~ Episode 1: Meet & Greet ~

Hello everyone, and welcome to the debrief of Kingdom's first episode! Finally, the legendary war has begun. The first episode was dedicated to the first interactions within the participants (Ateez, Stray Kids, SF9, BtoB, The Boyz and Ikon) as well as their introduction stages (short stages of roughly 2'30). I'll divide this article in two parts: First, some general comments about the MCs performance, the interactions between the groups, and about the rehearsals footage. Then, we'll move on with the ranking of the performances.

Disclaimer: Keep in mind that the ranking I made is my personal ranking. I tried to base myself on rational points as much as possible, but emotions will come in the way at a certain point. When a performance gives you chills, to me it means that it's on another level.

So, let's dive right into it!

I. General Comments

1. The MCs performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Queendom and Road To Kingdom, the MCs were really acting as a support. You could feel the compassion they had for each participants even when they were on stage doing their Job. I suspect that Mnet couldn't put focus on Yunho because of the current controversies surrounding him (you can read this Soompi article if you want to know the details), but Changmin seemed uncomfortable. I think it's because it's his first time being an MC for this kind of program, and I believe (and hope) he'll be more relaxed in the further episodes. There's one moment that I adored and want to highlight, it's when IKON was performing and bobby's part came, and Changmin had this big smile on his face. It was really cute to see. 

2. The interactions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The atmosphere was, to say the least, very tense at first. When Ateez came on stage, The Boyz and Stray Kids were already there, and the atmosphere became really awkward. Ateez being the youngest group, I think they felt really pressured at this point. You could even see them breathing heavily.

BtoB played their role of "sunbaenims" (seniors) really well by helping everyone relax with their humour. Eunkwang of BtoB engaged the conversation with Bang Chan of Stray Kids, Big Chan answered in English and Eunkwang's reaction was hilarious.

Then, SF9 came in and it was like a fashion show and everyone was shocked of their handsomeness (I will come back to this because I really didn't appreciate what was said when their performance ended). SF9 didn't have enough screen time though. Mnet is the only one to blame, there is obviously some unfair treatment going on here but please still support them, they deserve it.

Lastly, when Ikon came in, everyone was impressed by their aura, including me to be honest. Ikon's aura is no joke. Plus, they're used to survival shows, so I think it's a strength as they know how to manage the pressure and to be relaxed on stage. 

But then, when all the teams gathered on stage, the real fun began. When the groups performed everyone was cheering for them from the bottom of their heart. The reactions of IKON's Jinhwan, The Boyz's Sunwoo and Ateez's Wooyoung are priceless when Changbin uses some kind of firecracker during Stray Kid's performance. And everyone was just so hyped up for Ikon's performance, Han from Stray Kids couldn't believe he had just heard Rhythm Ta lived he was like "Oh my god I finally saw Rhythm Ta with my own eyes". This was priceless. 

3. The rehearsals

Some rehearsal footage got me laughing so hard, some others made me really angry. When they showed Ateez's footage, there was this part where Jongho was supposed to run forward and it turned out really awkward and the editing made it even funnier. It was really a "WTF" moment that I enjoyed. We also could see some interesting details of their performance, how it was going to be shot, where the camera would be, and this is also an aspect of the performance I enjoy learning about.

However, some footage was only concentrating on "mistakes" made in the rehearsals (e.g Stray Kids Felix and The Boyz Juyeon). This led me to, unconsciously, pay more attention to the specific mistakes rather than just enjoying the performance. Plus I'm really bad at Mnet for showing the "mistakes" Juyeon did in RTK. This was really unnecessary. 

