listening to kpop

are you a fan of kpop at all?

as an asian person, i felt an obligation
culturally to learn about the phenomenon
of kpop. after all, if i was into it, i would
probably be cool. and being cool is a great
primary motivator for someone like me.

i got into it at first with recommendations
from a friend to try “Stray Kids”. well,
actually now that i think about it, “Stray Kids”
were just his favorite group more of a rec.

Stray Kids have a loud and noisy sound in general
compared to other kpop groups, i think. they’re
gritty and have a personality of not being afraid
to sound a little “different” than everyone else,
whether that’s perceived as annoying or not.
where this plays very strongly in my opinion is when
they do calmer or quieter tracks. the gap moe is great.

i’ve tried other groups from JYP Entertainment,
the parent company of SKZ, like Twice and DAY6.
if you spend time researching kpop, you’ll find
many labels to refer to groups begin at what agency
they’re signed with (whether that’s one of the “big three”
or if they’re independent). i’ve tried STAYC,
NewJeans, and the ubiquitous NewJeans. i also like
some Seventeen and some oldies from NCT DREAM.

honestly, it’s a deep genre. there’s a lot to digest
and it can be fun to be into all the microinteractions
of the culture that come with idols and their lives
and how they approach making music. if you haven’t
given them a try, i recommend it. for a specific album,
i’d recommend either Stray Kids' “Cle: LEVANTER” or
any of NewJeans' stuff.

thanks for reading today’s post.
don’t @ me.