome behind their achievement. 

Honestly, if this was another artist, I might not have listened to these songs. These are not usually the type of songs that I listen to. I honestly watched the music videos and listened to the songs because I wanted to support J-Hope’s solo release. I wanted to support their solo careers as much as I supported them as a group. Plus, as a fan, I think this is also a way to learn more about them as individuals because we kind of see different sides of them so we get to see them as multi-faceted artists.

 SNEAKERS BY ITZY 

Photo taken from Google Images.

“Sneakers” is the title track to Itzy’s latest comeback. This was released on July 15 and I first watched the music video on July 24.

I’m confused about how I feel about this song. I like the song’s message and it aligns with their previous releases about confidence because the song is about not caring about what other people say or think and just going your way. I also think that the chorus part is catchy because it keeps playing in my head especially when I first heard the song.

However, I also felt like the song seems like a commercial jingle or a song whose target market is kids. It doesn’t hit the same or feel the same as their older songs which I really liked.

I hope they could find a way to incorporate their uniqueness from their older songs to their new songs because their newer releases were kind of disappointing for me considering how strong they were on their debut.

 READY FOR LOVE BY BLACKPINK 

Photo taken from Google Images.

This was released last July 29 and I first watched the music video on July 30. The music video was released in partnership with PUBG Mobile so the entire music video was set in the PUBG world using the girls’ PUBG avatar. (Sorry I’m not familiar with how you call it.)

But this was not the first time I heard it because when I learned that this song was used in their movie, I tried looking for this song. I think I found a couple of uploaded lyric videos of this song but it didn’t have the quality of their usual releases. So I hoped that they would release this song on an album someday. 

So when I learned that they will release this song, I was excited. I wish they also released a music video with the girls and not just the one with their avatars but I’m just thankful that they released this song because I love it. I hope that they’ll include this in their “Born Pink” album so that it would show up on Spotify because the last time I checked, it still wasn’t there. I want to be able to listen to this song without having to go to Youtube and use wifi or my data just to listen to it.

So that’s it. I’m going to do a separate post on the new releases that I listened to in August since August isn’t over yet.

Bye!

6th Anniversary

Hello!

I can’t believe it’s been six years since I started this blog. After realizing that, I actually got a bit sad that I was unable to celebrate the fifth anniversary last year. But at least I didn’t miss this year’s anniversary.

The realization that it’s been six years since I started really surprised me. Because though I haven’t been the best at staying consistent with writing, especially in the recent years, it’s still a personal project that I had kept up and going for years. 

I hope in the future I can improve and go back to being able to write more frequently because it is quite therapeutic to write. Also, writing about my experiences and the things I read, watch, or listen to helps me remember them. It also helps me think about them in a way that I don’t just let them pass by or I don’t just do them; I also take time to take note of different things and to reflect about them.

I hope to find that passion that inspired me to start writing in the first place.

Here’s to many more years to come!

I'm Back!!!

Hello!

I’m back!!!

I know I’ve been gone for a long time. I had been trying to find myself and piece myself back together. I had been feeling so unlike myself for a long time. I felt like I was on autopilot and I was only doing things to get by day to day. But because of that, I felt like I lost my essence.

But recently, I’ve been feeling a lot better. I started doing things that I love again and I’ve been more present.

Since I’ve started doing things that I love again, I had thought about starting to write again for some time now. But I kept hesitating because I felt like I still can’t commit to it as much as I used to. On the other hand, I do miss writing very much. And I guess today is the day that I finally got myself to start again. I do feel a bit rusty while doing this. I feel like I have so much to say and to share but at the same time, I can’t find the words. But I’m just so happy that I’m actually starting again.

I also want to get back to sharing the things that I’ve loved so I might go back to writing about books I’ve read, movies or shows that I’ve watched, and song I’ve listened to.

But for now, I guess this is it for me. I just wanted to write a bit because I miss doing this.

Bye and I hope to come back soon!

Songs I’ve loved in July and August 2020

Hello!

Sorry about posting a day late but I just couldn’t finish writing in time due to my schedule so I decided to post a day later instead of skipping and just posting next weekend.

