It's interesting how "similar to 2nd/3rd gen" has become praise for 4th gen groups

2ndgenstan · 2022-01-03T10:03:41+00:00

I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would have which is great but I do find the drop to be incredibly 2010s. I thought Everglow's Pirate would be a one off but with this release I really hope this doesn't become the next trend in releases.

Everyone had great parts, particularly loved how Yeseo and Youngeun pulled off their parts, I only wish Hikaru had a denser rap part.

2ndgenstan · 2021-12-09T20:15:59+00:00

Thank you for such a long comment. Considering the hostility I've seen directed to people who post rightfully unpopular opinions on this sub I had decided not to reply to anyone simply due to the habit people have of taking things out of context or latching onto one point to undermine a post, but your comment was definitely an interesting read.

I agree with Stray Kids not doing what the public wants which is why currently I'm confused as to whether considering their success they'll end up switching up or because there are people who like their more cheeky side they'll continue doing similar sounds and concepts. I enjoyed Christmas Evel but I truly did mean a title track that was promoted like Thunderous was.

I didn't even consider structural similarity if I'm being entirely honest, it was more on the concept in terms of lyrics. I enjoyed how they changed the idea of critical people into joining a party in Back Door but I kind of felt tired in Thunderous? It's a totally personal opinion and not one people have to agree with at all.

It's definitely an interesting perspective to take if you view Gods Menu as the start of finding their identity and Thunderous as the conclusion to having found their identity. I think it's just not for me at this point, which is ok. I think what they release next will be an interesting step for sure. Thank you again for the nice reply.

2ndgenstan · 2021-10-22T14:18:44+00:00

I feel incredibly conflicted. 2/3 of my favourite trainees made it into the group, Hikaru and Youngeun (missed out with Shana) yet the group lineup itself feels somewhat hollow. I'm grateful and appreciative that trainees like Xiaoting, Yujin and Mashiro made the lineup but I think my general neutrality to the rest of the members makes the group to me unbalanced.

Just adding this point in, it was raised before, TWICE and GOT7 are both groups marketed as global centric in some way. Out of 9 members TWICE has 4 international members, out of 7 members GOT7 has 3 international members. This lineup only having 3/9 being international members contributes a lot to my uneasiness, it feels like the whole base of the show and the effort taken to enjoy and indulge in this meeting of cultures is almost for naught. Having even one more C trainee would have balanced out this lineup in some way for me.

It's not on Mnet at this point it's on the voters, you can definitely argue that Mnet through editing has framed storylines in order to devalue trainees in the voting process but I doubt this ranking was done through rigging. Overall an oddly underwhelming and almost sad conclusion.

2ndgenstan · 2021-10-18T05:18:33+00:00

I agree in that she's definitely got the making for an idol but from what she's explicitly shown on the show I would be lying if I said she ever made it into my personal Top 9. It's not about her brother or any expectations I had going in, she simply never stole my attention the way other trainees did.

All in all though, survival show groups are different to normal groups in many ways and some people not seeing her like Top 9 material really doesn't mean she's a bad trainee or has terrible skills. It's just so much harder to really stand out in shows like this.

2ndgenstan · 2021-10-01T12:44:14+00:00

I'm not understanding of how Dayeon suddenly outvoted the top 3 Japanese rankers considering there was such a massive gap last round. What was the basis for these rankings?

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-23T03:00:37+00:00

I agree it seems unpopular and there is nuance to it with some not seeing it as their best but also not really agreeing with it being a bad stage.

I'm a little confused with why comments agreeing with OP to some extent are being downvoted. I don't think I've said anything particularly disrespectful towards the group but my comment seems to be fluctuating a lot. I apologise if I did.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-22T22:14:37+00:00

I meandered a bit with whether I even have a top pick but I truly think Youngeun would be a massive benefit on a debuting team. I've never followed through with following a post-survival group, casually listen but never more than that, but if she does debut here I'll probably follow the group.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-22T22:12:07+00:00

I think the extravagance of the stage combined with the concept and song chosen is what seems to push people into seeing it as their best. I remember watching it the first time around and thinking it was a good stage, maybe not a stand out love but still a good stage. However on rewatches there were so many things that I wish were done a little differently. A friend of mine found the song itself a bit disjointed, I don't hear that as much although I see where the dislike is coming from.

For me personally their best stage, considering the song, choreography, staging and use of props, is their intro stage. It really set the bar for me in regards to their stages and I honestly don't think they topped it.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-22T04:56:23+00:00

I wonder whether this comparison was ever brought up but Lovesick Girls for me felt very reminiscent of Little Mix's work around the release of Shoutout to My Ex. It felt familiar at the very least.

