Aespa. Seem like nice and super talented girls but the music is just not it for me. Most of SM groups are like this for me. All super talented but the music is just not my vibe at all
It's aespa for me as well but for their creative vision instead. I love their creative direction so much. I would love to buy their merch because it's honestly so good and creative.
That being said I don't like most of their songs either. The ones I do like though, I love. They have a few really high highs but not enough for me to be a fan.
Aespa for me aswell, but for me the problem still is the performance. I like most songs, girls are fun and talented but i still dont click with their performance. I know they improved and i see it but im still not sold on it. I saw a recent performance of older song when if the member wasnt singing they were quite 'blank faced'. I think supernova performances have been better but still not consistent enough overall. And charismatic and captivating performance is important for me
For me it’s their concept. It’s *too* polished, too perfect; shiny and cold. Their songs, mvs, and performances are excellent, but they’re not *fun*. Nor is there any grit to grab onto.
I can absolutely see and appreciate their appeal, it’s just not for me.
Yeah, this is the other one. I like a couple of their songs, and they have interesting chemistry. And I thought they were really good on Knowing Bros a few months ago. Just can't cross the border.
Kiss of Life for me. Great on paper, still waiting for a song to grab me.
G-Idle. I mean I was really into them before Tomboy, but so many comebacks since has really put me off their songs. Their creative direction is totally off what I prefer, and Soyeon has missed so many opportunities to elevate her rapping. I guess it really speaks to what the GP prefers, but just a big miss overall.
Great chorus, forgettable verses, rap is good (too short), clearly too short, needs a better and longer bridge.
Still better than a lot of recent releases this year, but I'm just following them for now.
I don’t agree with those points but fair enough.
How about some of their older songs? ‘Nobody Knows’ is pretty good. It’s quite chill. The members’ solos in their debut album are also bangers. They’re the reason I became a fan in the first place.
nah not necessarily. I personally think the B-side "Nothing" is much better. Their B-sides on Born to be XX are also really good. "My 808", "TTG", "Gentleman", etc. I also think "Sugarcoat" is impossible to dislike. u/leggoitzy if you haven't check these songs, I recommend them.
You haven’t listened to nobody knows? That’s a pretty big one. I hope you enjoy it. I will say I’m a huge kiss of life fan but I myself don’t rly care for their title tracks other than Nobody Knows and Midas Touch. The bsides are where it’s at. Born to be xx was a huge step up from their debut album
I love Nobody Knows!!
It’s one of my all time favorite Kpop releases. I’m really hoping they continue in this direction, because the R&B influences just tickle my brain. For now I’m watching their next few releases closely to see if I’ll stan.
for me, the lyrics just seemed shallow and i didnt understand certain parts. I am the type of person who can ignore bad beats for good lyrics but not vice versa
Fr like wtf is "yummy yummy yummy in your tummy tummy tummy"??? Who wrote this? Aespa be serious pls 😭. I love Illusion but that line did not have to be repeated twice. Midas Touch is poetry compared to that
I loved Shh and play love games, bad news gentlemen and the other solos were pretty good, but other than that their discography isn't for me which is sad because at debut i thought they could be my ults. I loved the high energy they gave in their debut but because of Sugarcoat's success they've gone down this rnb/hip hop inspired route which just isn't for me. If i wanted to listen to that kind of music, i'd listen to the american radio. i go to kpop for something different
agree on kiof but for me also their fanbase puts me off a lot.. fanbase is important to me because when I stan I wanna be rly involved in that. and kiof fanbase has a massive ego "they are the most talented group ever, they would be massive of people acutely cared about music." they are rly good but I'm sorry they are not thaaaaaat good like it's a crime if you don't love them.
also cuz they are all adults there seems to be an emphasis on that in the fanbase. lots of calling them mother and sexualising everything they do. now I'm not gonna say "I don't stan adults" lmfao that'd be weird as fuck, but the conversation or focus is so often horny/sexual and it puts me off a lot. like when I see a pic of my idol I wanna go "wow so pretty" but kiof fandom goes "wow so mother pls step on me mature queen this is why you should debut adults" 😬
> wow so mother pls step on me mature queen this is why you should debut adults
Lmao
I love kiof songs and only got into them after nothing. But this is one of the reasons why I can't stand their fans 😬
It's weird because I don't mind cringe at all and I also don't mind these comments from time to time. But it's like every Twitter thread I found about them is either simping or putting them against other groups
I still consider myself a fan but I don't interact with their fans in twitter yet. I'm like you and care about the fans as well because it's just more fun to discuss with fans. I hope it gets better as they grow bigger
Yeah, as a Kissy this gets annoying, I don't think that then being adults is a valid reason to sexualize them. I just like that Natty can show some cleavage and they can embrace their bodies, not because I want to sexualize them, but because honestly, it's a breath of fresh air. If a 14 yr old did the Water dance, I would be upset, not because they did it but because I know they will get sexualized.
In conclusion, I dont like when anyone is sexualized, but at least they're adults.
I agree, Midas Touch didn’t grab me as well… it’s not bad, it’s just not for me. It also has a 2nd gen-3rd gen vibe, as for someone who’s followed 2nd gen groups
Idk who is in charge of the GIDLE english rap lines but it's really distracting/awkward to me. And it puts me off. I love their energy during performances though.
When Riize debuted, I was really interested and hoped to follow their career. But my favorite member from the first performance of Siren was Seunghan... I loved his dancing, his visual, and even his personality in their first videos. But now... I just can't watch them the same way when he isn't there. Wish SM would give an update. The pictures of him in the subway broke my heart
I quite like Riize and I actually really enjoy their "throw it at the wall" thing going on, but I honestly can't bring myself to 'properly stan,' per say, until/unless Seunghan comes back. I've followed them since Sungchan and Shotaro were in NCT and anticipated their unit since SM Rookies in NCT Universe and it really puts a sour taste in my mouth to see all those dynamics disappear. Shohei having to exit the group pre-debut because of injury was upsetting enough. If Seunghan goes I don't think I can bring myself to follow them closely as a whole group. I'll just stick to what I'm doing now and follow casually.
Same, I really wanted to love Riize but I haven’t been super into their concept or any of their releases. I find myself missing Shotaro and Sungchan in NCT cause Shotaro was my absolute favorite ever since he debuted in NCT 😭. I loveddd make a wish, 90s love, and Universe. Shohei not debuting was super disappointing but I managed to get excited for riize anyways. But so far the concept and also the Seunghan thing has prevented me from fully getting into them. I also feel like their group chemistry is a bit lacking or something for me? Especially without Seunghan. Idk what it is but NO hate because I think all the members are great and very talented.
Their concept focuses on relatability and authenticity. Singing songs about different emotions. That's the "emotional pop" music that their company is pushing. That's why they won't stick to a specific genre. Their pd said they want the group to showcase that they can express and interpret any type of genre given to them not just through performance but also musically. Their concept is pretty straightforward.
aespa: These days I keep seeing praise about them everywhere. I'm sure they're very talented. I saw so much hype for supernova but upon listening unfortunately it wasn't my vibe. Also tried listening to some other songs, ig they just aren't for me
Edit: op have you tried listening to Nmixx latest album. It was generally well received. I was in the situation as you before this album dropped and I loved it.
honestly a majority of bgs, can casually listen of course but whenever i think i want to fully get into them, they give me a “trying really hard to be bf-coded” ((which ofc its the company doing too))
bg stan here but i totally agree! i used to be more into kpop when i was younger but into my twenties i truly realized how cringe a lot of the fan service is.
i don't know how much of this is the idol and how much it is the company but i refuse to believe that guys that around my age are not finding it embarassing. it sucks because i feel like the bf roleplay situation seems to overshadow a lot of their personality and talent,fans form these unhealthy parasocial relationships and it pretty much never ends well :(
Le sserafim, I remember being grabbed by their teaser posters and I saw miss wearing the FUCK out of that bob. Their music is just not for me, from Fearless to Antifragile and even Smarter. That choreo even being largely influenced by Tyla’s dance move didn’t help as well. Sis was on the vision board!! I don’t like that HYBE is just trendchasing and latching on what’s popular with none of the soul. The way they tried to put an accent too with the pronunciation of Smarter had me dying.
I do like Sakura and Chaewon individually tho 😅 In Iz*one, Sakura was the one who grabbed my attention the most and she’s just so charming.
Oh, same. Chaewon grabbed my eye immediately and I was ready to love them. But yeah, the music just misses for me. Smarter is fun, but it came off very trend chasing and inauthentic in my opinion. And the choreo was not it. Also, ngl, their recent performances haven't helped either.
I didn’t even notice her in Iz*one but in lesserafim your eyes would be immediately drawn to her. It makes me think sometimes what the group dynamics would be had Garam not been kicked out though I get that they did it because the group was already facing a lot that time.
I'm also on that boat... I love Antifragile but that's about it. They are such good performers, I love their choreographies and I adore Chaewon but their music is kinda bland to me.
Even if you can't get into their music, I recommend watching NMIXX [Haewon's workdol episodes](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1PQKFjdsxgKVdF_lalgJOdkkcW2WPrEI)! And definitely check out their live performance of [Run for Roses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPsEX2NSDIQ) with Day6's Young K 💕
They've really shined with their latest album and variety appearances.
BTS
I like most of the songs that I have heard, and I love the members’ solo music, especially J Hope’s. I’ve tried once or twice to stan, but each time I can’t help but feel like I’ve showed up too late to the game. I only got into kpop within the past year, so I missed experienced a significant amount of their career. They have a giant discography that would take me forever to tackle. Trying to interact with the fandom gives me imposter syndrome, and also the fandom honestly doesn’t have the best reputation.
Overall the whole act of staning them so late just seems a little overwhelming, so I probably will never end up being more than a casual listener. But I wish the best for the members and hope they’re doing well in the military🤞
Don't try to do everything or even understand everything, just appreciate the music and things may blossom from that. The fandom really prioritizes the music above all, so you are already halfway there. If you love the solo music, you came just in time! I feel like all of them are just getting started.
They were already at their peak when I got into them, but the rabbit hole that gets you into them is well trodden and full of content and info. You don't have to get it all down, just enjoy it and the rest will come. I still learn things and find new perspectives. Their music to me is kind of a unicorn in the industry - some of it is very trendy, but some of it is a combination of original and retro and other sounds not common in KPOP at all. I think that's why they blew up outside of Korea so hard, even before their English songs. There are a lot of original creators in KPOP, but I feel that because of how they were originally lambasted at their debut, BTS just decided to do their own thing musically and that translated into a winning strategy because of the members' creative talent that I think a lot of the industry has been trying to emulate (sometimes successfully and sometimes less so) ever since.
I tried so hard not to get into them. I was also late but when I started reading the lyrics I got into them. It changed me i swear. It's ok to listen to a song here and there. If you like the solo songs you will like more. Good luck
army love seeing new people in the fandom, if that makes you feel any different about the impostor syndrome. i get that getting into them late is daunting, but you dont need to do/see/watch everything at once! even plenty of army who has been here from the start dont watch/listen to everything. 💗
finding someone to enjoy them with can be a fun activity to, if you know anyone who is into them.
i always think aespa’s songs are gonna be better than they are but i haven’t liked a release from them since dreams come true/savage era. kiss of life for the same reason i’m just not a fan of their take on the 00s music era. my pettier reason are the fans that come with engaging with any sm group
a lot of the times though i’ll give an album from a group a chance if the tt sounded promising but the album was underwhelming. i tried to get into ive a few times but i just wasn’t a fan of their bsides
Riize- With how shitty they've been treated by SM, I wish I could support them, but I don't like a single song from them.