So moving on to the actual post…

The last time I posted about a song that I’ve listened to was when I posted about “What You Waiting For” by Somi. From the time that I posted that until now, I listened to more Kpop song releases. So since I’ve listened to many songs and didn’t post about them around the time that I initially listened to them, I’ll just write about them together in one post.

“Make You Happy” by NiziU

Photo taken from Google Images.

I’ve listened to this song since it first came out in July and I’ve loved it since then. 

The group initially reminded me of Twice’s older songs and style. They also have the same number of members and were formed through a competition. So off the bat, since I saw some similarities with Twice, I already seemed to immediately like them.

So moving on to the song and music video… I think what made me love this song was how upbeat and cheerful it is so it kind of brings me good vibes whenever I listened to it. I think the title really captures the energy of the song because the song makes you feel happy. It’s just so upbeat and danceable that it’s kind of hard to be sad while listening to it.

Also, the brightness and the cheery colors used in the music video gives off this happy and cheerful vibe that it reminded me of fun and happiness. Plus JYP’s cameo and the look that Nina gave him when he fell down was really funny. 

I also love the Korean version of the song. It didn’t feel as off compared to when I listened to some Japanese songs translated into Korean.

As for the performance video, I liked watching it although the camera work wasn’t the best. I loved seeing their choreography. I think I actually preferred the performance video over the music video which is why I kind of wished they released it using the Japanese version of the song. But since I also liked the Korean version, I didn’t actually mind that much.

“Dynamite” by BTS

Photo taken from Google Images.

The song and music videos were released in August.

I was really excited for this release especially when I learned that it would be their first fully English song. I was really happy because I would be able to finally understand the whole song without needing subtitles.

And when it finally came out and I got to watch the music video and listen to the song, it didn’t disappoint. I immediately loved the song because it sounds so retro, fun, and youthful. It kind of reminded me of some older song from like the 70s or 80s. I also liked the aesthetics of the video because it looked retro but with a modern twist.

I’m also really proud of the boys because their English pronunciations really improved. While listening to the song, I noticed that while their pronunciations may not be a hundred percent perfect or sound American because their accent still comes out from time to time, I still loved the effort that they put into writing and singing a song in English so that they can also connect with their foreign Armys.

I also liked the two music videos for the song. One was like a more “professional” music video and the other one showed them having fun, Viking around, and making mistakes and just laughing. It was kind of like the two sides to them. 

I also listened to some of the remixes of the song but I think I love the original one the best. Although the acoustic remix is coming in a close second.

“More & More” English version by Twice

Photo taken from Google Images.

I had been looking forward to this release when I first heard about it. So when this song was released last August I got really excited.

I think this is Twice’s first time to release an English version for one of their songs so it made me think that they might be on their way to releasing a fully English song and not an English version of their existing song.

I liked the song because I was able to understand the full song without subtitles but I think I still prefer the original Korean version just because it seemed to sound better that way. But I really hope that they release an original fully English song just like BTS’ “Dynamite”.

“Not Shy” by Itzy

Photo taken from Google Images.

This song was also released in August. I wasn’t as excited for this comeback because the teasers didn’t really excite me enough. I just looked forward to it because I’ve loved all of Itzy’s releases so far so I was hoping that this release wouldn’t let me down.

And good thing that I didn’t dismiss it immediately based on the teasers because I ended up loving this song. I think I might like this song the most out of all of their releases so far. Although I didn’t really like the music video for this that much. I think I prefer the performance videos for this just because with Itzy, I love watching their choreography.

I also didn’t love their styling here that much. It really fit the whole Western cowboy aesthetic with a twist. It also looked a bit different from their previous styles but I think it only looked good because the girls are pretty and they were able to make the outfits work. 

“Ice Cream” by Blackpink x Selena Gomez

Photo taken from Google Images.

I had been looking forward to this release ever since I first heard of it because I initially didn’t like “How You Like That”. (FYI, I now love it. I guess all it took was for me to watch the performance video and play it over and over again.)