II. The performances

All the performances had their good and bad sides, all the groups worked really hard to pull off amazing stages, and all the groups deserve a praise for that. Now here's my own ranking:

#6 SF9 

Good Guy is the song that gave SF9 their first win, and so it was logical that they would perform it. What I liked in this performance was the scenery. They started with a sort of crystal ball with the SF9 logo on it, and they returned it to make it seem like water dropped. This was nice. What I didn't understand is why it took them so long to actually start dancing (and they didn't even do the key point move of the Good Guy choreography). They spent a good 45 seconds just walking around. Plus, they said that they wanted people to recognise their skills other than their looks, but here they're just putting focus on their looks. The real question now is to know if it's their company who decides on this (by the mean of an appointed choreographer or something like this), or if they had 100% liberty in creating their performance. As if this was not enough already, the other contestants added another layer of "this is unfair they'll win with their looks". I mean, I just hope people will acknowledge them for their real skills at some point. 

#5 Ateez

It breaks my heart to put them at the fifth place, but I think it's justified. In my opinion, they chose the wrong song. Wave is a very chill song with heavy summer vibes. I get what they were trying to go for, but the random "Hakuna Matata" before the music kicks in, and the "screams" (well, something positive here is that they seemed to be done live) kind of ruined the mood. However, I do want to praise their energy (which I think they will have to control a bit more in the future), and the ending "figure" that was pretty awesome with San standing on top of everyone with the torch. 

#4 BtoB

The live vocals is what's missing to all the groups of the current generation. I'm not saying that performance doesn't matter (hence why they're only placed 4th), but live vocals matter too, and they're just so good at it (I mean, it's BtoB afterwards). I didn't know Minhyuk had such a beautiful singing voice, I was really amazed by his voice and his facial expressions as well. However, they did not include any sort of dancing (which is hard to do with a ballad I agree). It was a strategic choice of choosing something they're good at, I just hope they get out of their comfort zone at some point because they've got strong contestants in front of them.

#3 Stray Kids

 

It's hard ranking those 3 groups because they each have such a different aura and their performances were all incredible. For Stray Kids, I think their performance was quite complex. A lot was going on, to the point that I couldn't catch important details (e.g the movements with the knives). Plus, the lighting was dark so it was hard to see the details. However, the performance was really energetic, powerful, and very creative. I loved their tattoos on their hands, and the way the small spheres were glowing. And that firecracker thing Changbin held? I was so scared that someone would get hurt, but it was really impactful.

#2 Ikon

This performance proves that you don't need to have fancy clothing, fancy choreographies, tons of props and a big number of members to put out a cool performance. Ikon has their own aura, and because they have participated to previous survival shows they are really relaxed on stage (Bobby was literally smiling during his rap part). Rhythm Ta is one of my favourite song of theirs, and I really appreciated how they arranged the track. Plus, the ending fairy pose was hilarious (I mean... only Bobby could do that). I hope we'll see another side of them for the next performance (I hope they try other genres than Hip Hop because I know they are capable of it and are really good at it). 

#1 TheBoyz

It was really hard for me to choose between Ikon and The Boyz, but I had to give it to The Boyz for one simple reason: They keep trying to prove themselves when they have already did. The constant feeling they have of not being recognised enough and having to prove themselves every time is what pushes them above and beyond their maximum capacities. As usual they used the stage to their advantage, they had incredible formations, and they succeeded in implementing various styles into their choreography. Plus, the song arrangement was perfect. The transition from the powerful dance to the contemporary portion was seamless. Once again, they have exceeded my expectations. I really hope that people will view them as strong contestants from now on.

Lastly, I ran a poll on my twitter account to see how the ranking would look like according to general public's opinion. I received 112 votes in total which is not representative of the whole community and the results were the following:

#6 with 11 votes: ATEEZ

#5 with 14 votes: SF9

#4 with 16 votes: Stray Kids and BtoB (tie)

#2 with 20 votes: Ikon

#1 with 35 votes: The Boyz

Now, to conclude this article, I want to talk about the ending of the episode. It was announced that Ateez ended up fifth place, SF9 fourth place, and BtoB third place. There are 3 groups left: Stray Kids, The Boyz, and Ikon. These 3 teams had the best performances according to me, so it's heartbreaking to think that one of them is in sixth place. However, knowing that the ranking is based on the public's votes, and knowing that The Boyz and Stray Kids have a fanbase that are hardcore voters (and when I say hardcore voters I mean they really stress about numbers), I would not be surprised if Ikon ranked last. This is particularly the reason why people are angry for the public to have such an important voting power, and I totally understand your frustration. However, nothing's played in advance and nothing is predictable. 