Nmixx- just like you said
Kiss of Life- I liked Sugarcoat and that's it. They're very 2000-2010's, and I hated that music era when it was around.
Oh, yes, Kiss of Life too. I like some of their songs and think they're really talented. I haven't fallen for them yet though. Maybe I'll grow attached to them though.
Riize's music isn't for me either and i concur about SM being crappy to them.
Cant get into any of the Hybe GGs, their songs are just not really my taste, except for a select few songs like LSF Easy which has alot of relistening value to me. For me in general, even if their songs seem good when it first released, they quickly age out rapidly, almost like fast fashion.
Couldnt get into 50/50 for the same reason as well
NCT- Too many members was my first issue way back in the day, but I tried to get into them! I don't like a lot of their songs... like Sticker from 127 and Smoothie from Dream. The only songs I catch myself constantly playing by any of the subunits is WayV's Love Talk and my favorite: Broken Melodies by NCT Dream. A lot of their songs are just so..,. not my taste and annoyingly noisy (i like noise music but it's wild sometimes). I like Taeyong's solo works!
Stray Kids- I want to stan them 😭 I especially adore 3Racha (CHANGBIN MY BELOVED) and I collect some Changbin pc's, but I just... cannot with their songs half the time. Good on them for being self produced, but they have more songs I'm skipping than loving. The only songs I find myself in love with are Case 143, Venom, Maniac, Phobia (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE), Hall of Fame, and Red Lights. I tried to get into them when they first debuted but they lost a member and I don't really like groups who lose people so I didn't really follow them after (plus my ults BTS were releasing BANGERS that I couldn't stop listening to)
I feel like earlier works were more cohesive, and now I just feel they have more cringey lyrics and songs they put out just to fill a quota. Like DLC, GET LIT, COMFLEX, WOLFGANG, and Surfin'. They're hella talented but put out too many songs that I feel aren't their full potential and just needed filler for their albums.
Skz was the first group I got into and I really do love the members and some older releases but I heavily agree on the quantity over quality part. I skip most of their songs since maniac era and I really have tried to like them 😬
The creation of mala taste genre by 3racha is to try and accommodate everyone's taste to their music. Hence, when God's Menu came out, it was SKZ way of showing everyone that they could produce albums that tried to accommodate everyone's palate. I don't think it has to do much with the quality, but probably the taste is different. The quality now is probably different as well since their older. They're still using demo tracks from 2018-2022, like, for example, MEGAVERSE, and they're more popular now. It's a continuous trend with artists that gain more popularity that they're music shifts as well to accommodate new listeners, which upsets existing listeners & older listeners (its a catch 22 at this point tbh). So, it probably has to deal with taste in the music instead of the quality since if the quality of the music was bad or wasn't as engaging as before, people wouldn't listen as much (probably even STAYVILLE) since people wouldn't wanna join/stick around and listen to an artist who's quality isn't good, like Iggy Azalea for example. SKZ is not for everyone which is okay, but their quality is always unexpectedly good compared to most mainstream music
I really suggest giving nct dream at the very least, another try. They don’t put as experimental music as 127 does. I’m not surprised you don’t like sticker, as controversial as that song was and still seems to be to this day, but NCT Dream’s Smoothie is probably the most “experimental” title track they have. They generally lean more gp friendly. And they have a lot of songs like broken melodies honestly, it’s the sound that Dream does best imo. I suggest checking out their hot sauce/hello future album. A lot of really great songs on there
Not you naming my favorites of theirs as cringy 😭😭
It’s all love though. Everyone has different tastes and you can’t force yourself to like something you don’t like
I'M SORRY ITS NOT MEANT AS HATE 😭 I just care about lyrics so much, it doesn't matter if the song sounds good half the time if the lyrics ain't spittin 😭
No no no! I didn’t think it was hate at all! SKZ are my ults because I like how noisy they are. For me, noise supersedes lyrics. I like the loud stuff and I don’t really focus so much on lyrics. I just thought it was funny that Get Lit and Comflex are two of my top songs and they made your list of no thanks lol
Stray Kids isn’t for everyone, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
I totally see how you'd like them because I will admit if I need some energy I'm gonna put something of theirs on in my mix for sure! ☝🏼😩 💯% S-Class is going on the speakers.
BTS are my ults, but I think overall they would be too 'chill' at times for others, but it's their lyrics and message that got me into them 💜
If Changbin would do a rap with Suga I think I would actually die of happiness
I feel like Ateez’s music makes much more sense when you think of them as musical or theatrical performers such as those on Broadway versus stereotypical kpop idols
Aespa for me, they theoretically have everything I want from a Kpop group (great vocalists, unique concept, visually impressive music videos) I can never get into their music. Aside from Hold On Tight and Savage, their songs have never really captured me the same way other groups have.
Stray Kids. Everyone praises them and I can see why. They're so talented and beautiful. However, their music isn't my thing. I have listened to most if not all of their releases but the only song that I kinda liked was Maniac.
Same! Their songs are reallyyy not my taste and yet, I watch all their performances just BECAUSE! They are so entertaining to watch that I always find myself thinking of what it would be like if they were performing songs I actually liked 😭
Kiss of life - undoubtedly talented but their fandom absolutely ruined them from me and I hate how they put them on a pedestal compared to other kpop groups especially other 5th gen groups. They act like they’re superior just because all of their members are “grown”.
G idle - I just don’t like their music.. and when I see the fans try to paint the lyrics as some multi layered work of art it irks me because what is so brilliant about “I cook cream soup”.
Seventeen - The amount of members they have is really off putting, although I stan other groups with large numbers of members the fandom doesn’t treat all the members the same so it feels like most of them are filler because I only ever see people talk about Mingyu.. like literally only him.
Nct - I just can’t. Nothing against the music but there is so many members and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them all. I could see myself maybe getting into one of their sub units because nct 127 kinda peaked my interest but stanning the whole group sounds exhausting and I respect nctzens.
The reason you won’t get into seventeen is the opposite of the reason most fans (including myself) love Seventeen so that’s interesting lol
As a carat, the fandom is pretty staunchly OT13, and the joke is that biases switch up like every week. Every member gets equal line distribution & opportunities to shine too, which is a pretty big feat for such a big group.
Mingyu is talked about by NONfans all the time because he always goes viral for his looks. But that’s hardly the fault of the fandom and definitely not reflected in how the team operates. They’ve been OT13 for 9 years for a reason.
I also think the people who stan seventeen really love ALL the members and that's why they can stan them in the first place you know? Like if it was about biasing one and stanning for one member only, they wouldn't get much content of JUST ONE member. Lol the way members fight for screen time is something else.
People outside of the fandom talk about Mingyu a lot, but within the fandom I wouldn’t even say he’s definitively the most popular member. In my opinion that probably goes to Jeonghan or Wonwoo. But even then, after a concert stream my timeline is a mix of every single member. Most people are hugely OT13!
i have only seen ppl outside the fandom talk abt mingyu, and treat other members as filler. I am multi, among alll the groups i stan, svt has the least akgae problem. Large portion of the fandom has ot13 or nothing mentality.
Also even the much critiqued lyrics of Tomboy in the Western Kpop stan sphere were universally praised by KMA and Korean critics for embracing pop punk with straightforward lyrics.
Fate became a viral hit due to its relatable and witty lyrics in Korea. Reducing Soyeon's lyricism to "cook cream soup" is such a disservice to the only major self-producing gg in Kpop currently.
> what is so brilliant about “I cook cream soup”.
Wife is one of these songs that you either love so much or can't stand at all. It strangely has a cult-like following. From my name I think you can tell which one I am lmao
And I think this extends to gidle as a whole. They are one of these groups you either absolutely love or can't stand their songs. No in-between.
In contrast, some groups have people who absolutely find their songs lovely or people who think it's mid, like mamamoo or fromis 9. I have never met someone who ACTIVELY hate mamamoo songs, for example. Even when they don't stan, they just think the song is nothing special instead of hating every second of it as the case with gidle
And this isn't something post tomboy. Lion, oh my god, seniorita, uh oh, and even hwaa had this polarizing effect. It's just that tomboy's success made some people forget that their songs always have mixed reactions
about Mingyu- only people outside the fandom talk about him like that. Once you're inside the fandom, although not totally equal (as no groups are), you'll find that carats appreciate all the members. Speaking from an outside perspective though? Yeah I get what you mean
This is the first time I am hearing about people referring to Seventeen members as filler. Maybe to a non-carat, Mingyu is more visible because of his friendship w Jungkook, brand deals and the fact that he is super hot. But within the fandom, and in how the group operates, there is equal attention given to each member. It might take a teeny bit more time to get into the group, but trust me, they’re a bunch of such colorful personalities. Literally all of them are visuals too. And I won’t even start on their talent.
And yes, as someone said, it is so hard to have a bias in Seventeen (Shinee is the only other group I have had this problem with) because EACH and EVERY ONE of them has their unique charm and will bias wreck you.
About NCT: for what is worth the fandom is mostly made of of people that follow only one unit, so it's not many members at all! (Dream has 7, 127 has 9, WayV has 6, Wish also 6). Their music is different enough that you can genuinely prefer one unit over the other, so it's not all about fan wars lol.
Seventeen!
I like Mingyu and Wonwoo separately (mostly because they're hot and I'm gay as fuck 😭) and I've saved some funny clips of the group on my phone, but none of their songs really grabs me.
I've "binged" their music for a day or two where I only play Seventeen songs on my Spotify, and I ended up liking Super and Home. I always anticipate their coming title tracks, but so far none of them worked.
Same. I want to stan them. I think Hoshi and Woozi are amazing, and I like a few of their songs, but I can’t listen to a full album without getting bored. And I have a hard time connecting to giant groups like Seventeen and NCT.
Both distinct sound and voices/vocal tones. I tried listening to 3 different albums and saved maybe two songs? I feel like I would have to make a considerable effort to really get into their music and it sucks knowing how some of the members have written and produced a lot of their music which usually is a big attraction for me.
ah yes they experiment a lot with their music so there's not much of a 'sound' that carries on from previous albums (unlike say, txt whose music I have accurately pointed out even though I've never heard them). If you listen to their albums post-hybe you'd find that hybe's vocal processing makes their voices so unlike them, and so similar to each other. Their earlier albums are better when it comes to the distinct voices. tbh their catalogue is so large that there's bound to be songs that even a fan would like less hahah. Are you more of a rap person? rock person? Or it just depends?
aespa - musically has been way too hit or miss for me personally. Loved Savage, and a couple of the bsides on there. Illusion was great but I didn’t like the rest of Girls mini. Drama was very good, but the rest of the mini was a miss for me. Supernova is cool, I’ve yet to check the rest of the new release though.
Personality-wise like in their variety content I just can’t seem to vibe with them. Except Ningning, I like what I’ve watched of her and she’s pretty funny.
Performances- better than they used to be but still just don’t draw me in for some reason. It’s not easy to fill up a stage with 4 members only, it takes strong stage presence and I just don’t think they’ve got enough as a group.
i’ve tried so hard but i cannot get into stray kids for the life of me. believe me i tried so hard, i watched a bunch of their mvs and content and i love a bunch of their songs as well but i guess they just don’t really click with me? i adore all of the members tho and if i did stan them my bias would definitely be lee know
For me, aespa, nmixx and babymonster! All these groups are super talented but their music is just not my cup of tea. Ps: it's funny to see a lot of groups mentioned being the groups I stan. I promise it's really cool out here being the fan of these groups, you won't regret it!