I think I really looked forward to this because at that time, I hoped that this would sort of be their “redemption” song for me because when this was initially announced, I still didn’t really like their last release. Also, since “How You Like That” showed their “black” side, I was curious how they were going to showcase their “pink” side with this song.

When I first listened to the song, I thought that it was fully in English. But when I listened after a few times, I noticed that one of Lisa’s raps was in Korean. It was only a very short portion so I think that’s why I didn’t notice it right away.

I’m also impressed with Jisoo’s English pronunciation here. Based on other English songs that I’ve heard her sing, I think she’s greatly improved. I hope she gets more lines in the future including in their collaborations with other artists.

I also thought that this song was more sexy and mature because of the lyrics. I think that the song kind of had sexy double meanings when you really try to understand the lyrics. Also, I’m kind of used to seeing Selena in sexy outfits but I was surprised of some of the outfits that Blackpink wore for the music video. It actually makes me feel glad that they have a new stylist now because we see them in a variety of outfits, hairstyle, and makeup looks.

I think all in all, the song had a cheerful and sexy vibe. I think it would have been a good summer song.

So to cap it all off, I loved all of the song releases this July and August. They really made me feel happy and excited for future releases.

That’s all for now, bye!

Thoughts: “Fall In Love With Me”

Photo taken from Google Images.

Hello!

Last July 11, I finished watching “Fall In Love With Me” on Netflix. It is a Taiwanese series starring Aaron Yan and Tia Lee. 

I started watching this series after finishing “Just You” and I ended up loving that series. So when I learned that Aaron Yan was starring in this series too, I decided to watch it next since it was also saved on my list.

I think I saved it on my list because I wanted to watch it after being curious about it after reading the summary. I wanted to know how they were going to pull it off seeing that the girl was supposed to dislike this guy but she likes his alter ego.

Anyways…

[Note: Please stop reading at this point if you don’t like spoilers.]

In this series, Tia Lee plays the role of Tao Le Si who is a hard working girl who is managing OZ. OZ is Tao Le Si’s brother’s company that she was running after he passed away after an accident when he was tried to save Lu Tian Xing from getting hit by a car when Lu Tian Xing and Tao Le Si were still kids.

On the other hand, Lu Tian Xing is a CEO of Sky Rider which is a big advertising company.

One day, Lu Tian Xing decided to take a break because he wanted to take a step back and rediscover his passion for what he was doing. It wasn’t that he was not doing well at his job, but he was starting to feel like he was losing his passion for creating stories that would touch people’s hearts through his advertisements.

After he decided to announce his break at a press junket, he tried to run away from his friend and Sky Rider’s COO, Lance by going out while disguising himself. After getting out of the building, he was walking around and he came across the OZ team who were trying to shoot a commercial. He ended up helping them as Xiao Lu. There, he found out that OZ wasn’t doing so well.

We eventually learn that OZ actually holds a special place in Lu Tian Xing’s heart because he met Tao Le Si’s brother before and he was the one who inspired him to go into advertising to make commercials that would touch people’s hearts and make an impact on the viewers.

So of course, when he learned that OZ wasn’t doing so well, he wanted to help out. At first, he tried to buy it off of the Tao family but they didn’t want to because that was their son’s company and they would like to hold on to it for him and for Tao Le Si who also dreams to be like her brother. After failing to buy it off from the Tao family, he decided to help the OZ team by continuing to pretend to be Xiao Lu and going to work there for minimum to no charge. He just tells them that he really wants to help because he’s a fan of the advertisements done by OZ.

While working together, Tao Le Si and Lu Tian Xing develops feelings for each other. Of course, on Tao Le Si’s part, she thought that she loves Xiao Lu and still dislikes Lu Tian Xing for being arrogant and trying to take OZ from her and her family. But she also learns a lot from him because he teaches her to become more of a leader and learn how to handle difficult situations without letting her emotions take control.

Because Lu Tian Xing fell in love with Tao Le Si but she loved Xiao Lu, he decided to stop pretending to be Xiao Lu so that Tao Le Si could fall in love with him instead. But that ended up complicating things further because Tao Le Si got really upset and sad when Xiao Lu left and cannot be contacted especially after she confesses her feelings for him.

