Bunni Pop's March faves: Featuring Day6, ILLIT, j-hope, WENDY, VCHA and Jennie
March was a solid month.
While nothing significant happened in March (in my life), there were a lot of comebacks that I felt excited about! This month also saw a number of groups announce tour dates, which means the summer concert season planning has officially started. More on that in the coming months…but until then, here’s what I’ve been diving into in March.
Day6 - Welcome to the Show
Three years since their last album, South Korean rock band Day6 finally has a comeback. ‘Welcome to the Show’ is a rock anthem that is simply made to be belted out in a stadium or arena. One of the things I love about this group is their ability to make you feel emotional through their sentimental melodies, even with a song as upbeat as this. It’s a grand comeback for a group who just returned from military service. Welcome back! Or shall I say…Welcome to the Show?
ILLIT - Magnetic
Ever since NewJeans debuted two years ago, it’s been hard to find another group to top them on my playlists. But ILLIT might dominate my year…and they only just started.
HYBE’s latest girl group ILLIT recently made their grand debut after being formed on the reality competition show RU NEXT? The name Illit is pronounced like “I’ll it”, and it represents choosing your own verb to put between “I’ll” and “it.”
ILLIT’s debut single ‘Magnetic’ is already off to a strong start, going viral for its intricate hand choreography and its infectious and catchy chorus. Utilizing elements of the genres pluggnb and house, this track reminds me a lot of the lo-fi playlists I’d turn to on YouTube from time to time. A song like this is also reminiscent to a group like LOONA and its sub-group Odd Eye Circle. I like to think of ‘Perfect Love’ as ‘Magnetic’s big sister. This song is an earworm and absolute pop perfection. It’s been on loop ever since I heard it.
Wendy - Wish You Hell
While Ariana Grande’s ‘we can’t be friends (wait for your love)’ is for those in their sad, heartbreak era, Wendy’s ‘Wish You Hell’ is the anthem you sing when you’re ready to BURN IT ALL DOWN.
Sure, the lyrics are predictable and the chorus a bit repetitive, but there’s something really cathartic about the way Wendy belts out the song. Not every vocalist is as powerful as she is.
I also love when Wendy sings about being in her “villain era.” She really encapsulates the words so many of my friends tell me when they’re getting over someone who broke their heart.
VCHA - Only One
Ever since the show A2K aired, I’ve been very curious to know what will be in store for VCHA’s future. From opening for TWICE to playing at this year’s Lollapalooza, it looks like JYP Entertainment has big plans for the girls.
I will admit that I haven’t resonated with their earlier tracks like ‘Y.O Universe’ and ‘Girls of the Year’ because they sound a bit too young for my liking. And that’s perfectly fine, considering that this is probably the intent from JYP as the VCHA members go from teens to adults.
However, ‘Only One’ has me sold. It’s bubble gum pop perfection, and the dance break is really fun! While I know a lot of groups are experimenting more with electropop, jersey club and trap, I actually love that ‘Only One’ brings it back to something a bit more light and breezy. In some ways, it feels like the traditional K-pop I grew to love during the early second generation and third generation. It gives me a sense of nostalgia.
Matt Champion (Brockhampton) & Jennie - Slow Motion
Now that each member of Blackpink have chosen not to continue their individual contracts with YG Entertainment, we’re getting a taste of each member’s solo projects. Jennie’s recent collaboration with Brockhampton’s Matt Champion is proof that the music can be really interesting outside of the formulaic songs coming out of YG that are often filled with intense beat drops and cliché girl power-themed lyrics.
‘Slow Motion’ is a song that actually allows Jennie show off her vocal chops and impressive falsetto voice. The production of this track also feels very cinematic, something I’d hear watching a teen series like Skins (remember that show?) or HBO’s Euphoria.
I hope Jennie continues to try new things and step out of her comfort zone when it comes to new music.
j-hope - Hope On The Street Vol. 1 (album)
Hope On The Street Vol. 1 is BTS rapper j-hope’s latest project, even though he’s currently in the midst of his mandatory military service.
This album is what I would describe as “a vibe.” Unlike the intensity heard in his debut studio album Jack In the Box, j-hope goes back to his underground hip hop dance roots in Hope On The Street Vol. 1. This is a project you’d play if you’re just looking to chill out.
Songs like ‘i don’t know (featuring LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin) allow him to show off his vocal chops, while ‘i wonder (with BTS member Jungkook)’ is the kind of music you’d play in the background when you’re out on a drive.
But the most impactful song on this album is ‘NEURON (with Gaeko and YOON MIRAE)’, as it gives us glimpses into how j-hope gained his love of dance as a young child. And fun fact: Neuron is the name of j-hope’s dance crew before he went on to become part of K-pop’s biggest band.
South Korean band LUCY is hitting the road, with stops in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
The spring and summer concert season is off to a great start, with LUCY hitting the road for their first North American tour.
And when I say “North America”, that means the band TRULY is hitting both Canadian and U.S. cities!
LUCY is South Korean band formed through JTBC's television talent show Superband in 2019. The band finished in second place in the competition, and made their debut in May 2020 with the single, Dear.
If you are a fan of groups like Day6 or The Rose, then you will probably like LUCY. Something that makes LUCY stand out as well is the fact that the violin is a main part of the band. It reminds me a lot of the pop-punk group Yellowcard, who I was a huge fan of back in high school.
Shares are down for K-pop music agencies including HYBE, SM, YG JYP Entertainment
Bloomberg reported this week that K-pop music agencies are in need of a new growth phase, as four major K-pop agencies are seeing their shares go down amid falling album sales.
HYBE, SM, JYP and YG shares are down as much as nearly 50 per cent from a 2023 high.
That means the companies will have to look to new acts, distribution deals and gains on streaming services to get the value of their shares up.
It’s no secret the K-pop industry HAS been in a traditional phase, ever since members of BTS have gone on to serve in the military and Blackpink deciding not to renew group contracts with YG.
However, analysts for HSBC Holdings Plc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. say engaging fans through concerts and expanding in the U.S and Japan will pay dividends.
“Current concerns about the K-pop outlook do appear to be excessive,” said Junhyun Kim, an analyst at HSBC.
Even if physical album sales were to decrease in 2024, there are “various other ways to monetize K-pop fans,” he said.
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