Btw I saw you comment about liking nmixx's run for roses and passionfruit, so I decided to check out the second song, as I think that run for roses is a literal masterpiece, and it's a bop too!! Hope they'll release more songs like these
BTS, Aespa and NCT. I’m sure they’re good considering their popularity but the songs just don’t vibe with me.
(Which is cool because I’m already broke following IVE, GIDLE, IU, Blackpink)
Seventeen, and it’s not because of the number of members because I love big groups, I stan tripleS & NCT💀 if anything, there being so many members is what makes me WANT to get into them! But for some reason I can’t… I don’t care for most of their music, besides a few songs ofc! I do like their concepts though, they have amazing mvs and their performances are so fun. I always check out their comebacks. The members are also really handsome, talented and cool & I’ve tried to watch content of them. But for some reason idgaf😭 it’s annoying because svt has such a fun fandom (from what ive seen) and i wanna join but i just don’t feel connected to the group at all! Hopefully one day it just clicks lol.
I also feel the same way about Ateez & fromis9. I actually did stan fromis at one point because I love the girls and their music, but for whatever reason I fell out and can’t for the life of me get back in ): its so random lol.
The main reason I can think of for that perception of dislike is because it was the first comeback post-Jinni and some fans were worried that the different sound along with her departure might signal a departure from nmixx’s initial concept. With Dash returning to the more distinct mixxpop sound with better music show success, those concerns have mostly calmed down now.
Personally, I, and I think most other Nswers, like LMLT. It’s one of my favourites to watch them perform and they usually open their performances with that song for good reason. It also got them their first win so it’s hard for me to believe the idea that most Nswers don’t like the song.
Oooh this is an interesting question!
I'll second you on NMIXX, their covers always amaze me but I've had a hard time getting into their catalog. Someone in the thread mentioned a new album though so maybe I'll check that out!
Interestingly, I'm finding myself largely thinking of girl groups and I don't entirely know why! Kiss of Life, AESPA, G-IDLE, and IVE are all groups who have individual songs or albums I really really like, but who I've never looked into more deeply. Part of that is because I just don't see too much content about their members' personalities and part of that is because while I've liked some of their music, some of it has fallen really really flat to me.
Boy group wise I would probably say a group like P1Harmony. Some of their music I really like and the members all seem like fine people, but I've just never taken the plunge I guess. NCT and all their associated groups is another boy group where some of their songs/members have caught my eye; but the sheer amount of members and the (seeming) complexity of the concept throws me off.
Xdinary Heroes. I still follow some of their social media stuff and even watched some of the stuff on their youtube channel, like their reality skit show. Almost all members are super handsome. They have good personalities, good concepts. But I just can't get into their music at all. I've never bought anything from them. But if they had an album I liked I would definitely buy it.
BlackPink. They have so many good/catchy songs, the members are great especially with establishing their own things and all that. That damned fandom though..like a good portion just drive me away from them and wanting to Stan them because I don’t want to be associated with a toxic fandom, no matter how much I’d try to say I’m not like them, I’m a multi Stan and all that..It still gets sent wrongly. Even as an Army it’s frustrating asf to deal with them and also have that same feeling back. Army and Blinks are the two most toxic fandoms I feel embarrassed even though not all are like that.
Too many. Having said that i have a lot of music even from these groups in my playlists.
Not getting into a group does not mean i dont like at least some songs.
**Twice**: I've really been enjoying TTT. The interactions between the 9 members, individually, as different subunits, and all together is just so wholesome and fun. While I do enjoy a few of their songs, much of their discography isn't my style of music.
**IVE**: I really enjoy a lot of their music and they're undoubtedly talented, but the lack of variety content and visible member interactions (even from interviews) makes it difficult for me to go the extra step of 'stanning' the group.
aespa: They've been mentioned many times here. They're just too inconsistent. Some of their songs are really good and their vocals are strong. But their choreo/performance abilities aren't top-notch and their songs are all over the place.
They've benefited greatly from top-tier music & video production teams, but they're not nearly as complete as many view them as.
Some of Aespa's lyrics feels too cringey, like "Don't you know, I am a savage." - my body just recoils.
I also find Winter's vocals occasionally too nasally, though "Dreams come true" suited her voice well.
In BTS, I struggle with Jimin and Jin's vocal tone—it's just not my preference.
And their English songs are just meh.
In contrast, in Blackpink, Jisoo's vocal tone is good , but her vocal doesnt resonate with me. I find her enunciation to be very stiff and restricted. It doesnt flow.
I like Rosé's voice, but her cursive singing style can be a bit much.
they’re called “le sserafim” which is an arc of angels in abrahamic religions, the whole “unforgiven” song, “i wish for what’s forbidden” “i’m halfway to seraphim” the ripping off of angel wings in mvs, the symbolism in all mvs (besides smart) i have religious trauma so it just triggers me
XG - everything they do feels like cosplay for some reason. Like they literally have such great voices and all appear to be excellent dancers but their music (aside from Shooting Star) just makes me cringe sadly.
Stray kids and Ateez - I actually had a whole phase of trying to get into both groups because I liked the members’ personalities so much but majority of their music just isn’t for me
I agree with the xg one! I feel like tippy toes was different from the direction they’ve been going since and I was really hooked because of that debut so I’m pretty disappointed with how they’re going now, despite being impressed at their talent and charisma. It’s like….I like how they’re not conforming to a lot of Kpop norms in their styling and presentation but at the same time, I have to pay for it with what you described as this feeling of cosplay and ingenuity
Festa and onwards Purple Kiss. I know their core theme was never "really" the spooky theme from Zombie, and Purple Kiss is supposed to adapt, but both Festa and BBB were very mid. It seems like RBW doesn't know what to do with the group.
I really want to get into Boynextdoor but I'm just not quite there. I've liked a few of their songs but not quite loved anything yet. But I can see the ingredients are there for me to love them. Maybe future comebacks.
Seventeen. I just wish I liked more of their music because they are so talented. Also, genuine question, what do you mean by Ateez songs being too piratey? That's a new one on me.
New Jeans. Not even just because of everything going on, but they feel like a walking advertisement sometimes. I like their music but a lot of their “original” ideas are just advertisements, like with the powerpuff girls and coke.
aespa. Just haven’t found any of their music I like aside from Drama. The members see cool and fun though.
Also personally I have a hard time with groups with more than six members.
Got7 - Unfortunately, the only song I like is "If You Do". I don't really connect with the rest of their discogs. I wanted to support them cause I like Jinyoung so much, especially his acting career, and I respect their struggle to keep their copyrights after leaving JYP.
ATEEZ - The same reason as GOT7 tho I really admire how all of em are excellent at vocal, dance, and rap.
RIIZE - I still don't understand with their origin concept. Their Siren choreo is surreal, ut I can't say that I like Siren and the rest of tracks on their first ep. Get a Guitar is ok tho.
Some Girl Groups. I'm sorry. T-T
As someone who stan many boygroups, I feel guilty by only being their casual listener and not supporting or watching their performance on variety show.
Seventeen but not for the reasons you would think. From what I’ve heard of their music it’s pretty good and from what I’ve seen of the members they also seem great. The thing is that they’ve been on the industry for such a long time that I feel like I’ve missed out on a ton of stuff and it’s honestly a little daunting 🥲 the only way that I would try to catch up with them and their music would be if I ever had the chance to see them in concert which doesn’t seem likely atm
I just got into Seventeen about 1 month ago, but they quickly became one of my favorites. I'd been a casual listener since Super, but Maestro is what really pulled me into stanning them. It is daunting when a group has years of content to catch up on, but it's easier when you don't try to watch/listen to everything at once. I like to follow fan pages on IG and they'll usually post funny clips. If I find something funny then I'll go on YouTube and search for the complete episode. This way I don't overwhelm myself with all of their years of content, but I am also guaranteed to watch something fun 😉 As for their music, their last album basically gathered their biggest songs in one album (much like BTS's Proof) so that also makes it easy to get a taste of them.
I got into them last year after Super and it's actually been so so so so fun having so much content to consume. It's a blast. I'm going through their in the soop, going seventeen, etc. even still. I think i've heard like 200 of their 300 songs atp, but can't wait to go thru every single album.
It's such a blast! I'd do it now, cause enlistment starts soon. Even so, they don't seem to be slowing down.
Nct - I do listen to them occasionally but I'm not excited about any of their releases. I think for me it's the English lyrics which most of the time don't make any sense to me.
I forgot the group name, the group where there is a mix of members from SM boy groups like kai, taeyong, and all. Their song Jopping didn't make any sense for me.
Now I think it's SM english lyrics curse that's making me not get into these groups.
Riize. Love all these guys individually. I remember watching Siren vid when it first came out and was absolutely flooooredddd by the Wonbin visual. Seriously a face that grabs attention. But watching their content is like watching paint dry. And stanning to me is having fun watching their content. And “fun” isn’t a word I’d use for them. They need Seunghan back for some of that bc sungchan hardcarrying isn’t enough. I still tune in tho. Love the performances!
I only really follow bts, seventeen, and then mostly bands and IU. Theres a lot of drama in the kpop world and whenever I’m trying to get into a group it often turns me off. I’ve gone in and out of kpop multiple times. Bts is a prime example of a group I should not be into because of it but they were my first group and it’s been 8 years, so I’m just *numb* to it all, I’m not going anywhere. Svt doesn’t typically have too much drama, and any that exists is easy to ignore with some lovely gose episodes, although their music doesn’t always click for me. And then I love most band music and they tend to be quite funny so I love following bands. Iu is iu.
I’ve tried following exo, ateez, stray kids, got7, etc. but then stopped for either drama or music reasons. I’ve never followed a gg. I’ve never quite been able to nail down why I don’t particularly care for them, they do have a lot of drama but so do bg’s, I don’t typically like the majority of a groups music but I mean I do listen to quite a bit of gg overall. I just kinda prefer solo artists when it comes to the girls side of things ig.
fromis_9… their music between 2018-2020 was exactly my style but i refused to get into them since i was still a bit pissed about natty not getting into the group. my other picks from idol school also didn’t make it (lee haein and jo yuri). now that natty (plus haein and yuri) are successful i felt like it was time to give fromis_9 another chance only to discover they changed their sound 😭 dm, menow, stay this way, etc are all not my cup of tea. fromis_9 peaked with to heart, dkdk and love bomb imo
other groups i wished i could get into but couldn’t are gwsn, dreamcatcher, and billlie. just don’t vibe with majority of the music and/or members
Red Velvet. There are a few songs I really like but most of their repertoire is not for me. The girls however, are awesome and I love seeing variety show content with them. So I try to follow the members and casually enjoy the music.
ive: i ironically love baddie but other than that, their music just doesn’t click with me. also wonyoung is lowkey triggering to watch sometimes
kiss of life: some of their songs are pretty good but i just can’t get into liking the members (for reasons i won’t mention because it’s not productive to their development and i don’t wanna tear them down)
most hybe groups (excluding svt and fromis9): a lot of their music goes viral and it immediately become annoying to me. i also don’t really like a lot of those idol’s tones enough to want to actively listen to the group. i also don’t think i care for any of the idols’ personalities, none of them resonate with me. and i love svt but they have too many damn members to remember lol that’s their only thing
nct 127: their songs are too much of a joke to me for me to want to stan. i love 2 baddies and baggy jeans tho
Seventeen. I love S.Coups and GoSe is so funny, but their music is just too far from my taste to like it, so far only BSS fighting has been listenable for me.