With this, Lu Tian Xing decided that maybe he could live as Xiao Lu and make Lu Tian Xing disappear because if Tao Le Si could only love Xiao Lu, then he was okay to live that life as long as they were together.

But of course, no lie can be hidden forever. Tao Le Si soon learns that Xiao Lu and Lu Tian Xing are one person. She feels mad at him for lying to her and for scheming to get ownership of OZ after she lets Xiao Lu gets a share of the company after lending money to help keep OZ running. She thought that that was his way of cheating them to handing him over more shares so that he can take control of OZ. But actually, we know that he did that because he truly cares for her and the company.

Skipping to the end, they end up getting married after a lot of obstacles have come their way.

All in all, I actually liked the plot line of the story but I think around half of it was not as interesting as I had hoped. I thought that maybe if they didn’t have to fill that many episodes, the story would have been better because a lot of crazy things happened that seemed so unnecessary and irrelevant. It kind of made me lose some interest in the story.

But the first part was really nice because although it had a bit of drama, it still felt a bit lighthearted because there were a lot of comedic reliefs and interesting side stories.

But since I wanted to know what would happen in the end, I decided to keep watching and power through the many episodes.

I’m not sure if I’m going to be watching it again but I think I would recommend it for those who like really like watching drama series just because I don’t think everyone would have enough patience to sit through this if they weren’t that interested in watching these types of shows.

That’s all for now, bye!

Thoughts: BTS’ Bon Voyage Season 1

Photo taken from Google Images.

Hello!

I finished watching BTS’ “Bon Voyage” season 1 on Vlive last July 05, 2020. I watched it after finishing season 4 on Weverse. 

This season coincided with their third anniversary so they were still kind of young . For this season, they travelled around Northern Europe, namely, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

From the beginning, you can really tell how young and immature they were still because they kept losing their belongings. They also played around a lot and were constantly trying to prank each other. Also, it was kind of easy to tell that they were not really used to getting around foreign places or countries yet without the help of their managers and staff.

It was also so cute to see them get so excited over the places they visited or the scenery and the food. 

I think two of the unforgettable scenes for me would be when V got lost and when RM lost his passport. 

V getting lost is memorable for me because he was so chill about the whole situation. He even walked around with the cameraman and took photos of the beautiful scenery that they passed. And then the scene cut to Jimin being worried about him. It was a bit funny because the members were becoming worried for him but he was just there walking around and enjoying the scenery and being so chill. I kind of aspire that kind of calmness when dealt with stressful situations because he managed to find a good experience out of something that would have been super stressful.

The second unforgettable moment was when RM lost his passport because that was just so sad for me. They were all looking forward to enjoying the trip together but because he lost his passport, he couldn’t join them in the final leg of their travel to Finland. Then I got sadder when he said that he was looking forward to that part of the trip because they were going to a Santa Park. He was really looking forward to that because he loved and believed in Santa while growing up and he wanted to see the place. But the members were so cute in always remembering him during their time in Finland. 

That’s all for now. If you are hesitating on whether to purchase access to this series, I am encouraging you to go for it because they’re really funny and the places they went to are beautiful. So you get to enjoy BTS content while enjoying the beautiful places that they went to.

Bye!

Thoughts: “What You Waiting For” by Somi

Photo taken from Google Images.

Hello!

Somi had recently released her music video for “What You Waiting For” last July 22.

I first learned about her comeback after seeing Blackpink promote it on their Instagram account. Since I liked “Birthday”, I got a bit excited about her comeback.

Coincidentally, last July 22, her music video was recommended on my Youtube feed so I immediately clicked on it to check it out.

First of all, I liked the song. I thought that it was really catchy. It was also impressive how much different it felt and sounded from “Birthday”. It was more mature and I think it fit her new image more because it seemed edgier and more grown up instead of leaning on the more cutesy stuff. The message of the song also seems a bit more grown up because based on the English translations, the song was about liking someone but that person hasn’t told him/her how he/she felt. Because of that, the person is upset and starts to doubt the other person’s feelings.