That's it for Episode 1! I'll see you next week for episode 2. Until then, take care!

Love, Swan

 

Source: Mnet's official YouTube channel, Soompi, Nautiljon. 

~ MARCH 2021 ~

Hello everyone and welcome to the top Korean Music releases of March 2021! What a month honestly... This month I made some interesting discoveries that I cannot wait to share with you. We also had iconic comebacks with queen Jessie, Super Junior, IU, Jackson, Rosé, IKON and many more. Once again, I want to remind you that this ranking is a 100% subjective, and that I don't mean to offend anyone by not including their favorites on purpose. We all have different tastes, this is also the reason why I invite you to share your own personal favorite releases in the comments!

Two little disclaimers before we start:

1. All the pictures included in this article are screenshots taken by me from official music videos. If there is copyright infringement, I apologize in advance and will remove any problematic picture upon the owner's request.
   
   
2. Viewer discretion is advised. Some of the pictures may contain sensitive content. 
   
   

Now we can finally get started!

#20 Ghost9 - Seoul (comeback) - March 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not a fan of the song, I'm a fan of its chorus. This chorus has everything: The vocals, the catchy instrumentals, even the memorable choreography. Watch the official MV for "Seoul" here.

 

#19 Ateez - Fireworks (comeback) - March 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This song is very Ateez-style. I didn't see the second part of the chorus coming and I was very surprise (in a positive way). I just wished they used less autotune in their songs because they obviously don't need it. Watch the official MV for "Fireworks (I'm the one)" here.

 

#18 MCND - Not over (release) - March 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just smiled during the whole MV for one simple reason: They are wholesome. They just go all out in everything they do and that's what I love about them. This song screams youth. Watch the official MV for "Not over"here.

 

#17 Stray Kids X Alesso & DJ Corsak - Going Dumb (special release) - March 19 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You got me going du-du-du-dumb! I mean, this song has nothing really special to it, it's just really catchy. I'm glad they got to collab with Alesso and DJ Corsak, it just gives them even more exposure. Watch the lyrics video for "Going Dumb" here.

 

#16 Purple Kiss - Ponzona (debut) - March 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay now I know that "Can we talk again" was a pre-debut track and that this song is their actual debut. These girls seriously have unique voices! Their concept is unique too. Yes, if I had to describe them, I'll say unique. Watch the official MV for "Ponzona" here.

 

#15 Pentagon - Do or Not (comeback) - March 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That WHISTLE! What's with the whistle huh? Poor me I don't know how to whistle… But I'll whistle with them anyways. Please don't count how many times I wrote whistle, it's embarassing. I'm glad Hui had the time to participate in the production phase before his enlistment. Watch the official MV for "Do or Not" here.

 

#14 MY.st - *Dazzle (comeback) - March 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember when I said that I made some interesting discoveries this month? MY.st is one of them. They debuted back in 2020 under Mystar entertainment. I absolutely love the instrumental in this song and the chorus drop is really satisfying. Watch the official MV for "*Dazzle" here.

 

#13 Verivery - Getaway (comeback) - March 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ehm… Excuse me? When did you have the time to grow up? I mean… you all are still young but you improved so much in the lapse of just one comeback! I'm impressed. I'm going to keep an eye on them. Watch the official MV For "Getaway" here.

 

#12 Baekhyun (from EXO) - Bambi - March 30

 

 

 

 

 

This is Baekhyun's last solo comeback before he enlists in the military. I will surely miss him. To me Baekhyun revealed himself through his solo career, and I really appreciate his work. UN village is still my favorite song of his, but this one is a close second! Watch the official MV for "Bambi" here.