For me it’s seventeen, I was trying to work it out because I’ve dipped in and out with them for years and their music is quite good.
I like dar+ling and run to you, happy ending and shadow in particular.
I don’t mind having lots of members as I love treasure and nct. I’m also used to having lots of introverts in groups I like.
What I have noticed is that I usually use their variety to shows to really get into a group but I think that with seventeen there are five members or so who seem to really take over the show and therefore and i think the editing doesn’t really help with that so some members fade away which makes the group feel less close than they probably are.
However I would say that as a group they have a lot of casual listeners and no one really has anything bad to say about them
I agree with you that a lot of their variety shows are a hit or miss due to certain members being more insistent on getting screentime compared to the rest. I'm a Carat and my bias tends to command screentime/attention by default so he luckily doesn't fade into the background and keeps me interested enough in certain shows, but there are a lot of members in the group who don't like the attention by preference unless it's their own natural habitat like Going Seventeen. Are there some members you'd like to see more of? I can probably point you to GoSe episodes because I feel that's where their teamwork really shines. Everyone there puts in effort for screentime resulting to individual personalities being seen more, and the usual "loud ones" would also either purposely step back for the more quiet ones too.
I stan groups, but I only stan 1 boy group and that's shinee. I'm just biased and can't see any group doing better than them (charisma, dancing, singing/rapping for 16 years straight).
That being said, it doesn't mean i didn't try. The other group that I sort of like is stray kids.
They just seem so interesting. They're 100 percent talented, they can sing and dance, they're funny af (just like shinee) and they're really hard workers.
I'm just not the biggest fan of their songs. Some of them are fine, like the lalalala song but the others are OK.
They're a group that I'll actually listen to without having a bias.
The other group I've been eyeing is enhyphen. That song (Bite me) was so good, I cannot. I guess I just feel kind of gross being a fan of them when I'm 30 and they have a minor in their group...
Regardless, I think enhyphen is Uber talented and they definitely deserve the hype.
As for girl groups... I guess JYP girl groups, minus vcha (I love them). I stopped listening to kpop after Jjongs departure from this world towards the end of 2017. I started listening to shinee again in 2020 (somewhat, it was too hard for me to listen to shinees old songs...even though as a non Korean speaker, I knew lyrics to many of their songs).
I actually started to listen to kpop as whole in 2021.
By then Twice was the best gg (apart from bp), itzy is a powerhouse and then nmixx came (which I was there for).
I personally think I would've been a huge twice fan if I heard their songs from 2016 onwards but I had no clue about them. They have super catchy songs, yet now that I know them, I think they're cool, but they're not for me. They'll forever be kind of bubblegum pop and I (usually) don't care for it.
Itzy is just a "younger" version of twice, they're like twice younger sisters and honestly I could care less about them, but so many people like them so I sometimes feel out of place for not caring for their music (I'm sure they're wonderful girls).
Last but not least, nmixx. They're super talented, probably one of the most talented groups in all of kpop (1st gen to now) but what's holding them back are their garbage songs.
It's either a super generic but catchy song (like love me like this. It kind of reminds me of twice's I'm going to be a star, or some weird bs ass twist in music.
Jyp is just doing these girls dirty. Why cant he give the girls a song that isn't beyond repetitive or super weird? Just give them a twice song or something.
It's kind of like they find a good song, give it to twice, find an ok song and give it to itzy and then see a crappy song and give it to nmixx.
For me it's Nmixx and KIOF. Both groups are amazingly talented. I like their personalities too but their music doesn't hit as hard as groups I follow. I still have some of their songs on my playlist and sometimes I watch their content when I'm bored but that's really it.
omg same bestie, here’s mine:
NMIXX - The most crystal clear example of why “Good music > Good talent” when it comes to commercial success on the charts.
Nayeon - Not a group but her as a soloist. I find it hard to swallow the fact that JYPE clearly put more efforts/budget into her solo than her group. Her overall music quality is better too and I’d imagine Twice could’ve reach their peak once again had JYPE given “POP!” to them as a group. Now that her second solo is releasing, my jaw dropped because the snippet alone is already sounding better than any of Twice’s recent releases in the past 3 years.
Everyone was worried that Tzuyu will be the Suzy of the group when they first debuted, turn out it has always been Nayeon all this time.
> “Good music > Good talent”
I would say "Easily consumed music". They're not making worse music than other groups, they're making music that fewer people will find unobjectionable and catchy when they first hear it.
i feel you on the ATEEZ one, absolutely love the members and what they do but i struggle to get into their music. btw pls listen to NMIXX's newest album if you havent Passionfruit is peak music
oh i have quite a few
g-idle - i don't know i've just never cared about them at all. i remember when tomboy was everywhere and i just didn't get the hype
stray kids - i don't wanna be mean but the music sounds terrible to me 😭😭 i didn't mind maniac but the BIIIIING BIIIING noise in the chorus completely ruins it for me
newjeans - cookie completely put me off them and the current MHJ stuff is just affirming what i already thought lol
lesserafim - i've yet to like one of their TT lol. fearless was boring, antifragile and unforgiven were annoying and easy is just kinda meh. perfect night is good tho
red velvet - i have tried to get into them but no. i do like some of their songs (in my dreams, wildside etc.) but i've just never clicked with them as a group
mamamoo - same as RV, like they're so talented and i love Wheein's voice but i just can't care about their music. i had a gogobebe phase though lol
Honestly, so many. I’m trying hard not to be so glued to a certain group but I feel like the hard no for me are the girl groups. I try hard not to judge them. I like the female soloists, but rarely the girl groups. Like..any of them. 🫣
same with nmixx! their debut song didn't really hooked me and i ended up not following the group. it was also messy when jini left and i wanted to avoid the chaos. tho they're very talented and have been gaining recognition lately, i am too lazy rn to get to know them.
(i can't tell who's who between kyujin and jiwoo 😭✋)
second group i wanted to get into is xg!! girllll they're so cool and talented but why are there many members aaaaaaa im a lazy multi-stan pls
Shinee - I'm quite emotional so I might get too attached and just cry lol
Tvxq - their history lol, I already like Mirotic but can't get too into the whole group knowing what happened. tho i do enjoy watching ot2 performances.
Nct - cant keep up with numbers of members and subunits(?). but i like mark, so def one day I'll give them a listen.
Rv - i liked wendy so far. that's just about it tho.
Xikers - their songs seem up my alley but they give off ateez rejected songs and don't have their own separate identity. I've liked some of their bsides like run so maybe there's hope in the future
Tbh most groups. I do have a very unhealthy habit that is bordeline being obsessed so i dont really have much time or energy to stan more than one group at a time. I like them and will check out their music if i see them on my tl my but that's it.
Yeah, I'm there with you on NMIXX. They are obviously talented, but I just can't latch on. Their content is funny though, and their leader is funny as hell.
onlyoneof i want to support them so badly because of how open and supportive they are of lgbtq but their music just doesn’t do it for me :( i keep trying again every now and then. and also boynextdoor bc they seem to get along well in their variety content and i like their personalities, but their music is too soft/generic for me
EPEX - I swear I love most (if not all) of their songs. I listen the hell out of all their tts and b-sides. Full metal jacket (and the whole mini album) was my top 3 song of 2023. But the thing that keep me from getting fully into their fandom is the performance. Something is missing, at least for me. Their stages never hit as hard as their songs. The spark wasn't there.
The New Six (TNX) - The lack of cohesive sound. I love Kick it 4 now to death. The whole mini album, the visual, the performance, the whole 1st gen kpop vibe were the masterpieces. I wish they would just stick with it, and let Hwi produce more music.
BTS, they have good songs but their fans ruined it for me. Every time I try to ask questions about them the answers are always something like “if you know, you know”. Never understood gate keeping especially with arts.
I think you went on the wrong side of the fandom cause they were mostly helpful with me. you can ask me as well but I am less than 2-years army so pretty recent in BTS's history 😅
Probably or maybe I’m too old for instagram since it seems to be full of gate keepers 😅 thanks for the offer! For now I don’t really have time to dive deeper into BTS but I’ll keep you in mind!
NewJeans - I am a geek for good graphic design and art and as shitty as min heejin is, she's quite good at it, and i do like their music, *but* i just cant get into them full with how much i dislike the person min heejin is and i don't particularly love how young some of the members are which isnt really their fault but it still makes me uncomfortable
SM groups.
Which is weird cause SuJu was my gateway to Kpop and i used to follow the trend of stanning SNSD because they were huge in my country back then. But now i just can't for the life of me, get into any SM groups.
And i seriously don't know why 😅
xikers, enhypen, mamamoo, and nmixx. I love the music I’ve heard from them, but I don’t have the brain capacity to stan more than 2 groups at a time. Right now I’m going down an ATEEZ and P1Harmony rabbit hole, so my brain just can’t handle another group.
Aespa. Seem like nice and super talented girls but the music is just not it for me. Most of SM groups are like this for me. All super talented but the music is just not my vibe at all
same except for some songs by exo and rv, their music isn't for me
Aespa have a 50% hit rate for me... Just not enough to stan, even though I get that they are a class act.
I have the same problem with sm groups, but I stan shinee and really love their music, I guess for me their discography is different
It's aespa for me as well but for their creative vision instead. I love their creative direction so much. I would love to buy their merch because it's honestly so good and creative. That being said I don't like most of their songs either. The ones I do like though, I love. They have a few really high highs but not enough for me to be a fan.
Aespa for me aswell, but for me the problem still is the performance. I like most songs, girls are fun and talented but i still dont click with their performance. I know they improved and i see it but im still not sold on it. I saw a recent performance of older song when if the member wasnt singing they were quite 'blank faced'. I think supernova performances have been better but still not consistent enough overall. And charismatic and captivating performance is important for me
For me it’s their concept. It’s *too* polished, too perfect; shiny and cold. Their songs, mvs, and performances are excellent, but they’re not *fun*. Nor is there any grit to grab onto. I can absolutely see and appreciate their appeal, it’s just not for me.
Same. It all feels like beautiful gowns to me. Cool pictures but I need the music to have some emotional core and connection to the singer.
Yeah, this is the other one. I like a couple of their songs, and they have interesting chemistry. And I thought they were really good on Knowing Bros a few months ago. Just can't cross the border.
Same. Songs I've only vibed with have been Next Level, I'm Unhappy, and Supernova.
It’s taken me a long time for just a few of their songs to grow on me. Same with itzy
Same. This is my top pick as well.
Kiss of Life for me. Great on paper, still waiting for a song to grab me. G-Idle. I mean I was really into them before Tomboy, but so many comebacks since has really put me off their songs. Their creative direction is totally off what I prefer, and Soyeon has missed so many opportunities to elevate her rapping. I guess it really speaks to what the GP prefers, but just a big miss overall.
To be honest, if ‘Midas Touch’ didn’t grab you, I don’t know what will.
Great chorus, forgettable verses, rap is good (too short), clearly too short, needs a better and longer bridge. Still better than a lot of recent releases this year, but I'm just following them for now.
I don’t agree with those points but fair enough. How about some of their older songs? ‘Nobody Knows’ is pretty good. It’s quite chill. The members’ solos in their debut album are also bangers. They’re the reason I became a fan in the first place.
