Kpop Playlist: Idol Producers

This has been a playlist I've wanted to do. Before 2012, a Kpop idol who wrote/produced their own music was a rarity, and sometimes that idols only achieved late into their careers. When revolutionary B.A.P. debuted, they really emphasized how the group produced their own music and were in control of their own voices.

Today, it's more common but no less special. To me, there's nothing more exciting than an artist discovering their own voice. With this playlist, I want to highlight those producers and their incredible talent. I don't have rules for this one but do expect some curve balls.

Kpop Playlist: Album Opener

The first song on an album is a very important thing. As the old saying goes, you don't get a second shot at a first impression. The album opener can be a lot of things. A hint of things to come, an underrated classic, a way to transport you to another world. Still, it still has one goal: to hook the listener

So that in mind, I've decided to this playlist will highlight songs that do just that! Some rules I made for myself in choosing songs

• It can't be the comeback single. It feels like cheating but interestingly, this knocked out a lot of mainstream Kpop tracks. I’ve honestly never noticed this pattern before.
• It can’t be an intro or prelude to the next song. This one hurts the most because that eliminated some of my favorite album openers from VIXX, Infinite and Agust D. 
• No singles because that is blatantly cheating. 

Now we have the rules, let’s get to the songs!

A Fangirl's Dream Creed III Plot

Trilogies are hard. Writing fiction is challenging enough but creating a long tapestry of storylines, character moments and themes that pieces together to make a complete picture? The act of writing 3 pieces that must stand on their own as well as stand as a large story? It’s insanely hard. Think about it, we have a ton of trilogies but none that feels smoothly integrated. As a writer myself, I cannot fathom the level of forethought, talent and effort it takes to tackle such a thing. And yet, Hollywood sure loves trilogies!! For better or for worse…

As of the time I’m writing, we haven't heard much of the plot for Creed III. So far, we know that star Michael B Jordan will be making his directorial debut and Zach Baylin is working on the script. In recent developments, we know Sylvester Stallone won't be reprising his role as Rocky Balboa and Jonathan Majors, known for his roles in Lovecraft County and Da Five Bloods, joined the cast as Adonis' opponent. Still, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have thoughts or suggestions about the plot.

Mad Scientist Moments: VIXX, the Concept Kings

I’ve talked about many artists for MACG Magazine. VIXX is definitely a group whose Mad Scientist Moments I’ve wanted to focus on here. As I mentioned in my Rapid Review  of “Jekyll,” VIXX came out of the gate in a very unique manner. When I got into K-pop, a friend gave me a list of songs and videos to check out. On that list was VIXX’s “Hyde” and “On and On.” I was stunned when I realized they were still rookies.

I have a soft spot for this group. After eight years, they still surprise me with their talent, dedication and flair. From superheroes to robots, love equations to scientists, let’s take a look at what makes VIXX special.

BTS’ Interesting Use of Their Past

I’ve been a BTS fan since about mid-2014. I’ve seen them go from wearing 2-dollar shirts, to them throwing jackets that cost more than my rent. As they rose to fame and new fans join the fandom, I’ve noticed that BTS has an interesting way of handling their past. And I wish more artists did the same.

MACG Playlist: Songs I’m Currently Listening To

When I do these playlists, I try my best to be balanced. I’ve made it a goal to mix them with popular tracks/artists and lesser-known gems. I also try not to overload them with my favorite artists as it’ll just be the same songs over and over again.

However, for this playlist, I wanted to share some songs that I currently have on repeat. No themes, no common thread other than my loving them.

Remakes and Reboots and Sequels, Oh My!

Recently, NBC announced their plans for the upcoming streaming service, Peacock. Among the slated shows, they hope to launch a reboot of “Battlestar: Galactica” and a “Saved by the Bell” series. Compounded with the recent announcement of future Disney+ shows, including a Lizzie Maguire sequel series and the upcoming Face Off remake, I’ve found myself wading through anti-remake discussions. So let’s talk about remakes.

MACG Playlist: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

 I’m the type of person who hates being restless. It’s like this ball of energy that has to go somewhere or it’ll just fry me from the inside out. Whenever I get like this, I just have to crank up my music. But not to just anything. I need something lively, something that makes me move and get out of my head. I have to hear something other than the noise. Something … happy. You‘d be surprised how much changing what you listen to helps change your mood.

That might seem a bit shallow or ridiculous to some, but it helps me remember three things:

1. My worrying won’t change anything
2. My constant scrolling, updating, and monitoring won’t change anything
3. Sometimes, you just have to dance it out.

So here are some songs from my Happy Dance playlist. I hope it helps.

Police Conduct Search and Seizure at YG Office

When last we left the saga of Burning Sun-Gate, the police investigation turned toward YG Entertainment and its CEO and founder Yang Hyun-suk. At the time, police were concerned with (or at least what they told us) his connection to Burning Sun itself as he was one of the owners. Allegations of Yang providing prostitutes for business clients arose.

MACG Playlist: Collaborations with Western Artists

This might be the hardest playlist I’ve done so far. Firstly, I didn’t want to fill the list with only one artist or group. I also didn’t want it filled with songs that most fans have already heard. While K-pop artists are working with Western artists more now, it’s still a pretty small field.