Second, I think Somi tried a new singing technique for this song because she sounded the same but at the same time different. I can’t really explain it well but I think it really suited the song and showed her versatility as a performer.

Third, the music video looked good. It was darker and less colorful but it really suited the song’s feelings. Also, she didn’t have as much outfits compared to the “Birthday” music video but I think her outfits here looked way better and more expensive. She also looks really pretty and more grown up here. Her light brown hair color really suits her. I also liked her expressions because she looked like someone who was really upset so she was disconnected from the people around her who were having a good time.

Although, I noticed that she seemed to have lost a noticeable amount of weight. I hope she’s keeping healthy.

All in all, I liked the music video and the song. I’ve been repeatedly watching it and listening to the song because it’s currently stuck in my head which makes me want to listen to it over and over again. I’m looking forward to watching her perform this song on stages because I really like it. I’m also looking forward to her outfits for her performances because I hope that they’ll look as good and classy as her outfits in the music video. 

That’s all for now, bye!

Thoughts: BTS’ Bon Voyage Season 4

Photo taken from Google Images.

Hello!

I’m sorry about not being able to post last week. I took a short break because I started feeling overwhelmed by writing and I was having a sort of a writing block.

Anyways…

Around the latter part of June, I purchased Bon Voyage Season 4 on Weverse. I’ve wanted to buy it ever since I joined Weverse but I was initially afraid of spending money using my bank accounts. I’m the type of person who actually prefers paying in cash. So this was my first time to pay for something using my e-wallet accounts.

Purchasing this was really worth it not only because it was a BTS content but also because they explored a really beautiful country. 

I finished watching the series last June 26, 2020 after watching the series in a span of six days. The series had eight episodes and eight bonus contents.

In the show, we got to follow BTS as they travelled around New Zealand doing different activities and sightseeing. It was kind of like watching them on vacation because they were mostly in charge of where they were going to go, what they were going to do, where they were going to stay, and their mode of transport. But the kicker was that they had a budget that they must stick to. But throughout the series, I don’t think that they really stayed within their budget because when they wanted to buy clothes, they tended to buy using their own money. And they were so cute treating each other.

It was also really fun to watch the show because the boys were kind of able to just be themselves and enjoy their trip together. Also, New Zealand is so beautiful that it was nice seeing them enjoy in such a beautiful. It was also nice to kind of live vicariously through them to go around such a beautiful place and it inspired me really want to work hard so that I can save up to be able to travel to many beautiful places in the future.

I also found their made-up chant so cute especially when they started coming up with different versions.

After starting this series, it also made me want to purchase the other Bon Voyage seasons on Vlive. I actually initially wished that they were all on Weverse just to make it easier to have all of them together on one site. But since seasons one to three were uploaded on Vlive, I had to buy them there. As of this writing, I’m actually on Season 2. I’ve already finished Season 1 and I will be posting my thoughts on that soon.

That’s all for now, bye!

Thoughts: “Sour Candy” by Lady Gaga and Blackpink, “More & More” and “Fanfare” by Twice, “Stay Gold” by BTS, and “How You Like That?” By Blackpink

Hello!

From May to June, there had been a couple of releases from some of my favorite artists. I decided to put my thoughts about them together in one post because I’ve already written about them in my journal and I noticed that I have been behind in posting them here.

For some of these releases, I’ve been waiting for them ever since they were announced but for some, they came as a surprise just because I was unable to note down their releases or they were dropped without prior notices.

“Sour Candy” by Lady Gaga and Blackpink

Photo taken from Google Images.

I was kind of surprised about this collaboration first because I was unsure how their collaboration would go. Second is because, although I knew that they were going to have a collaboration released in May, I wasn’t able to pay attention to the date of the release so it surprised me when it popped up on my Youtube feed.

I was able to listen to the song on May 30 but I found out that it had been released two days prior which was on May 28.