 

#11 Woodz - Feel like (comeback) - March 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sexy, hot guy from "love me harder" is BACK people! Bump Bump was nice but this, this is ion another level. The electric guitar at the beginning of the chorus? Chills. Watch the official MV for "Feel Like" here.

 

#10 Super Junior - House Party (comeback) - March 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They might not be 20 anymore but they never lost their energy. They just are legends at this point, putting out bops after bops. We need pum-it-up songs like these. Watch the official MV for "House Party"here.

 

#9 Rosé (of Blackpink) - On the ground (solo debut) - March 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We asked for it, we waited, and now we got it. I wished she had a whole mini album but we got 2 songs so it's fine, I'm not going to complain. There's one scene in the MV where she writes "Rosé" on the mirror, and then it shows her real name "Roseanne", and I just cried at this point because I know how she felt there. Watch the official MV for "On the ground" here.

 

#8 Youha - Zzz (comeback) - March 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cried watching this "Visualizer". Whenever you show me puppies I will cry. They were so adorable. And her amazing vocals just adds another layer of emotions. I just love this artist. Watch the puppies version for Youha's "Zzz" here.

 

#7 IU - Coin (comeback) - March 26

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to include this song and not Lilac because this song is more my style.The way she just plays so easily with her voice is fascinating, and the jazzy/blues instrumental in this song just make you want to get up and dance with her. I also love her badass attitude, women in casinos are dangerous people :p Watch the official MV for "Coin" here.

 

#6 Jackson Wang - Leave me loving you (single) - March 26

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seems like the retro trend is still going on, and I'm not complaining. This song has definitely a nostalgic feeling to it, and I feel like Jackson's vocal keep on improving every time. I'm just a proud fan. And I also love how half of the music video is dedicated to explaining the behind the scenes of the MV, how it was filmed, the storyline, etc. Watch the official MV for "Leave me loving you" here.

 

#5 IZ - Say Yes (digital single) - March 9 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IZ is a band that deserves the world. I beg you to give their songs a listen, and you'll see you won't regret it. I would recognize the singer's voice no matter what because his timber is so unique, and god please let me marry the bassist. Watch the official MV for "Say Yes" here.

 

#4 Jessi - What type of X (comeback) - March 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And another banger from Queen Jessie! I just love how she's saying that she's basically a bad girl ("I'm so bad at being good") and that she's proud of it. Yes girl, just be whoever you want to be! Watch the official MV for "What type of X" here.

 

Some honorable mentions before we enter the top 3:

• G-reyish - Blood Night - March 5 - Official MV
• WayV - Kick Back (comeback) - March 10 - Official MV
• Weekly - Afterschool (comeback) - March 17 - Official MV
• Mirae - Killa - March 17 - Official MV
• Kim Sung Kyu (from Infinite) - March 29 - Official MV
• Cravity - Bad Habits (comeback) - March 11 - Official MV
• Sorn (from CLC) - Run (solo release) - March 23 - Official MV
• Checkmate - You (comeback) - March 29 - Official MV

 

#3 DPR IAN - Nerves (comeback) - March 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, call me a fan. This man is a gem. When you watch this you know it won't be like anything out there. Christian has his own things going on in his mind and he wants to materialize it with his music and I absolutely love this. Watch the official MV for "Nerves" here.

 

#2 Ikon - Why why why (digital single) - March 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read somewhere that the song was going to end on a bridge, and I was like "no way, that's impossible". And they did it, and I was left speecheless. This song is really emotional, and damn all the members got better at singing, especially DK. I really hope it's not the only comeback we'll hear from them this year. Watch the official MV for "Why why why" here. 

 

#1 B.I - Midnight blue (single) - March 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot put into words what I felt when listening to this song. First, I'm just happy to hear B.I making music again. Second, the animation is really beautiful. Last, the lyrics are very deep. We all are going through tough times, and the last sentence "So go ahead and cry" is really triggering. Indeed, cry if it makes you feel better. It's okay to cry and it's okay to feel sad, and it's really liberating when you just scream it out. Watch the official MV for "Midnight Blue" here.