Second, collaborations are tricky things. If done well, you have a beautiful blending of two artists working together to give us great music. If done wrong, you have a song that can sound uneven, too dissimilar to their other work or worst of all, boring.

So for this list, I just wanted to highlight some great songs we’ve gotten over the years and what made them so impactful.

Monsta X Fans Campaign for Wonho

2019 has been a long year for K-pop fans. After numerous tragedies, scandals and lawsuits, it seems like one thing after another. When news broke in late October of Monsta X‘s Wonho getting swept up in two scandals, it hit fans especially hard. On October 31, he announced his departure from his group and fans reacted. Many want to chalk it up to the typical outcries of the “Oppar Warriors,” fans blindly defending their faves. But this is far more than that.

Rapid Review: 4Minute's "Volume Up"

Welcome to another Rapid Review! This week, we’re going to look at 4Minute and their “Volume Up” EP. I originally intended to review their first EP, “For Muzik.” But that album wasn’t as interesting to me.

Mulan 2020: Something Old Something New

Editor's note: Originally published on MacGMagazine, July 19 2019

As a ’90s baby, I grew up watching much of the pantheon of Disney‘s animated movies. I actually remember watching the trailer for the 1998 “Mulan.” The animation was unlike anything I had ever seen, the story full of elements I was semi-familiar with but still felt brand-new. Fa Mulan was also groundbreaking because she was actually inspired by Hua Mulan, a Chinese warrior and heroine. The whole thing rocked my world. Mulan quickly dethroned Belle and Cinderella as my favorite Disney princesses. It’s been 20 years, and the movie still holds a very dear place in my heart.

MACG Playlist: Great Debut Tracks

Debut songs are a tricky thing. You have to introduce yourself, as a group or a soloist, to the public after months of waiting. Yes, you are much more than one song, but you still want to make your best impression. Today, I want to take a trip down memory lane and discuss some of my favorite debut songs. These artists hit the ground running with stellar debuts that captured our attention and love..

Kang Daniel’s Debut Album

While the series Produce 101 has aided many careers, Kang Daniel is easily one of their biggest successes. His appearance on the second season and the subsequent debut with the group, Wanna One, launched the young idol’s career to new heights.

Kang Daniel quickly became a household name, appearing on numerous variety shows, magazine photoshoots and even breaking world records. After Wanna One disbanded, fans everywhere eagerly awaited his next move.

MACG Playlist: Black Producers

Playlist time! My editor recently told me that June is (among other things) Black Music Month. Between the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and producer Tiffany Red‘s allegations of SM withholding payments from her, this felt especially timely.

Today, we’re going to focus on the Black artists and producers working behind the scenes of some of your favorite Korean songs. Before we get started, I want to give a special shout out to The Band 6, Big Bang’s tour band. While they’re not technically producers, they are a great band and deserve love. As someone who’s seen “Doom Dada” live, they deserve all the love.

Current Shifts in K-Pop

On May 7, Super Junior’s youngest member, Cho Kyuhyun, was discharged from the army. As a Super Junior fan, this is exciting news as we eagerly await for his future projects, both solo and with the group. But the news left me with some interesting feelings.

For starters, this is the first time in nearly 10 years Super Junior hasn’t had a member in the army. Think of all of the idol groups that have debuted and disbanded within that time. I’m sure you could measure how long they’ve been in the fandom by what member of Super Junior was in the army when they joined (Heechul for me). Yes, I’m happy that they’ve all finished their service, but a moment of silence is needed. It was the end of an era, everyone. We must pay our respect.

Secondly, I’m struck how much the scene of K-pop is changing.

Rapid Review: Geeks' "Backpack"

 For this edition of “Rapid Review,” I wanted to revisit one of the first Korean hip-hip albums I heard. I actually listened to more hip hop and rap than mainstream pop when I first got into Hallyu. I still listen to a few songs from this album but haven’t listened to the album in its entirety in a few years.

Kevin Feige Marvel’s New Creative Chief? Now What?

On October 15, Disney announced that Kevin Feige has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer. Previously the President of Production, the new position puts Feige as not only head of Marvel Studios but of publishing, animation, and live-action Marvel productions.

I’ve been on board for the MCU since the beginning. At this point, I had already fallen in love with superhero movies and am eager for more. However, I also had my hopes dashed by the cruel harbingers called Studio Interference and Rewrites. After experiencing “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Superman Returns” and “Spider-Man 3” in a single year, you’re hardly the same person.

Rapid Review: Ladies Code's "Pretty Pretty" and "Bad Girl"

Welcome to another Rapid Review, dear reader. Continuing our journey into 2nd generation Kpop, we’re checking out Ladies’ Code. Today, I’m reviewing their first two albums, “Bad Girl” and “Pretty Pretty.” I initially planned to only review the first album, but the run time isn’t even 15 minutes.

Ladies’ Code debuted as a five-member group in February 2013 under Polaris Entertainment. Interestingly, some of the ladies had already made a name for themselves prior to debut. Sojung was a top-eight finalist of “The Voice of Korea” season one, and RiSe represented Japan in the Miss Korea competition in 2009. The other three, EunB, Ashley and Zuny, all trained in various other companies pre-debut.