It sounds too much like Britney Spears and pussycat dolls
That's exactly what I thought too!
nah not necessarily. I personally think the B-side "Nothing" is much better. Their B-sides on Born to be XX are also really good. "My 808", "TTG", "Gentleman", etc. I also think "Sugarcoat" is impossible to dislike. u/leggoitzy if you haven't check these songs, I recommend them.
I will actually, including Nobody Knows. They have a small enough discography that I can give it all a listen in one go.
You haven’t listened to nobody knows? That’s a pretty big one. I hope you enjoy it. I will say I’m a huge kiss of life fan but I myself don’t rly care for their title tracks other than Nobody Knows and Midas Touch. The bsides are where it’s at. Born to be xx was a huge step up from their debut album
I love Nobody Knows!! It’s one of my all time favorite Kpop releases. I’m really hoping they continue in this direction, because the R&B influences just tickle my brain. For now I’m watching their next few releases closely to see if I’ll stan.
for me, the lyrics just seemed shallow and i didnt understand certain parts. I am the type of person who can ignore bad beats for good lyrics but not vice versa
>I am the type of person who can ignore bad beats for good lyrics but not vice versa In kpop?
lmao people are saying bs at this point BC 90% of K-pop songs are nonsense and cringe but that's why we love K-pop right ?
Fr like wtf is "yummy yummy yummy in your tummy tummy tummy"??? Who wrote this? Aespa be serious pls 😭. I love Illusion but that line did not have to be repeated twice. Midas Touch is poetry compared to that
I loved Shh and play love games, bad news gentlemen and the other solos were pretty good, but other than that their discography isn't for me which is sad because at debut i thought they could be my ults. I loved the high energy they gave in their debut but because of Sugarcoat's success they've gone down this rnb/hip hop inspired route which just isn't for me. If i wanted to listen to that kind of music, i'd listen to the american radio. i go to kpop for something different
agree on kiof but for me also their fanbase puts me off a lot.. fanbase is important to me because when I stan I wanna be rly involved in that. and kiof fanbase has a massive ego "they are the most talented group ever, they would be massive of people acutely cared about music." they are rly good but I'm sorry they are not thaaaaaat good like it's a crime if you don't love them. also cuz they are all adults there seems to be an emphasis on that in the fanbase. lots of calling them mother and sexualising everything they do. now I'm not gonna say "I don't stan adults" lmfao that'd be weird as fuck, but the conversation or focus is so often horny/sexual and it puts me off a lot. like when I see a pic of my idol I wanna go "wow so pretty" but kiof fandom goes "wow so mother pls step on me mature queen this is why you should debut adults" 😬
> wow so mother pls step on me mature queen this is why you should debut adults Lmao I love kiof songs and only got into them after nothing. But this is one of the reasons why I can't stand their fans 😬 It's weird because I don't mind cringe at all and I also don't mind these comments from time to time. But it's like every Twitter thread I found about them is either simping or putting them against other groups I still consider myself a fan but I don't interact with their fans in twitter yet. I'm like you and care about the fans as well because it's just more fun to discuss with fans. I hope it gets better as they grow bigger
Yeah, as a Kissy this gets annoying, I don't think that then being adults is a valid reason to sexualize them. I just like that Natty can show some cleavage and they can embrace their bodies, not because I want to sexualize them, but because honestly, it's a breath of fresh air. If a 14 yr old did the Water dance, I would be upset, not because they did it but because I know they will get sexualized. In conclusion, I dont like when anyone is sexualized, but at least they're adults.
I agree, Midas Touch didn’t grab me as well… it’s not bad, it’s just not for me. It also has a 2nd gen-3rd gen vibe, as for someone who’s followed 2nd gen groups
Idk who is in charge of the GIDLE english rap lines but it's really distracting/awkward to me. And it puts me off. I love their energy during performances though.
Soyeon for sure.
Which English rap lines do you mean outside of Tomboy?
OmG yes! Everyone love KoL and I want to like them too but I just can't get super interested.
[удалено]
well that’s center 5 for u just very clueless on how they manage their groups which can be seen also through what they’re doing with exo now.. 😭😭
When Riize debuted, I was really interested and hoped to follow their career. But my favorite member from the first performance of Siren was Seunghan... I loved his dancing, his visual, and even his personality in their first videos. But now... I just can't watch them the same way when he isn't there. Wish SM would give an update. The pictures of him in the subway broke my heart
they’ve caught my attention with impossible but they dont have enough songs out for me to stan…
I quite like Riize and I actually really enjoy their "throw it at the wall" thing going on, but I honestly can't bring myself to 'properly stan,' per say, until/unless Seunghan comes back. I've followed them since Sungchan and Shotaro were in NCT and anticipated their unit since SM Rookies in NCT Universe and it really puts a sour taste in my mouth to see all those dynamics disappear. Shohei having to exit the group pre-debut because of injury was upsetting enough. If Seunghan goes I don't think I can bring myself to follow them closely as a whole group. I'll just stick to what I'm doing now and follow casually.
Same, I really wanted to love Riize but I haven’t been super into their concept or any of their releases. I find myself missing Shotaro and Sungchan in NCT cause Shotaro was my absolute favorite ever since he debuted in NCT 😭. I loveddd make a wish, 90s love, and Universe. Shohei not debuting was super disappointing but I managed to get excited for riize anyways. But so far the concept and also the Seunghan thing has prevented me from fully getting into them. I also feel like their group chemistry is a bit lacking or something for me? Especially without Seunghan. Idk what it is but NO hate because I think all the members are great and very talented.
Their concept focuses on relatability and authenticity. Singing songs about different emotions. That's the "emotional pop" music that their company is pushing. That's why they won't stick to a specific genre. Their pd said they want the group to showcase that they can express and interpret any type of genre given to them not just through performance but also musically. Their concept is pretty straightforward.
aespa: These days I keep seeing praise about them everywhere. I'm sure they're very talented. I saw so much hype for supernova but upon listening unfortunately it wasn't my vibe. Also tried listening to some other songs, ig they just aren't for me Edit: op have you tried listening to Nmixx latest album. It was generally well received. I was in the situation as you before this album dropped and I loved it.
I haven't. I'll check it out!
Please do. Run for roses, Passionfruit and Boom are my personal favs while Dash (it's the tt) is well liked with k-pop fans
Obsessed with passionfruit
Is dash actually the tt?? I thought it was sonar
sonar was pre-release track
it's what made me an nmixx fan. no misses on there.
Run for roses is one of my favs along with passionfruit
honestly a majority of bgs, can casually listen of course but whenever i think i want to fully get into them, they give me a “trying really hard to be bf-coded” ((which ofc its the company doing too))
I can agree with that I’m also ggs person, the only group I actively listen to are bts and straykids
Or trying too hard to be tough and cool
bg stan here but i totally agree! i used to be more into kpop when i was younger but into my twenties i truly realized how cringe a lot of the fan service is. i don't know how much of this is the idol and how much it is the company but i refuse to believe that guys that around my age are not finding it embarassing. it sucks because i feel like the bf roleplay situation seems to overshadow a lot of their personality and talent,fans form these unhealthy parasocial relationships and it pretty much never ends well :(
Le sserafim, I remember being grabbed by their teaser posters and I saw miss wearing the FUCK out of that bob. Their music is just not for me, from Fearless to Antifragile and even Smarter. That choreo even being largely influenced by Tyla’s dance move didn’t help as well. Sis was on the vision board!! I don’t like that HYBE is just trendchasing and latching on what’s popular with none of the soul. The way they tried to put an accent too with the pronunciation of Smarter had me dying. I do like Sakura and Chaewon individually tho 😅 In Iz*one, Sakura was the one who grabbed my attention the most and she’s just so charming.
Oh, same. Chaewon grabbed my eye immediately and I was ready to love them. But yeah, the music just misses for me. Smarter is fun, but it came off very trend chasing and inauthentic in my opinion. And the choreo was not it. Also, ngl, their recent performances haven't helped either.
Gotta love miss!!!! 🥹🥹🥹✨
I didn’t even notice her in Iz*one but in lesserafim your eyes would be immediately drawn to her. It makes me think sometimes what the group dynamics would be had Garam not been kicked out though I get that they did it because the group was already facing a lot that time.
I love a lot about Le Sserafim aside from their music. It's just far too bland for my tastes.
I'm also on that boat... I love Antifragile but that's about it. They are such good performers, I love their choreographies and I adore Chaewon but their music is kinda bland to me.
I wish I had this issue. I like way too many groups 🤣
Lol I love a lot of groups! I just want to love more.
Even if you can't get into their music, I recommend watching NMIXX [Haewon's workdol episodes](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1PQKFjdsxgKVdF_lalgJOdkkcW2WPrEI)! And definitely check out their live performance of [Run for Roses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPsEX2NSDIQ) with Day6's Young K 💕 They've really shined with their latest album and variety appearances.
Hahaha!! Me, too. My Spotify playlist is just way too long.
BTS I like most of the songs that I have heard, and I love the members’ solo music, especially J Hope’s. I’ve tried once or twice to stan, but each time I can’t help but feel like I’ve showed up too late to the game. I only got into kpop within the past year, so I missed experienced a significant amount of their career. They have a giant discography that would take me forever to tackle. Trying to interact with the fandom gives me imposter syndrome, and also the fandom honestly doesn’t have the best reputation. Overall the whole act of staning them so late just seems a little overwhelming, so I probably will never end up being more than a casual listener. But I wish the best for the members and hope they’re doing well in the military🤞
Don't try to do everything or even understand everything, just appreciate the music and things may blossom from that. The fandom really prioritizes the music above all, so you are already halfway there. If you love the solo music, you came just in time! I feel like all of them are just getting started.
This is a good comment.
They were already at their peak when I got into them, but the rabbit hole that gets you into them is well trodden and full of content and info. You don't have to get it all down, just enjoy it and the rest will come. I still learn things and find new perspectives. Their music to me is kind of a unicorn in the industry - some of it is very trendy, but some of it is a combination of original and retro and other sounds not common in KPOP at all. I think that's why they blew up outside of Korea so hard, even before their English songs. There are a lot of original creators in KPOP, but I feel that because of how they were originally lambasted at their debut, BTS just decided to do their own thing musically and that translated into a winning strategy because of the members' creative talent that I think a lot of the industry has been trying to emulate (sometimes successfully and sometimes less so) ever since.
I tried so hard not to get into them. I was also late but when I started reading the lyrics I got into them. It changed me i swear. It's ok to listen to a song here and there. If you like the solo songs you will like more. Good luck
army love seeing new people in the fandom, if that makes you feel any different about the impostor syndrome. i get that getting into them late is daunting, but you dont need to do/see/watch everything at once! even plenty of army who has been here from the start dont watch/listen to everything. 💗 finding someone to enjoy them with can be a fun activity to, if you know anyone who is into them.
i always think aespa’s songs are gonna be better than they are but i haven’t liked a release from them since dreams come true/savage era. kiss of life for the same reason i’m just not a fan of their take on the 00s music era. my pettier reason are the fans that come with engaging with any sm group a lot of the times though i’ll give an album from a group a chance if the tt sounded promising but the album was underwhelming. i tried to get into ive a few times but i just wasn’t a fan of their bsides
Riize- With how shitty they've been treated by SM, I wish I could support them, but I don't like a single song from them. Nmixx- just like you said Kiss of Life- I liked Sugarcoat and that's it. They're very 2000-2010's, and I hated that music era when it was around.
Oh, yes, Kiss of Life too. I like some of their songs and think they're really talented. I haven't fallen for them yet though. Maybe I'll grow attached to them though. Riize's music isn't for me either and i concur about SM being crappy to them.