And that's a wrap! As curious as I am I would love to know your personal favorites of this month, so why don't you leave a little comment down there? 

As usual I'm leaving the link to the YouTube playlist with all the songs in them if you want to listen to them all in a row.

Take care and I'll see you all very soon!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: Allkpop, Kville entertainment, Youtube. 

~ PROLOGUE ~

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to this Kingdom special! As you may already know, the second season of MNET's competition show is about to start airing on April 1st, and I'm honestly super excited for it.

The first season was broadcasted in 2019 and the participants that year were Mamamoo, Oh my girl, (G)I-dle, Lovelyz, AOA and Park Bom. Then, on April 2020, the spinoff "Road To Kingdom" was broadcasted. This time, the participants were more or less underrated boy groups: TOO (who had just debuted), Verivery, Oneus, Golden Child, ONF, The Boyz, and Pentagon. What was at stake: A ticket to Kingdom, the second season of the show, where more established boy groups would participate. And on June 18, 2020, The Boyz were announced as the winners of Road To Kingdom, and consequently as the first group to officially participate in Kingdom. 

I will cover every episode of the competition by giving my own thoughts on the performances and the episodes in general. I still don't know about when exactly I'll be able to release the articles, but it'll certainly take me a couple of days to write them. Since episodes will air on Thursdays, I'm thinking of posting on Mondays. I'll keep you updated on this anyways on my Instagram account (if you still don't follow me well... what are you waiting for :p). 

For now, let's debrief on the groups who'll be participating as well as the format (with the little information we have until now). 

I. The Participants

The Boyz

The Boyz is one of the groups who really needed Road To Kingdom as a boost in their career, and it had this effect indeed. A lot of people discovered The Boyz through RTK, I personally knew them beforehand because I knew Haknyeon from Produce 101 (season 2) and kept track of his career. However, I definitely became a fan through RTK. If you haven't seen their performances, you should go check them out. The level of CREATIVITY they have is incredible, and they aren't afraid of thinking big. They definitely have an advantage with their number of members because they can try very creative formations, and they really are good at occupying the whole stage. I really wonder how they plan to step up their game because to me they have already proven themselves performance wise. 

BtoB 4U

They are the oldest group participating if I'm not mistaken. I know some of their members are still in the army so it's not the full group who'll be participating but the "4U" unit they recently created. BtoB is famous for their strong vocals, and although I don't know a lot of their songs there's one I'll never forget for the impact it left on me and that's "Someday". A lot of people were surprised to hear that they'll be participating saying that they're "overqualified", but unlike many people I don't see this competition as a "popularity" show. I honestly think that everyone participating will win something, whether it's the trophy or the fans. I really look forward to getting to know them more and to see them getting out of their comfort zone honestly. This can be a real challenge for them, and challenging yourself is always good even if you're a senior in the industry!

SF9 

I was expecting SF9 to participate and so did many people. I believe this is the opportunity they need to break the ice and unleash their true potential (even though they already won my heart). If SF9 doesn't ring a bell to you, maybe "Rowoon" does. Indeed, he played in several popular Kdramas such as "School 2017", "Extraordinary you" and "Find me in your memory". I really like the members (especially Taeyang, my bias), but here's the thing: I still have trouble getting into their songs. I count on the show to make me discover some of their songs I didn't know, or show me their songs in another light (just like Verivery did with "Photo" on RTK which was a b-side of their album I didn't know of beforehand). 

 

ATEEZ

If you're a new Kpop fan or if you're keeping yourself up to date, you must know of ATEEZ. You know, the guys who literally die on stage? Yeah, that's them. They really perform like they're going to die after the stage ends, and this is what makes them so powerful. I laughed so hard when Changmin said they seemed "Angry" while watching one of their performance, and it's true that sometimes putting too much energy ruins the vibe. They definitely need to dose their energy on stage, but I'm sure they'll be able to do it and they'll surely come up with the craziest stages ever. If you put Ateez and The Boyz together, you can be sure that the performance will feature crazy stunts and crazy choreographies. I really hope Mingi we'll be able to join the competition since he has been on hiatus for quite a time now due to anxiety.