I kind of had high expectations for this collaboration because I knew that Lady Gaga and Blackpink usually have really catchy songs and I was not disappointed. I thought that the song was really catchy although it seemed a bit too short for me. I hope someday they get to work together again because I think this song is good. I was also quite happy about this because I felt that it had been too long since we last got a Blackpink comeback so I think that at least we had this song to get us by while waiting for their latest comeback. (At that time, I was unaware that they will have a pre-release song that was coming out by June.)

Just a side note, I was slightly disappointed at the amount of lines for Jisoo because I thought that her voice suited this song especially because she and Lady Gaga had a bit of a deeper voice. As I recall, she only had two short lines for the entire song which was quite disappointing.

“More & More” by Twice

Photo taken from Google Images.

I was able to watch the music video for this last June 6 which was a few days after its release last June 1.

I felt that the intro prior to the song was quite long but I did like that it seems like they’ve tried a new style with lots of prints and a colorful nature feel. The song and the music video also seemed more mature which I think was a good move because they’re growing with their audience and they’re expanding their concepts. I think that this was a good way to show that they have range and versatility.

I thought that the song was very catchy and it seemed to me that it kind of had a summery vibe. I also thought that the music video style was similar to “Fancy” but more grown up.

I think this song exceeded my expectations because I thought that it might not be as catchy as their previous songs since it initially looked to me like a more mature and dark concept. I was pleasantly surprised at how catchy it was and how they were able to mix a more mature concept with a cheerful and fresh vibe.

“Fanfare” by Twice

Photo taken from Google Images.

This release also surprised me because I knew that they were also going to have a Japanese comeback after their “More & More” comeback but I didn’t pay attention to the dates again.

I liked that the intro actually sounded like a fanfare and that the whole song was cheerful and upbeat. It had a different feel from “More & More” which I think was a good choice because people might not like listening to similar songs released so close to each other and I think that a lot of Onces will listen to both songs.

There was just one set that I didn’t like which is the one with the piles of clothes because I didn’t think that it had the same aesthetics as the other sets. I also didn’t find it pretty to look at because it looked too cluttered and messy.

I also liked that the song seemed to be about cheering someone up and reassuring them that they are always by their side to cheer them on and support them. I think that by listening to the song, it just makes you have good vibes because it’s just so cheerful and happy.

“Stay Gold” by BTS

Photo taken from Google Images.

The release of this song also took me by surprise because I was just coming down from the high of the 2020 Festa. I also haven’t been able to keep track of their Japanese releases which is also another reason why this surprised me.

Although I had been aware of the song’s release prior to watching the music video yesterday, June 26, I never really got around to fully listening to it. Yesterday was the first time that I was able to sit down and actually watch the music video while listening to the song.

I actually liked the song because it kind of sounded like something you’d hear as an OST of a drama. I thought that it had so much emotion that it would have been a good part of a soundtrack for a series or a movie.

For some reason, this also seemed to me like they were going for a more mature concept. For some reason, the song kind of had that vibe to me probably because of how it sounded.

I loved the end portion with the beautiful trees and flowers landscape because it was so pretty to look at. It was so visually appealing to me with all of the soft and bright colors that seemed to fit the meaning of the song about not letting hardships dull your shine.

“How You Like That?” by Blackpink

Photo taken from Google Images.

I had been waiting for this song ever since I found out that they were releasing a pre-release single this June. So when it was released yesterday, I immediately watched it.

I actually had high expectations for this because they said that it is a part of their upcoming full-length album that they had been working on for some time now.

I think that they seemed edgier and more mature in this compared to their previous releases. It also sounded a bit different than what I had imagined it would be like based on the teasers. But I don’t think I like it very much especially compared to their previous releases. I didn’t think it was that catchy and I wasn’t as hyped about the chorus. I was actually kind of disappointed about this because I kind of expected more since it’s been about a year since their last comeback and their songs are usually bops. But this time, I felt like there was something missing or there’s something about the chorus that just doesn’t do it for me.

Although, I thought that their styling was good for this release. They all looked good and edgy and expensive.

I’m not sure if this song would grow on me if I listen to it more but I hope the rest of the songs in their upcoming album would be good. I’ll still keep my hopes up that I would love their other songs if I don’t grow to love this.

That’s all for now, bye!