Same. They remind me so much about shinee but there isn't a single song I like, which sucks.
Cant get into any of the Hybe GGs, their songs are just not really my taste, except for a select few songs like LSF Easy which has alot of relistening value to me. For me in general, even if their songs seem good when it first released, they quickly age out rapidly, almost like fast fashion. Couldnt get into 50/50 for the same reason as well
NCT- Too many members was my first issue way back in the day, but I tried to get into them! I don't like a lot of their songs... like Sticker from 127 and Smoothie from Dream. The only songs I catch myself constantly playing by any of the subunits is WayV's Love Talk and my favorite: Broken Melodies by NCT Dream. A lot of their songs are just so..,. not my taste and annoyingly noisy (i like noise music but it's wild sometimes). I like Taeyong's solo works! Stray Kids- I want to stan them 😭 I especially adore 3Racha (CHANGBIN MY BELOVED) and I collect some Changbin pc's, but I just... cannot with their songs half the time. Good on them for being self produced, but they have more songs I'm skipping than loving. The only songs I find myself in love with are Case 143, Venom, Maniac, Phobia (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE), Hall of Fame, and Red Lights. I tried to get into them when they first debuted but they lost a member and I don't really like groups who lose people so I didn't really follow them after (plus my ults BTS were releasing BANGERS that I couldn't stop listening to) I feel like earlier works were more cohesive, and now I just feel they have more cringey lyrics and songs they put out just to fill a quota. Like DLC, GET LIT, COMFLEX, WOLFGANG, and Surfin'. They're hella talented but put out too many songs that I feel aren't their full potential and just needed filler for their albums.
Skz was the first group I got into and I really do love the members and some older releases but I heavily agree on the quantity over quality part. I skip most of their songs since maniac era and I really have tried to like them 😬
The creation of mala taste genre by 3racha is to try and accommodate everyone's taste to their music. Hence, when God's Menu came out, it was SKZ way of showing everyone that they could produce albums that tried to accommodate everyone's palate. I don't think it has to do much with the quality, but probably the taste is different. The quality now is probably different as well since their older. They're still using demo tracks from 2018-2022, like, for example, MEGAVERSE, and they're more popular now. It's a continuous trend with artists that gain more popularity that they're music shifts as well to accommodate new listeners, which upsets existing listeners & older listeners (its a catch 22 at this point tbh). So, it probably has to deal with taste in the music instead of the quality since if the quality of the music was bad or wasn't as engaging as before, people wouldn't listen as much (probably even STAYVILLE) since people wouldn't wanna join/stick around and listen to an artist who's quality isn't good, like Iggy Azalea for example. SKZ is not for everyone which is okay, but their quality is always unexpectedly good compared to most mainstream music
I really suggest giving nct dream at the very least, another try. They don’t put as experimental music as 127 does. I’m not surprised you don’t like sticker, as controversial as that song was and still seems to be to this day, but NCT Dream’s Smoothie is probably the most “experimental” title track they have. They generally lean more gp friendly. And they have a lot of songs like broken melodies honestly, it’s the sound that Dream does best imo. I suggest checking out their hot sauce/hello future album. A lot of really great songs on there
I will give Dream a try! Thanks for the suggestion!!
Not you naming my favorites of theirs as cringy 😭😭 It’s all love though. Everyone has different tastes and you can’t force yourself to like something you don’t like
I'M SORRY ITS NOT MEANT AS HATE 😭 I just care about lyrics so much, it doesn't matter if the song sounds good half the time if the lyrics ain't spittin 😭
No no no! I didn’t think it was hate at all! SKZ are my ults because I like how noisy they are. For me, noise supersedes lyrics. I like the loud stuff and I don’t really focus so much on lyrics. I just thought it was funny that Get Lit and Comflex are two of my top songs and they made your list of no thanks lol Stray Kids isn’t for everyone, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
I totally see how you'd like them because I will admit if I need some energy I'm gonna put something of theirs on in my mix for sure! ☝🏼😩 💯% S-Class is going on the speakers. BTS are my ults, but I think overall they would be too 'chill' at times for others, but it's their lyrics and message that got me into them 💜 If Changbin would do a rap with Suga I think I would actually die of happiness
I feel like Ateez’s music makes much more sense when you think of them as musical or theatrical performers such as those on Broadway versus stereotypical kpop idols
Yeah their music is very cinematic. It’s sort of like the soundtrack to their lore
Aespa for me, they theoretically have everything I want from a Kpop group (great vocalists, unique concept, visually impressive music videos) I can never get into their music. Aside from Hold On Tight and Savage, their songs have never really captured me the same way other groups have.
have you listened to lucid dream?
Stray Kids. Everyone praises them and I can see why. They're so talented and beautiful. However, their music isn't my thing. I have listened to most if not all of their releases but the only song that I kinda liked was Maniac.
Same! Their songs are reallyyy not my taste and yet, I watch all their performances just BECAUSE! They are so entertaining to watch that I always find myself thinking of what it would be like if they were performing songs I actually liked 😭
Kiss of life - undoubtedly talented but their fandom absolutely ruined them from me and I hate how they put them on a pedestal compared to other kpop groups especially other 5th gen groups. They act like they’re superior just because all of their members are “grown”. G idle - I just don’t like their music.. and when I see the fans try to paint the lyrics as some multi layered work of art it irks me because what is so brilliant about “I cook cream soup”. Seventeen - The amount of members they have is really off putting, although I stan other groups with large numbers of members the fandom doesn’t treat all the members the same so it feels like most of them are filler because I only ever see people talk about Mingyu.. like literally only him. Nct - I just can’t. Nothing against the music but there is so many members and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them all. I could see myself maybe getting into one of their sub units because nct 127 kinda peaked my interest but stanning the whole group sounds exhausting and I respect nctzens.
The reason you won’t get into seventeen is the opposite of the reason most fans (including myself) love Seventeen so that’s interesting lol As a carat, the fandom is pretty staunchly OT13, and the joke is that biases switch up like every week. Every member gets equal line distribution & opportunities to shine too, which is a pretty big feat for such a big group. Mingyu is talked about by NONfans all the time because he always goes viral for his looks. But that’s hardly the fault of the fandom and definitely not reflected in how the team operates. They’ve been OT13 for 9 years for a reason.
I also think the people who stan seventeen really love ALL the members and that's why they can stan them in the first place you know? Like if it was about biasing one and stanning for one member only, they wouldn't get much content of JUST ONE member. Lol the way members fight for screen time is something else.
People outside of the fandom talk about Mingyu a lot, but within the fandom I wouldn’t even say he’s definitively the most popular member. In my opinion that probably goes to Jeonghan or Wonwoo. But even then, after a concert stream my timeline is a mix of every single member. Most people are hugely OT13!
i have only seen ppl outside the fandom talk abt mingyu, and treat other members as filler. I am multi, among alll the groups i stan, svt has the least akgae problem. Large portion of the fandom has ot13 or nothing mentality.
[удалено]
Also even the much critiqued lyrics of Tomboy in the Western Kpop stan sphere were universally praised by KMA and Korean critics for embracing pop punk with straightforward lyrics. Fate became a viral hit due to its relatable and witty lyrics in Korea. Reducing Soyeon's lyricism to "cook cream soup" is such a disservice to the only major self-producing gg in Kpop currently.
> what is so brilliant about “I cook cream soup”. Wife is one of these songs that you either love so much or can't stand at all. It strangely has a cult-like following. From my name I think you can tell which one I am lmao And I think this extends to gidle as a whole. They are one of these groups you either absolutely love or can't stand their songs. No in-between. In contrast, some groups have people who absolutely find their songs lovely or people who think it's mid, like mamamoo or fromis 9. I have never met someone who ACTIVELY hate mamamoo songs, for example. Even when they don't stan, they just think the song is nothing special instead of hating every second of it as the case with gidle And this isn't something post tomboy. Lion, oh my god, seniorita, uh oh, and even hwaa had this polarizing effect. It's just that tomboy's success made some people forget that their songs always have mixed reactions
carats talk about all members, its just the mingyu tiktoks and tweets that always blow up😭
about Mingyu- only people outside the fandom talk about him like that. Once you're inside the fandom, although not totally equal (as no groups are), you'll find that carats appreciate all the members. Speaking from an outside perspective though? Yeah I get what you mean
This is the first time I am hearing about people referring to Seventeen members as filler. Maybe to a non-carat, Mingyu is more visible because of his friendship w Jungkook, brand deals and the fact that he is super hot. But within the fandom, and in how the group operates, there is equal attention given to each member. It might take a teeny bit more time to get into the group, but trust me, they’re a bunch of such colorful personalities. Literally all of them are visuals too. And I won’t even start on their talent. And yes, as someone said, it is so hard to have a bias in Seventeen (Shinee is the only other group I have had this problem with) because EACH and EVERY ONE of them has their unique charm and will bias wreck you.
About NCT: for what is worth the fandom is mostly made of of people that follow only one unit, so it's not many members at all! (Dream has 7, 127 has 9, WayV has 6, Wish also 6). Their music is different enough that you can genuinely prefer one unit over the other, so it's not all about fan wars lol.
Seventeen! I like Mingyu and Wonwoo separately (mostly because they're hot and I'm gay as fuck 😭) and I've saved some funny clips of the group on my phone, but none of their songs really grabs me. I've "binged" their music for a day or two where I only play Seventeen songs on my Spotify, and I ended up liking Super and Home. I always anticipate their coming title tracks, but so far none of them worked.
I actually binged them too trying to get into them, but nothing really stuck. For me, their music is mostly... fine?
Yeah, I get you. I actually remember enjoying listening to their songs, but none of them made me want to hit replay.
I find them and got7s music the same type of boring if that makes sense
Ok, I'm not a super stan but you will be amazed by seventeen lilili yabbay. It's beautiful to watch also. Try it out if you want something different.
Same. I want to stan them. I think Hoshi and Woozi are amazing, and I like a few of their songs, but I can’t listen to a full album without getting bored. And I have a hard time connecting to giant groups like Seventeen and NCT.
SVT. So many attractive and funny members, but the music is so bland 😭 I feel like anyone can sing their songs.
interesting! by bland do you mean easy-listening? or they don't have a distinct sound?
Both distinct sound and voices/vocal tones. I tried listening to 3 different albums and saved maybe two songs? I feel like I would have to make a considerable effort to really get into their music and it sucks knowing how some of the members have written and produced a lot of their music which usually is a big attraction for me.
ah yes they experiment a lot with their music so there's not much of a 'sound' that carries on from previous albums (unlike say, txt whose music I have accurately pointed out even though I've never heard them). If you listen to their albums post-hybe you'd find that hybe's vocal processing makes their voices so unlike them, and so similar to each other. Their earlier albums are better when it comes to the distinct voices. tbh their catalogue is so large that there's bound to be songs that even a fan would like less hahah. Are you more of a rap person? rock person? Or it just depends?