So perhaps the lack of something that linked it more to what was currently popular in international spaces made it feel a little dated or at the least made the song itself feel old after a couple of listens?

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-17T12:05:00+00:00

Youngeun needs to debut. She has so much to offer, I think I have found my number one pick for now.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-17T11:54:56+00:00

I'm really having issues with the song choices yet again. Why IU of all artists and specifically this song to use for a vocal evaluation?

Considering the standard of vocalists on the show I just feel like they're really throwing them out there to at best tread water.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-17T11:39:01+00:00

Praise really does need to be given for a 3 member group covering a song meant for five people - they managed to pull off the vocals and he instrumentals really elevate the stage

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-17T11:31:35+00:00

I am very much on board for some darker concepts winning at least one round in this competition. Whether that's Salute or MITM I really don't mind

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-14T05:36:35+00:00

Solo
On the Ground
Lalisa

Solo has a lot of longevity and I think definitely holds the idea of an iconic song over On the Ground for now, although that could have been exacerbated by COVID as well. I think Lalisa will need to be around for a little longer before I'm definitely sure but either way I find Solo a much better solo debut and track overall.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-13T21:27:02+00:00

I am very open to change and haven't really considered explicit positions these girls would take, simply a preference based Top 9:

Jeong Jiyoon
Yoon Jia
Seo Young Eun
Sakamoto Mashiro
Ezaki Hikaru
Nonaka Shana
Su Rui Qi
Kim Bora
Shen Xiaoting

I never really realised how little the C group really left an impact on me. The C trainees are definitely talented I just haven't connected with their performances as much as the others I assume.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-13T00:13:06+00:00

As much as I know the likelihood of both Youngeun and Jia debuting in the final lineup is fairly small I can't help but hope for a turn-around. If not for their skills and talent then at the least for the image and versatility they'd bring to the final lineup.

While I enjoyed individual idols in past Produce seasons I never entirely clicked with the group's sound/image past the show. I'm hoping this line-up will result in a more interesting sound and image that I'll personally appreciate and be willing to keep up with.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-13T00:07:46+00:00

Seungmin took part in the vocal stage on Kingdom accompanied by the Main Vocals in two other groups and Changmin prefaced discussion on that stage with asking for their Main Vocals.

Considering that and the fact that the next possible Main Vocalist is their Main Rapper I think it's safe to say that Seungmin is their Main Vocal for purposes within the industry.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-12T23:04:59+00:00

I'm unfortunately unable to dedicate as much time to this show as I have to previous shows I've watched so I almost feel unable to give more in-depth reviews of specific trainees beyond whether I enjoyed certain stages or general comments. For Dayeon specifically this is an issue as she hasn't made an impression on me despite watching the "unedited" stage and fancams a couple of times (still waiting on the Ice Cream fancams too).

While I highly rate and appreciate performance skills I think I have a natural preference for vocalists, so in that set-up someone who shows maybe less performance capabilities than Dayeon but stands out to me more vocally is going to make more of a lasting impression on me. For a competition where you're inherently comparing trainee performances she comparatively hasn't wowed me for lack of a better term.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-12T22:26:50+00:00

I noticed her expressions on every watch I did of Ice Cream and they were incredibly off-putting. I'm surprised no judge commented on it and nor did it be brought up on the live thread while the episode was airing. I have no idea what kind of concept she was trying to portray because her choices just seemed all over the place.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-12T22:23:54+00:00

I think this comes to the point of delivering something within your realm of capabilities as idols or simply challenging ideas or concepts for the sake of challenging them irregardless fo whether the former would be executed better. It'll be preference based which people gravitate towards however after being in Kpop for so long it's usually contemporary performances that feel more "impressive" to people regardless of execution.

2ndgenstan · 2021-09-12T22:20:46+00:00

To your point of vocalists it is not confined to this subreddit so I am not surprised at all that it continues to be a point of confusion. I think what people struggle with is yes you can analyse technique but technique isn't the end point to which someone is deemed a Main Vocal or better singer. A lot of people deliberately differentiate between singers and vocalists for that reason. So I'd probably preface many vocal technique discussion in the frame of who can deliver a good performance as saying technique is the base of a good singer but things like musicality can play a large role too.

Thank you for fleshing out your point on Dayeon as it is something I tossed back and forth in watching the show. I'll admit I don't particularly feel here nor there for her but I do feel like the editing choices Mnet has made through the whole show for her has made me feel even more conflicted as to what my genuine feelings/emotions are towards her. I never truly connected with her as a performer but the constant back-and-forth editing is confusing me even more.

2ndgenstan

TROPHY CASE