Bunni Pop's May faves: Featuring ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, BTS, aespa and The Game Caterers

And with that, we've just about reached the halfway point of the year

May has quickly coming and gone. And now we’ve just about reached the halfway point of the year. Nevertheless, it’s time for Bunni Pop’s monthly favourites! Here, I’ll break down some of the content I’ve been consuming in the month of May.

Music

LE SSERAFIM - “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife”

While the obvious choice for this list would have been “Unforgiven (featuring Nile Rodgers”, I was actually drawn to “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” for its 80s' synth beats and intense choreography. I LOVE a solid dance track. And this song sounds so high fashion. I can totally picture models vibing down the runway to this single. It’s catchy AF.

While the title of the song is certainly a mouthful to say out loud, I am also kind of a geek for unexpected song titles — especially ones that reference literary themes. “Eve, Psyche and The Bluebeard’s Wife” refers to women who deliberately went against the men in their lives.

I would have loved the song to go a bit deeper into the theme its title suggests. But I see an underlying theme of exceeding expectations with LE SSERAFIM’s body of work. From “Antifragile” to “Unforgiven”, many of the group’s singles have referenced the importance of strength and individuality. Now the five-piece band have solidified themselves as ones to watch in a competitive K-pop industry.

BTS - “The Planet”

While there are many songs from BTS’s discography that define the group much better than “The Planet”, I am including this on the list because I miss my boys!

The upbeat summery track was created for the animated series Bastions, and OT7 can be heard together once more.

While BTS are currently embarking on solo projects and fulfilling military duties at the moment, the group certainly hasn’t forgotten their beloved ARMY. BTS will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year on June 13. The group is partnering with Seoul Metropolitan Government to light up some of the city’s major landmarks in purple. What’s more, the septet will also be releasing a book to mark its anniversary called Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS on July 9.

(G)I-DLE - “Queencard”

Following the trend of self-love and acceptance, (G)I-DLE returned with the sassy and provocative track “Queencard.” The music video has the members of (G)I-DLE portraying different characters, with leader Soyeon playing a quirky girl who has to make the tough decision of changing her looks and personality to become someone completely different (a queencard).

The track is campy and fun, but also delivers an important social message about loving yourself. The lyrics “My boob and booty’s hot” is also raising a couple of eyebrows for being a bit tacky and cheesy. But, I actually love it because it’s rare to see such biting honesty in a lot of idol groups.

aespa - “Spicy”

aespa have often played with themes of artificial intelligence and the Metaverse in its concepts, which I admit I haven’t always been on board with. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to the musical experience. But hey, how can the music industry truly grow if companies and groups aren’t willing to try new things?

That said, I found myself enjoying aespa’s “Spicy” quite a bit because it feels way more grounded in comparison to “Hold On Tight” — their Tetris-inspired track from earlier this year. aespa’s has typically drawn heavily from the EDM genre, so I was delightfully surprised to see them going into a more pop-heavy route with “Spicy.” It reminded me a lot of their 2021 breakout single “Next Level”, and I found this type of sound less overwhelming for aespa because it focuses more on their attitude, rapping and vocal skills.

ENHYPEN - “Bite Me”

While girl groups delivered the most in May, ENHYPEN came to save my boy band drought with the release of their new EP Dark Blood.

Their lead single “Bite Me” takes me back to the theatrical looks seen in ‘90s boy bands, playing with themes of fantasy and a vampire concept. While it took me a while to get into “Bite Me” (mainly because I wasn’t completely sold on the rapping), I have since become addicted to the choreography. The boys are seen pointing to their necks to taunt their audience to “come kiss me and bite me.” It’s sultry! I am here for it.

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What I’m watching:

The Game Caterers featuring Seventeen

Lately, I have been very bad about keeping up with the latest TV shows and videos because of work. But after suffering from a bout of burnout, I decided I would do absolutely no work over the May long weekend and watched The Game Caterers instead. I just needed some chaotic Seventeen energy in my life!

At this point of their careers, Seventeen can probably afford anything they want. But it was just so wholesome and funny to see them competing against one another to win prizes such as a Dyson hair dryer, bulk snacks and a golf club. S.Coups is also hilariously bad at recognizing celebrities and songs. If you’re in need of some fun shenanigans, The Game Caterers is the show to watch.

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Concerts

I feel like I will not stop talking about this moment for a while. But yes, earlier this month, I was able to see Suga perform his first solo concert tour! How did time fly by so quickly already?!

This might possibly be the last time I get to see him before 2025, so I am just extra grateful to have been able to make this show happen.

While Suga could have delivered a more stripped-down version of a BTS show, he instead delivered something more akin to a rock opera, telling the story of three facets of his life (Min Yunki, Agust D and Suga). There was fire, lights, a live band and a nine-panel moving stage! Suga is a visionary and one of the best artists alive right now.

I wrote a more comprehensive review of the show earlier this month. Would love if you could check it out!

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In other news…

BLACKSWAN makes waves with “Karma”

Blackswan’s “Karma” started showing up all across my TikTok feeds, and I quickly became intrigued by the “Br-ta-ta-ta” lyrics heard in the chorus. Featuring the sounds of a sitar and a bustling beat, the song grows on you fast. And I knew I had to learn more about who this group is.

Blackswan is a rarity in the K-pop industry, in which none of the members are actually of Korean descent. The group consists of members from different parts of the world: NVee from the United States, Gabi is from Brazil, Sriya is from India, and Fatou is a Senegalese-Belgian.

It’s impressive to see how each member is taking the time to embrace and learn about Korean culture but also infusing parts of their own individuality into Blackswan’s music and concepts. It goes to show that there are endless possibilities in the K-pop world.

However, the road has not been smooth for Blackswan or their agency, DR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. Over the years, there have been multiple line up changes and many members have left. And earlier this week, DR. MUSIC apologized for using a hairstyle many accused as cultural appropriation during a live performance.

During my deep dive into Blackswan, I found myself reading a Teen Vogue profile on Blackswan leader Fatou, where she opens up about the challenges of being a Black K-pop idol and what it took for her to get there. I personally find conversations around whether K-pop has space for people of different cultures and ethnicities a really fascinating one. Curious to know what other readers think!

NewJeans collab with multiple GRAMMY winner Jon Batiste on a new song

Continuing with its partnership with Coca-Cola, NewJeans will be joining hands with Grammy Award winning musician Jon Batiste on a new song called “Be Who You Are”, which comes out today! The song will also feature UK musician Cat Burns and Colombian singer Camilo.

Back in April, NewJeans released “Zero” as part of their partnership with Coca-Cola. In addition, NewJeans’ label have also confirmed that the girl group are set to return with new music in a few months. “It is true that NewJeans are preparing for a July comeback. We will inform you once the schedule is confirmed,” ADOR told Newsen, as translated by Soompi.

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Celebrating my wins

Being a journalist is no easy feat, especially when you’re trying to break into the world of culture and entertainment reporting.

One of my goals in the last year has been to find a way to write more about Asian entertainment and music. To say the least, it’s been an uphill battle.

But sometimes, the hard work along the way makes it worth it in the end. This month, I was able to check off a bucket list item and get two articles on GRAMMY.com in honour of Asian Heritage Month.

Check out my feature on the many sounds of Asian pop music and my guide to Cantopop. The latter is especially personal to me, as it is the genre that first got me into music in the first place as a young girl!

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Listen to Bunni Pop’s faves wherever you go:

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Accountability is important to me, so please address corrections and concerns by sending me an email at bunnipopnewsletter@gmail.com. Continue the conversation by following Bunni Pop on Instagram and Twitter.