 

Stray Kids

In terms of performance, Stray Kids and Ateez are really the best in their generation. Stray Kids is a really versatile group. Their main style I would say is the heavy EDM tracks like Side Effects, Miroh and Double Knot, but they also have funny songs like Gone Days and Get Cool, and they also have more relaxing songs like Ex and Blueprint. They debuted in 2018 but they already put out so many masterpieces! They already lived the experience of a "survival" show that was at the origin of their group, so they know how to handle the pressure and to motivate themselves. They really work hard and never take anything for granted. I think Kingdom is the opportunity for them to grow their Korean fanbase, because as surprising as it may sound their domestic fanbase isn't as big as their international fanbase. 

IKON

Just like for BtoB, a big chunk of the Kpop community was outraged that IKON was participating. Although I'm not of the same opinion, I can totally understand why some people were really angry. IKON debuted 7 years ago and were formed through a survival program called "MIX & MATCH". Bobby & B.I participated in "Show me the money 3" later that year, and the whole group participated in a Chinese competition called "Heroes of remix" in 2016. So Kingdom would be at least IKON's 3rd participation in a "survival" show. I agree that IKON has already been through a lot, however I wouldn't call Kingdom a "survival" show but rather a competition where multiple groups transcend themselves. And let's not forget that after the B.I scandal, the sad truth is that IKON has lost a lot of fans, so this is the opportunity they needed to remind people that they didn't disband and are still in the game.

 

 

As a multi fandom, I will really support all the groups from the bottom of my heart and wait for their stages with anticipation. I do have to admit that I'd like Ikon to win, because I'm afraid that if they don't they'll really lose confidence in themselves when they really shouldn't because they have everything they could possibly need to be successful.

II. The Format

The MCs

The MCs for Queendom and Road to Kingdom were Lee Da-hee and Jang Sung-kyu. However, for Kingdom, the MCs will be Yunho and Changmin of TVXQ! I was honestly satisfied with Da Hee and Sung-Kyu's performances as MCs, they were really impartial and supported all the groups equally. However, I'm still happy TVXQ are the MCs for this season. As everyone's seniors, they'll be able to guide the groups and I'll surely be looking forward to interactions between the groups and TVXQ! I already know some of them will be intimidated :D

The elimination rule

In Queendom, if you placed last for two consecutive times, you'd be eliminated. In the end, no one was eliminated. In "Road to Kingdom", if you placed last in the second and third round, you'd be eliminated. Golden Child was the first group to be eliminated, and then it was TOO one week later. I don't like to fool myself, so I'm expecting a harsh rule for eliminations which can have either a positive or a negative impact on the groups. Either they get boosted from the pressure, or they crumble down. And knowing the participants, I believe it'll have a positive impact. In addition to that, no matter who gets eliminated, I still believe they would have gained something. Keep in mind that starting a fan war won't do any good. First, the groups will feel uneasy and would feel responsible and second, it would bring MNET satisfaction. We know our idols better than anyone, if they do something that seems off, it's highly probable that MNET put things out of context. Think twice before expressing your anger. 

The rounds

We saw impressive stages in Queendom, combining rap, vocals and performance, as well as unexpected collaborations. In RTK, the challenges were heavily focused on performance, and all the tracks were pre-recorded in the studio beforehand. I hope it won't be the case for Kingdom and that we'll at least have more precise guidelines rather than general themes like "Song of King" or "My song". 

That's it for the prologue of this Kingdom special! I'll see you soon for the debrief of the first episode. I personally watch the episodes on a website called kshow123, but you can also watch it on Dramacool or Dailymotion. However, I have to warn you that these sites are not the most secured ones, so if you don't want to take any risks, you can watch the performances and some extracts of the show on MNET's official YouTube channel. 

Take care and I'll see you all soon!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: Mydramalist, Wikipedia, Youtube, Soompi.