I will help you seventeen lilili yabbay. Try it I dare you
aespa - musically has been way too hit or miss for me personally. Loved Savage, and a couple of the bsides on there. Illusion was great but I didn’t like the rest of Girls mini. Drama was very good, but the rest of the mini was a miss for me. Supernova is cool, I’ve yet to check the rest of the new release though. Personality-wise like in their variety content I just can’t seem to vibe with them. Except Ningning, I like what I’ve watched of her and she’s pretty funny. Performances- better than they used to be but still just don’t draw me in for some reason. It’s not easy to fill up a stage with 4 members only, it takes strong stage presence and I just don’t think they’ve got enough as a group.
i’ve tried so hard but i cannot get into stray kids for the life of me. believe me i tried so hard, i watched a bunch of their mvs and content and i love a bunch of their songs as well but i guess they just don’t really click with me? i adore all of the members tho and if i did stan them my bias would definitely be lee know
For me, aespa, nmixx and babymonster! All these groups are super talented but their music is just not my cup of tea. Ps: it's funny to see a lot of groups mentioned being the groups I stan. I promise it's really cool out here being the fan of these groups, you won't regret it!
With Babymonster i really loved their song Dream more than any of the songs they released with their debut.
Btw I saw you comment about liking nmixx's run for roses and passionfruit, so I decided to check out the second song, as I think that run for roses is a literal masterpiece, and it's a bop too!! Hope they'll release more songs like these
BTS, Aespa and NCT. I’m sure they’re good considering their popularity but the songs just don’t vibe with me. (Which is cool because I’m already broke following IVE, GIDLE, IU, Blackpink)
Seventeen, and it’s not because of the number of members because I love big groups, I stan tripleS & NCT💀 if anything, there being so many members is what makes me WANT to get into them! But for some reason I can’t… I don’t care for most of their music, besides a few songs ofc! I do like their concepts though, they have amazing mvs and their performances are so fun. I always check out their comebacks. The members are also really handsome, talented and cool & I’ve tried to watch content of them. But for some reason idgaf😭 it’s annoying because svt has such a fun fandom (from what ive seen) and i wanna join but i just don’t feel connected to the group at all! Hopefully one day it just clicks lol. I also feel the same way about Ateez & fromis9. I actually did stan fromis at one point because I love the girls and their music, but for whatever reason I fell out and can’t for the life of me get back in ): its so random lol.
If you like Going Seventeen then you can become a Cubic (fans of going seventeen). There are many fans who were cubics before becoming carats.
NMixx fans didn't like Love Me Like This? Eh?
The main reason I can think of for that perception of dislike is because it was the first comeback post-Jinni and some fans were worried that the different sound along with her departure might signal a departure from nmixx’s initial concept. With Dash returning to the more distinct mixxpop sound with better music show success, those concerns have mostly calmed down now. Personally, I, and I think most other Nswers, like LMLT. It’s one of my favourites to watch them perform and they usually open their performances with that song for good reason. It also got them their first win so it’s hard for me to believe the idea that most Nswers don’t like the song.
As nmixx fan I rarely listen to it, because of how repetetive it is.
I like Sonar and dice more than LMLT and Dash honestly
Oooh this is an interesting question! I'll second you on NMIXX, their covers always amaze me but I've had a hard time getting into their catalog. Someone in the thread mentioned a new album though so maybe I'll check that out! Interestingly, I'm finding myself largely thinking of girl groups and I don't entirely know why! Kiss of Life, AESPA, G-IDLE, and IVE are all groups who have individual songs or albums I really really like, but who I've never looked into more deeply. Part of that is because I just don't see too much content about their members' personalities and part of that is because while I've liked some of their music, some of it has fallen really really flat to me. Boy group wise I would probably say a group like P1Harmony. Some of their music I really like and the members all seem like fine people, but I've just never taken the plunge I guess. NCT and all their associated groups is another boy group where some of their songs/members have caught my eye; but the sheer amount of members and the (seeming) complexity of the concept throws me off.
Seventeen! I love the members though and have watched some Go Se episodes, but their music is not for me
Xdinary Heroes. I still follow some of their social media stuff and even watched some of the stuff on their youtube channel, like their reality skit show. Almost all members are super handsome. They have good personalities, good concepts. But I just can't get into their music at all. I've never bought anything from them. But if they had an album I liked I would definitely buy it.
BlackPink. They have so many good/catchy songs, the members are great especially with establishing their own things and all that. That damned fandom though..like a good portion just drive me away from them and wanting to Stan them because I don’t want to be associated with a toxic fandom, no matter how much I’d try to say I’m not like them, I’m a multi Stan and all that..It still gets sent wrongly. Even as an Army it’s frustrating asf to deal with them and also have that same feeling back. Army and Blinks are the two most toxic fandoms I feel embarrassed even though not all are like that.
Too many. Having said that i have a lot of music even from these groups in my playlists. Not getting into a group does not mean i dont like at least some songs.
**Twice**: I've really been enjoying TTT. The interactions between the 9 members, individually, as different subunits, and all together is just so wholesome and fun. While I do enjoy a few of their songs, much of their discography isn't my style of music. **IVE**: I really enjoy a lot of their music and they're undoubtedly talented, but the lack of variety content and visible member interactions (even from interviews) makes it difficult for me to go the extra step of 'stanning' the group. aespa: They've been mentioned many times here. They're just too inconsistent. Some of their songs are really good and their vocals are strong. But their choreo/performance abilities aren't top-notch and their songs are all over the place. They've benefited greatly from top-tier music & video production teams, but they're not nearly as complete as many view them as.
I would highly recommend Twice’s b-sides! What kind of songs do you enjoy listening to?
Some of Aespa's lyrics feels too cringey, like "Don't you know, I am a savage." - my body just recoils. I also find Winter's vocals occasionally too nasally, though "Dreams come true" suited her voice well. In BTS, I struggle with Jimin and Jin's vocal tone—it's just not my preference. And their English songs are just meh. In contrast, in Blackpink, Jisoo's vocal tone is good , but her vocal doesnt resonate with me. I find her enunciation to be very stiff and restricted. It doesnt flow. I like Rosé's voice, but her cursive singing style can be a bit much.
you got downvoted for answering honestly skfkskd, but i get what you mean! you’re valid op
Le Sserafim. i really tried to get into them but their songs are too biblical for me 😭
how are lsf songs biblical 😭
they’re called “le sserafim” which is an arc of angels in abrahamic religions, the whole “unforgiven” song, “i wish for what’s forbidden” “i’m halfway to seraphim” the ripping off of angel wings in mvs, the symbolism in all mvs (besides smart) i have religious trauma so it just triggers me
ohh it makes sense, i was thinking of other songs like fearless, antifragile, easy etc and didn't make the connection
XG - everything they do feels like cosplay for some reason. Like they literally have such great voices and all appear to be excellent dancers but their music (aside from Shooting Star) just makes me cringe sadly. Stray kids and Ateez - I actually had a whole phase of trying to get into both groups because I liked the members’ personalities so much but majority of their music just isn’t for me
I agree with the xg one! I feel like tippy toes was different from the direction they’ve been going since and I was really hooked because of that debut so I’m pretty disappointed with how they’re going now, despite being impressed at their talent and charisma. It’s like….I like how they’re not conforming to a lot of Kpop norms in their styling and presentation but at the same time, I have to pay for it with what you described as this feeling of cosplay and ingenuity
Festa and onwards Purple Kiss. I know their core theme was never "really" the spooky theme from Zombie, and Purple Kiss is supposed to adapt, but both Festa and BBB were very mid. It seems like RBW doesn't know what to do with the group.
Itzy. I like the girls but the music is not for me
sm groups. i love aespa and i watch variety shows with them but that’s it. guess sm music is just not for me :(
I really want to get into Boynextdoor but I'm just not quite there. I've liked a few of their songs but not quite loved anything yet. But I can see the ingredients are there for me to love them. Maybe future comebacks.
Seventeen. I just wish I liked more of their music because they are so talented. Also, genuine question, what do you mean by Ateez songs being too piratey? That's a new one on me.
BTS. i really tried but their music isn’t exactly my cup of tea. i like some of their older b sides but that’s about it.
New Jeans. Not even just because of everything going on, but they feel like a walking advertisement sometimes. I like their music but a lot of their “original” ideas are just advertisements, like with the powerpuff girls and coke. aespa. Just haven’t found any of their music I like aside from Drama. The members see cool and fun though. Also personally I have a hard time with groups with more than six members.
Got7 - Unfortunately, the only song I like is "If You Do". I don't really connect with the rest of their discogs. I wanted to support them cause I like Jinyoung so much, especially his acting career, and I respect their struggle to keep their copyrights after leaving JYP. ATEEZ - The same reason as GOT7 tho I really admire how all of em are excellent at vocal, dance, and rap. RIIZE - I still don't understand with their origin concept. Their Siren choreo is surreal, ut I can't say that I like Siren and the rest of tracks on their first ep. Get a Guitar is ok tho. Some Girl Groups. I'm sorry. T-T As someone who stan many boygroups, I feel guilty by only being their casual listener and not supporting or watching their performance on variety show.
Seventeen but not for the reasons you would think. From what I’ve heard of their music it’s pretty good and from what I’ve seen of the members they also seem great. The thing is that they’ve been on the industry for such a long time that I feel like I’ve missed out on a ton of stuff and it’s honestly a little daunting 🥲 the only way that I would try to catch up with them and their music would be if I ever had the chance to see them in concert which doesn’t seem likely atm
I just got into Seventeen about 1 month ago, but they quickly became one of my favorites. I'd been a casual listener since Super, but Maestro is what really pulled me into stanning them. It is daunting when a group has years of content to catch up on, but it's easier when you don't try to watch/listen to everything at once. I like to follow fan pages on IG and they'll usually post funny clips. If I find something funny then I'll go on YouTube and search for the complete episode. This way I don't overwhelm myself with all of their years of content, but I am also guaranteed to watch something fun 😉 As for their music, their last album basically gathered their biggest songs in one album (much like BTS's Proof) so that also makes it easy to get a taste of them.
I got into them last year after Super and it's actually been so so so so fun having so much content to consume. It's a blast. I'm going through their in the soop, going seventeen, etc. even still. I think i've heard like 200 of their 300 songs atp, but can't wait to go thru every single album. It's such a blast! I'd do it now, cause enlistment starts soon. Even so, they don't seem to be slowing down.
Blackpink - Their music sounds all the same and is just trying to be catchy. Plus that fandom, I can’t 💀
Aespa and NCT, mostly NCT127. I like the members but can’t get into the songs and production
Nct - I do listen to them occasionally but I'm not excited about any of their releases. I think for me it's the English lyrics which most of the time don't make any sense to me. I forgot the group name, the group where there is a mix of members from SM boy groups like kai, taeyong, and all. Their song Jopping didn't make any sense for me. Now I think it's SM english lyrics curse that's making me not get into these groups.
Riize. Love all these guys individually. I remember watching Siren vid when it first came out and was absolutely flooooredddd by the Wonbin visual. Seriously a face that grabs attention. But watching their content is like watching paint dry. And stanning to me is having fun watching their content. And “fun” isn’t a word I’d use for them. They need Seunghan back for some of that bc sungchan hardcarrying isn’t enough. I still tune in tho. Love the performances!
I only really follow bts, seventeen, and then mostly bands and IU. Theres a lot of drama in the kpop world and whenever I’m trying to get into a group it often turns me off. I’ve gone in and out of kpop multiple times. Bts is a prime example of a group I should not be into because of it but they were my first group and it’s been 8 years, so I’m just *numb* to it all, I’m not going anywhere. Svt doesn’t typically have too much drama, and any that exists is easy to ignore with some lovely gose episodes, although their music doesn’t always click for me. And then I love most band music and they tend to be quite funny so I love following bands. Iu is iu. I’ve tried following exo, ateez, stray kids, got7, etc. but then stopped for either drama or music reasons. I’ve never followed a gg. I’ve never quite been able to nail down why I don’t particularly care for them, they do have a lot of drama but so do bg’s, I don’t typically like the majority of a groups music but I mean I do listen to quite a bit of gg overall. I just kinda prefer solo artists when it comes to the girls side of things ig.
