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This is not your abuela's Asian funk!

March 2026

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hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage
Welcome! Hi, I'm your host, resident Abuela/Ahjumma/Obaasan/Grandma and writer Yuuana (aka Selah, aka Lise) and this is my place for all things music blogging. My focus lately has been Kpop, so much of the focus at current is on Kpop, but I'm happy and eager to listen to all kinds of music. Tune in for Music Monday, Midweek Kpop Release Roundup, The Overflow, and whatever other, shorter term serials trip my trigger.

Rules of the road:
  • BE NICE! This is me sharing my thoughts on something I love, you aren't required to agree. You are expected to be nice and civil, towards me and towards others in comments.
  • Don't ask for membership. I made this comm to make my life easier, but no one else needs to be a member to access what I'll be posting here, promise.
  • If you need a content warning, please ask! Comments to this entry are screened by default, so if you need to ask me for something privately, this is the place for it. I try to keep tabs on the major/common ones (flashing lights, seasickness, violence, medical/injury/self-harm, clowns, police), but if I've missed something or you want me to track something else, let me know.


And that should cover it! So welcome and enjoy your stay!
If you want, find me on the Fedi: Mastodon ([community profile] abuelaskpop@Apobangpo.space)
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hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


ONEUS - X
cw: flashing, blood/injury, camera motion

Yes, this is how far behind in everything I am. Still weird to see them as only four (Seoho's doing his military service)

yes, I'm doing A Thing with this actually
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage
Two screenshots in a distressed rainbow-hued frame (top and bottom bar only, red to blue left to right gradient) with a black to light grey slash from upper left to bottom right, the phrase Midweek New Music Roundup atop the divider. Above the bar, a young blonde Korean woman (YUNA of ITZY) in a pale cream fur coat standing in front of a freezer of ice creams. Below the slash, the seven members of BTS stand on the forequarter of a sailing ship, dressed in dark, vaguely naval-uniform style. Center bottom text reads March 18th - 25th.


It's hot, it's cold, it's turn on the A/C time, no wait, switch back to heat, no A/C, no heated blanket ... yeah, the weather's drunk and my body is big mad and dying about it, so count it a miracle I actually made it all the way through this list instead of going Here Be Dragons. I did get a bit ruthless a couple times with my cuts, but my list, my rules. Doesn't stop us from having everything from hiphop and EDM to alt rock and trot, with plenty of pop and R&B along the way. New OSTs from Soobin of TXT and Narin of MEOVV, the much-anticipated return of BTS, a surprise drop from the rappers of xikers, new girl rock from LATENCY, a rap collab from H1GHER Music, plus supplemental releases by P1Harmony, WOODZ, and Bang Yedam to round things out a bit. Not sure where to start? Whether you go straight down the list or hunt and peck, it's up to you! When in doubt, a ctrl+F by genre is always a place to start.

Banner slots this week went to YUNA (ITZY) and BTS for image reasons - actual favorites are, as usual, marked with a heart (even when they hurt me). πŸ’š

Releases for the week of March 18th - 25th )

The Mea Culpa Section:
... I've had worse misses than this. Between Starship being pants at promoting Japanese releases and STRITZ trying to be homegrown, neither of this misses surprise me, per se, but I still feel bad about it.

STRITZ - HOPE (WE GOT THIS!) (debut) *
CRAVITY - BLAST OUT (Japanese release) *

key:
* content warning
+ includes β€œdisappearing” hard subs
πŸ”€ includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
πŸ”ž age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
πŸ’š picks of the week


the links and my very short comments )


This post brought to you by my lovely Patreon and KoFi supporters. Did you know these posts take 8-12 hours/week to compile? If you've found them at all valuable, a KoFi would be much appreciated. No obligations, of course, and the kitties will love you either way.
DW | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


CRAVITY - Lemonade Fever
cw: flashing, surrealism
CC in 5 tracks, incl ENG

Yeah, it's out of season most places right now, but our weather is broken enough that I'd love some lemonade. Just not, uh, not this lemonade.
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


Wheesung - With me (KBS 030913)
cw: flashing stage lights

Flashing back to 2003 thanks to It's Live featuring Bang Yedam doing a cover as a tribute to the late Wheesung, aka Realslow.

I don't remember who's rapping for him here, other than it's not Teddy or Taebin. Masta Wu, maybe? Trying remember who else was on YG at the time, but it's been a hot minute (20+ years)

Bang Yedam's cover on It's LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2BWNsNp-1s
You may need a hanky for either or both of these performances.
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage
Two screenshots in a distressed rainbow-hued frame (top and bottom bar only, blue to red left to right gradient) with a black to light grey slash from bottom left to upper right, the phrase Midweek New Music Roundup atop the divider. Above the bar, four young Korean men (the members of AB6IX) are seen in reflection in a large circular mirror, dressed casually in soft sweaters. Below the slash, a young Korean man with pastle pink hair (Hoshi of SEVENTEEN) stands in an industrial space, holding a paper-wrapped bouquet of mixed mums while others clap, various deco shapes flying through the air around him. Center bottom text reads March 11th - 18th.


