The Western music industry has known several outstanding vocalists: Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, John Legend, and so on. There are also notable vocalists within the K-pop industry, such as Jonghyun of SHINee, Lily of NMIXX, Seungkwan of SEVENTEEN, and Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation. The K-pop industry—especially today—is booming with aspiring idols. However, notContinue reading “Singing is an Afterthought: The Lowering of K-pop Vocal Standards”
Tag Archives: essays
Coming “Full Circle”: The Emergence of Full Circle Boys
Full Circle Boys is a group that I discovered in late 2025. I quite enjoyed their song “Call My Name” and other early hits. I am not someone who keeps up with many Western pop groups—especially not boy bands—but Full Circle Boys somehow managed to catch and secure my attention with their sound and awesomeContinue reading “Coming “Full Circle”: The Emergence of Full Circle Boys”
The Tragedy of Internet Girl
“Internet Girl,” one of Katseye’s newest singles, has fallen short in the eyes of fans. Some criticism of the song is that it’s “generic”, “cringeworthy”, or just awful. Katseye is not new to this type of criticism; the same descriptions were given to their song “Gnarly” not too long ago, though “Gnarly” is more edgyContinue reading “The Tragedy of Internet Girl”
The Big 4: Who are the Four Companies Dominating K-pop?
What Are the Big 4? The Big 4 (once known as the Big 3 before the prevalence of HYBE) are four of the largest, most successful K-pop entertainment companies. The Big 4 are made up of SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and HYBE. These companies are the ones that any aspiring K-pop idol wouldContinue reading “The Big 4: Who are the Four Companies Dominating K-pop?”
FIFTY FIFTY: How Change Can Destroy a K-pop Group
FIFTY FIFTY is just like any other K-pop 5th-generation girl group now, but it wasn’t always this way. FIFTY FIFTY debuted with four members, Keena, Saena, Aran, and Sio, under the company ATTRAKT in 2022, with an EP titled THE FIFTY. The group would remain under many people’s radars until they finally released their singleContinue reading “FIFTY FIFTY: How Change Can Destroy a K-pop Group”
Marvel vs. DC
I love all things super. I remember watching Black Panther when it first came out, excited to see an African superhero. I also remember watching the series Young Justice and falling in love with the Teen Titans. Of course, outside of the big Marvel and DC franchises, there are other superhero franchises such as TeenageContinue reading “Marvel vs. DC”
Misty Copeland Black History Project (2/21/25)
In the words of Pablo Picasso, “I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.” This mindset is what got Misty Copeland to become a well-respected ballerina in an industry that did not approve of African American dancers. The art of dance is said to have been around sinceContinue reading “Misty Copeland Black History Project (2/21/25)”
In Honor of Afrobeats
Afrobeats have begun to rise in K-pop with many songs like “Tinnitus” by TOMORROW X TOGETHER, “Rover” by KAI, and “Super (손오공)” by SEVENTEEN. However, throughout its history, K-pop has been known for appropriating other cultures. One of the most prominent is black culture. From using “black English” to straight-up saying slurs, K-pop seems toContinue reading “In Honor of Afrobeats”
K-pop Groups That Hooked Me! Pt. 4
Continuing from where we left off last time: KiiiKiii: I first heard about their interesting and abnormal concept on YouTube. It gives me “girl next door” vibes. At first, I thought their concept wasn’t going to stand out much to me because it didn’t have a concrete theme, something I see often in 5th-generation K-popContinue reading “K-pop Groups That Hooked Me! Pt. 4”
K-pop Groups That Hooked Me! Pt. 3
Continuing from where we left off last time: POW: I really loved their song, “Dazzling”! Afterwards, I didn’t really hear much from them until they released their single “Valentine” and their mini-album Boyfriend. I later tuned in to their latest mini-album titled Being Tender. Since I’ve been consistently liking their releases, I’ve decided that I’llContinue reading “K-pop Groups That Hooked Me! Pt. 3”
A Wonderful Blog 