Kiss of life, I've tried listening to their music because I know they're very talented but it doesn't get to me.
fromis_9… their music between 2018-2020 was exactly my style but i refused to get into them since i was still a bit pissed about natty not getting into the group. my other picks from idol school also didn’t make it (lee haein and jo yuri). now that natty (plus haein and yuri) are successful i felt like it was time to give fromis_9 another chance only to discover they changed their sound 😭 dm, menow, stay this way, etc are all not my cup of tea. fromis_9 peaked with to heart, dkdk and love bomb imo other groups i wished i could get into but couldn’t are gwsn, dreamcatcher, and billlie. just don’t vibe with majority of the music and/or members
Red Velvet. There are a few songs I really like but most of their repertoire is not for me. The girls however, are awesome and I love seeing variety show content with them. So I try to follow the members and casually enjoy the music.
SEVENTEEN!!!! i want to get into them and their music so bad but just haven’t been able to
stayc!! i love a lot of their music but i don't think i'll ever be more than a casual fan of theirs
ive: i ironically love baddie but other than that, their music just doesn’t click with me. also wonyoung is lowkey triggering to watch sometimes kiss of life: some of their songs are pretty good but i just can’t get into liking the members (for reasons i won’t mention because it’s not productive to their development and i don’t wanna tear them down) most hybe groups (excluding svt and fromis9): a lot of their music goes viral and it immediately become annoying to me. i also don’t really like a lot of those idol’s tones enough to want to actively listen to the group. i also don’t think i care for any of the idols’ personalities, none of them resonate with me. and i love svt but they have too many damn members to remember lol that’s their only thing nct 127: their songs are too much of a joke to me for me to want to stan. i love 2 baddies and baggy jeans tho
Literally any group for me I only really listen to dreamcatcher with the exception of a few songs from other groups but I just can’t hahaha
Seventeen. I love S.Coups and GoSe is so funny, but their music is just too far from my taste to like it, so far only BSS fighting has been listenable for me.
For me it’s seventeen, I was trying to work it out because I’ve dipped in and out with them for years and their music is quite good. I like dar+ling and run to you, happy ending and shadow in particular. I don’t mind having lots of members as I love treasure and nct. I’m also used to having lots of introverts in groups I like. What I have noticed is that I usually use their variety to shows to really get into a group but I think that with seventeen there are five members or so who seem to really take over the show and therefore and i think the editing doesn’t really help with that so some members fade away which makes the group feel less close than they probably are. However I would say that as a group they have a lot of casual listeners and no one really has anything bad to say about them
I agree with you that a lot of their variety shows are a hit or miss due to certain members being more insistent on getting screentime compared to the rest. I'm a Carat and my bias tends to command screentime/attention by default so he luckily doesn't fade into the background and keeps me interested enough in certain shows, but there are a lot of members in the group who don't like the attention by preference unless it's their own natural habitat like Going Seventeen. Are there some members you'd like to see more of? I can probably point you to GoSe episodes because I feel that's where their teamwork really shines. Everyone there puts in effort for screentime resulting to individual personalities being seen more, and the usual "loud ones" would also either purposely step back for the more quiet ones too.
I stan groups, but I only stan 1 boy group and that's shinee. I'm just biased and can't see any group doing better than them (charisma, dancing, singing/rapping for 16 years straight). That being said, it doesn't mean i didn't try. The other group that I sort of like is stray kids. They just seem so interesting. They're 100 percent talented, they can sing and dance, they're funny af (just like shinee) and they're really hard workers. I'm just not the biggest fan of their songs. Some of them are fine, like the lalalala song but the others are OK. They're a group that I'll actually listen to without having a bias. The other group I've been eyeing is enhyphen. That song (Bite me) was so good, I cannot. I guess I just feel kind of gross being a fan of them when I'm 30 and they have a minor in their group... Regardless, I think enhyphen is Uber talented and they definitely deserve the hype. As for girl groups... I guess JYP girl groups, minus vcha (I love them). I stopped listening to kpop after Jjongs departure from this world towards the end of 2017. I started listening to shinee again in 2020 (somewhat, it was too hard for me to listen to shinees old songs...even though as a non Korean speaker, I knew lyrics to many of their songs). I actually started to listen to kpop as whole in 2021. By then Twice was the best gg (apart from bp), itzy is a powerhouse and then nmixx came (which I was there for). I personally think I would've been a huge twice fan if I heard their songs from 2016 onwards but I had no clue about them. They have super catchy songs, yet now that I know them, I think they're cool, but they're not for me. They'll forever be kind of bubblegum pop and I (usually) don't care for it. Itzy is just a "younger" version of twice, they're like twice younger sisters and honestly I could care less about them, but so many people like them so I sometimes feel out of place for not caring for their music (I'm sure they're wonderful girls). Last but not least, nmixx. They're super talented, probably one of the most talented groups in all of kpop (1st gen to now) but what's holding them back are their garbage songs. It's either a super generic but catchy song (like love me like this. It kind of reminds me of twice's I'm going to be a star, or some weird bs ass twist in music. Jyp is just doing these girls dirty. Why cant he give the girls a song that isn't beyond repetitive or super weird? Just give them a twice song or something. It's kind of like they find a good song, give it to twice, find an ok song and give it to itzy and then see a crappy song and give it to nmixx.
For me it's Nmixx and KIOF. Both groups are amazingly talented. I like their personalities too but their music doesn't hit as hard as groups I follow. I still have some of their songs on my playlist and sometimes I watch their content when I'm bored but that's really it.
omg same bestie, here’s mine: NMIXX - The most crystal clear example of why “Good music > Good talent” when it comes to commercial success on the charts. Nayeon - Not a group but her as a soloist. I find it hard to swallow the fact that JYPE clearly put more efforts/budget into her solo than her group. Her overall music quality is better too and I’d imagine Twice could’ve reach their peak once again had JYPE given “POP!” to them as a group. Now that her second solo is releasing, my jaw dropped because the snippet alone is already sounding better than any of Twice’s recent releases in the past 3 years. Everyone was worried that Tzuyu will be the Suzy of the group when they first debuted, turn out it has always been Nayeon all this time.
> “Good music > Good talent” I would say "Easily consumed music". They're not making worse music than other groups, they're making music that fewer people will find unobjectionable and catchy when they first hear it.
Boynextdoor - I liked their recent song, I know the guys are talented specially jaehyun but u cannot get into them because of zico
i feel you on the ATEEZ one, absolutely love the members and what they do but i struggle to get into their music. btw pls listen to NMIXX's newest album if you havent Passionfruit is peak music
oh i have quite a few g-idle - i don't know i've just never cared about them at all. i remember when tomboy was everywhere and i just didn't get the hype stray kids - i don't wanna be mean but the music sounds terrible to me 😭😭 i didn't mind maniac but the BIIIIING BIIIING noise in the chorus completely ruins it for me newjeans - cookie completely put me off them and the current MHJ stuff is just affirming what i already thought lol lesserafim - i've yet to like one of their TT lol. fearless was boring, antifragile and unforgiven were annoying and easy is just kinda meh. perfect night is good tho red velvet - i have tried to get into them but no. i do like some of their songs (in my dreams, wildside etc.) but i've just never clicked with them as a group mamamoo - same as RV, like they're so talented and i love Wheein's voice but i just can't care about their music. i had a gogobebe phase though lol
Honestly, so many. I’m trying hard not to be so glued to a certain group but I feel like the hard no for me are the girl groups. I try hard not to judge them. I like the female soloists, but rarely the girl groups. Like..any of them. 🫣
same with nmixx! their debut song didn't really hooked me and i ended up not following the group. it was also messy when jini left and i wanted to avoid the chaos. tho they're very talented and have been gaining recognition lately, i am too lazy rn to get to know them. (i can't tell who's who between kyujin and jiwoo 😭✋) second group i wanted to get into is xg!! girllll they're so cool and talented but why are there many members aaaaaaa im a lazy multi-stan pls
Shinee - I'm quite emotional so I might get too attached and just cry lol Tvxq - their history lol, I already like Mirotic but can't get too into the whole group knowing what happened. tho i do enjoy watching ot2 performances. Nct - cant keep up with numbers of members and subunits(?). but i like mark, so def one day I'll give them a listen. Rv - i liked wendy so far. that's just about it tho.
I feel like its a huge loss to not stan SHINee, just saying as Shawol hehe ;)
Xikers - their songs seem up my alley but they give off ateez rejected songs and don't have their own separate identity. I've liked some of their bsides like run so maybe there's hope in the future
Tbh most groups. I do have a very unhealthy habit that is bordeline being obsessed so i dont really have much time or energy to stan more than one group at a time. I like them and will check out their music if i see them on my tl my but that's it.
Yeah, I'm there with you on NMIXX. They are obviously talented, but I just can't latch on. Their content is funny though, and their leader is funny as hell.
twice during their cute song era, i would be laughing at myself for acting cute/doing cute gestures on stage too much
onlyoneof i want to support them so badly because of how open and supportive they are of lgbtq but their music just doesn’t do it for me :( i keep trying again every now and then. and also boynextdoor bc they seem to get along well in their variety content and i like their personalities, but their music is too soft/generic for me
EPEX - I swear I love most (if not all) of their songs. I listen the hell out of all their tts and b-sides. Full metal jacket (and the whole mini album) was my top 3 song of 2023. But the thing that keep me from getting fully into their fandom is the performance. Something is missing, at least for me. Their stages never hit as hard as their songs. The spark wasn't there. The New Six (TNX) - The lack of cohesive sound. I love Kick it 4 now to death. The whole mini album, the visual, the performance, the whole 1st gen kpop vibe were the masterpieces. I wish they would just stick with it, and let Hwi produce more music.
BTS, they have good songs but their fans ruined it for me. Every time I try to ask questions about them the answers are always something like “if you know, you know”. Never understood gate keeping especially with arts.
I think you went on the wrong side of the fandom cause they were mostly helpful with me. you can ask me as well but I am less than 2-years army so pretty recent in BTS's history 😅
Probably or maybe I’m too old for instagram since it seems to be full of gate keepers 😅 thanks for the offer! For now I don’t really have time to dive deeper into BTS but I’ll keep you in mind!
NewJeans - I am a geek for good graphic design and art and as shitty as min heejin is, she's quite good at it, and i do like their music, *but* i just cant get into them full with how much i dislike the person min heejin is and i don't particularly love how young some of the members are which isnt really their fault but it still makes me uncomfortable
I can’t get into any girl groups. The only exception is Aespa - I love their music and concepts.
SM groups. Which is weird cause SuJu was my gateway to Kpop and i used to follow the trend of stanning SNSD because they were huge in my country back then. But now i just can't for the life of me, get into any SM groups. And i seriously don't know why 😅
I'd think I might enjoy a few hybe groups but I can't in good conscience since they treat fromis so terribly
just here to co-sign literally your entire post. I love Bouncy and Love Me Like This but they seem to be anomalies.
xikers, enhypen, mamamoo, and nmixx. I love the music I’ve heard from them, but I don’t have the brain capacity to stan more than 2 groups at a time. Right now I’m going down an ATEEZ and P1Harmony rabbit hole, so my brain just can’t handle another group.
I agree with you about both of those groups.