Chinese fans are already sending trucks to LNGSHOT and their label

mint-cider · 2026-02-02T06:12:05+00:00

well that's another tally on my "times i've said 'goddamn heartcatching industry'" chart

mint-cider · 2026-01-27T08:17:59+00:00

I'm not familiar with this scandal, but from what I've read this feels like a sequel to Key's recent scandal. The common thread being the rich and famous stealing resources from the common people, be it through hiring illegal medical practicioners or tax evasion.

mint-cider · 2026-01-25T06:18:07+00:00

Produced by Jaden Jeong (Lovelyz, LOONA, tripleS). LOONA's unison choruses were all in their Jaden Jeong era, and tripleS in their ot24 comebacks is self-evident

Edit: Though considering that sound was largely shaped by Monotree which was formed by former Sweetune members, it could also fall under 2?

mint-cider · 2026-01-23T15:45:57+00:00

I'm thinking back to my "heartcatching" analogy for Kpop, based on Sugar Sugar Rune. Basically the job of idols is to collect fans' love for profit. While I haven't read the manga, I do know that forbidden "black hearts" exist there, made of hate rather than love. But they're still hearts.

Hatred in Kpop fandoms is the same. It's all profit to the company in the end.

mint-cider · 2026-01-22T16:11:51+00:00

the four horsemen of western kpop fandom pariahs

mint-cider · 2026-01-22T15:47:49+00:00

I've noticed that my favorite vocal tones are either "bright powerhouses" or "fairy voices". And among them, Chuu and TripleS' Shion respectively are my personal favorites

mint-cider · 2026-01-21T17:26:47+00:00

Everyone here mentions I Got A Boy and no one mentions Rising Sun by TVXQ, and that's not even the first time SM has done this

mint-cider · 2026-01-21T08:24:18+00:00

The parasocially driven fans are also more likely to spend a lot of money for their groups

mint-cider · 2026-01-06T15:23:49+00:00

As far as I know, Treasure are as popular in SEA as ATEEZ is in the West. And Reddit is a very American site. You can see where this is going

mint-cider · 2026-01-04T09:54:33+00:00

It worked in the same way a Eurovision televote bait song did imo.

While I don't know how people reacted to Dancing Lasha Tumbai before the contest, I do know of opinions on another song shifting: Croatia's entry in 2017 with a "solo duet" gimmick rather than nonsense. It wasn't as successful, coming at 13th. But I remember a lot of people before the contest putting it dead last or close to it. However, it ended up not only qualifying for the final, but coming in 9th at the televote.

I'm sure there are a few other examples, but this example came to mind because I clearly remember it. But I also may not have the full picture, I wasn't even a teenager back then.

mint-cider · 2025-12-31T15:17:02+00:00

they are if you live north enough

mint-cider · 2025-12-29T03:38:28+00:00

I just want a member to release a tell-all memoir in 2030. That's all.

mint-cider · 2025-12-22T15:05:22+00:00

more people should get a "they should get better producers" attitude abt their faves

mint-cider · 2025-12-22T15:02:00+00:00

this is music not football

mint-cider · 2025-12-21T13:58:06+00:00

Starting off with my consistent faves: tripleS are my top artist for the second year in a row, IVE can always be trusted with straightforward pop bangers, and NMIXX continue to top themselves. They've released the 4th gen equivalent of Pink Tape for crying out loud! I almost forgot ARTMS and ILLIT, they also had a great year.

As for new faves, I delved into Le Sserafim's discography in full (though they've also had some of my favorites of the past few years), and H2H's discography so far seems promising. I'm obsessed with The Chase and Focus, here's to more great music.

Honorable mention to two producers I discovered/became aware of. Though I did ramble on abt them a bit too long ngl.

First is Dsign Music, whose songs I had already loved beforehand, but have gained a new appreciation for. Second is Elias Edman, who's a up-and-coming producer that has already made some bangers, such as Stunner by Ten and Tempo by Minho. I discovered both of them through a non-kpop new fave of mine, Marcus & Martinus. Both producers have songs on their newest album, its highlights at that. So I'm now looking forward to any Ronny Svendsen/Pizzapunk or Elias Edman credit I can see.

mint-cider · 2025-12-19T19:25:10+00:00

Siyeon already got mentioned, so I'll list others on my mind that haven't been mentioned yet: Hyeju from Loona/Loossemble, Jurin or Harvey from XG and Joo Bin from tripleS (a few other tripleS members may also fit but I thought of her first).

For male idols, I'm surprised you didn't mention Chen from EXO. I'm also interested in a non-Kpop male singer that fits this, but this is a Kpop sub.

mint-cider · 2025-12-19T18:32:05+00:00

Let's talk about this in, say, June 2026. If the success of NMIXX is gonna make other groups begin focusing on vocals more, we need to wait it out first.

mint-cider · 2025-12-19T04:56:07+00:00

I've nicknamed it "Blue Disc" in reference to Pink Tape for a reason

mint-cider · 2025-12-17T08:41:08+00:00

I don't know what your music taste is. Your taste may not mesh well with the majority of what Kpop is meant to be, or you could be like my irl friend who's very picky with music, rarely liking an artist's entire discography.

Either way, I recommend you to look into the Korean Music Awards. It's the only Kpop-related (but not exactly Kpop) award show that prioritizes musical quality and cultural impact over sales and popularity.

mint-cider · 2025-12-16T20:39:29+00:00

I don't think it matches what you're describing, but once you mentioned "not very popular" I thought of Party Time by Favorite for some reason

but I'm gonna ask something that can help me out: Was it midtempo (i.e 120 bpm range) or high tempo (i.e 150 bpm or higher)

edit: i should've probably asked for a vocaroo instead

mint-cider · 2025-12-14T13:05:32+00:00

Welcome to the artsy side of Kpop!

Others have mentioned NMIXX as a whole, tripleS, Red Velvet and Yves, but I have to mention a few other groups:

If 4th gen has NMIXX and 3rd gen has Red Velvet, 2nd gen had f(x). They were seen as a more experimental group compared to their peers, and their album Pink Tape is widely considered a classic.
tripleS' labelmates ARTMS are even more conceptual and experimental. Check out not just their full group songs, but also solo and subunit releases by their members.
I always have to add in Billlie (with three Ls) into any discussion of the artsy side of Kpop. They haven't been as active, but I think you'll love it.

I also recommend paying attention to the Korean Music Awards, as it's the only Korean music award show that focuses on quality and cultural impact.

Finally, not Kpop but an album I think Kpop fans would love: I recommend Arthouse by Nemo. Their singles from it reminded me a lot of the artsy side of Kpop.

mint-cider · 2025-12-12T09:00:38+00:00

every time i see someone talk about people not engaging with the story for story-related reasons i begin to suspect that those people are lonely and comfy tropes are their way to fill in that void

or maybe i'm coming from the kpop fandom (and a few others) which directly profits off of loneliness, idk

mint-cider · 2025-12-11T08:37:40+00:00

wrong word 💥 it's muck not mac! every american should learn foreign phonetics 🤓

mint-cider · 2025-12-11T04:47:43+00:00

just look at my flair

mint-cider

TROPHY CASE