Thursday still counts as midweek, dangnabit. Especially when I ended up having to do most of this review on Wednesday due to Life Stuff. This week was something of a struggle in more ways than one. I've said it before, I'll say it again, but I'm really sick of seeing genslop in these videos (though there's one where the flag isn't for genslop) and I'm about to throw the banhammer at a couple more artists if they won't stop it.

That aside ... despite the length of the listing, this was a fairly short week. Much of the listing was more chore than joy, unfortunately for me. Maybe you'll fair better? It is also very much weighted towards the men in the room, hence the double male banner. That said, they managed to hit most of the big subgenres - EDM, various types of rock, R&B, dance pop, hiphop, even jazz. Browse the listing in which ever way makes the most sense to you or alt-F your way through your favorite genre type~

Banner artist slots this week went to AB6IX and Hoshi (SEVENTEEN), with additional (few) picks marked with green hearts.

Releases for the week of March 11th - 18th )

key:
* content warning
+ includes β€œdisappearing” hard subs
πŸ”€ includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
πŸ”ž age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
πŸ’š picks of the week

the links and my short comments )


This post brought to you by my lovely Patreon and KoFi supporters. No obligations and the kitties will love you either way.
DW | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


NTX - ICE LUV
cw: lens flares, background flashing, video "artifacts"

I prefer a perfectly fitted suit, if only because this level of loose makes me think of a kid playing dress-up, which is...maybe not the best vibe for this one, oops.
hitokage: (Default)
[personal profile] hitokage


&TEAM - LUNATIC
cw: supernatural elements (werewolves), camera flashes
CC in 6 tracks, incl ENG

Cocky little wolfies. The wolf-ness is a bit more subdued, visually, in this one compared to some of their other MVs, but hey, just means you can sit back and enjoy the choreo without having to worry about the lore so much (maybe).

Yes, this makes two Japanese groups in a row, what of it? I started my Asian music love affair in Jpop, after all.
... of course this is from &TEAM's Korean EP, so.... 🀣
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


ONE OR EIGHT - DSTM (Studio Choom ver)
cw: aggressive background flashing

I was doomed from the start. πŸ˜…
I chose the Studio Choom version for the choreo and to make things easer on other platforms, but there's also an MV (cw: flashing, surrealism, Yankee hooligan nonsense), but do mind the Yankee hooligan nonsense.

"Yankee," in this context, refers to a specific Japanese subculture, so saying "Yankee hooligan" is being a bit repetative, but if you aren't familiar with the subculture, wellllll
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


NCT WISH - Dreamcatcher
cw: camera motion, flashing
CC in 10 tracks, incl ENG

So sweet and taking me back to my Japanese roots. But oh, it sounds a little like someone's vocal range is dropping... Abuela's not ready for the babies to be grown! 🀣
it's the way someone's voice is straining to hit the high notes...and the mental reminder that the maknae's turning 19 this year, so still baby, but also growing up
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


Oh my but it's been A Week again - I started out with almost a hundred videos and then tossed out a number of dupes, rights transfers, and a few proudly genslopped MVs. The number of times I had to double and sometimes even triple check the release on something because goddess forbid they include that information on the upload... So yes, I left in ATEEZ's On The Road, despite it being a "live" stage (a video type I've been mostly dropping to keep this list from getting entirely out of control each week), as a treat to myself and everyone else. Between the extra research and the relentless attacks by flashing lights and certain beautiful people... I needed it!

ANYway.... Big week of comebacks this week, with new music from Onew (SHINee), WOODZ's first full album since his return from military service, and a Chinese collab from Solar (MAMAMOO)! Plus OSTs from Rothy and three members of ZEROBASEONE. Or if rock is more your speed, check out the latest from Rolling Quartz and/or Dragon Pony. Needing the freshest in hiphop? Perhaps the collab of Ann One, Jung In, and Horim will be your style. Feeling more jazz? Check out Jay Chang (ONE PACT)'s latest solo release. Just want to dance? NouerA have some EDM for you this week and ACE (VAV) has another Latin dance groove to get your booty shaking. Folk rock more your speed? Check out Jeong Sewoon or perhaps Kim Sunah. Not sure what you want? Peruse the list in whatever way feels most satisfying to you or hop into the comments box to ask for suggestions!

Banner slots this week went to ATEEZ, Solar, and WOODZ, because I am indeed that much of a predictable simp ... and also aspect ratios pushed me into this banner template. (I didn't fight back that hard) Additional favorites can be found with the green hearts~!

releases for the week of March 4th - 11th )

key:
* content warning
+ includes β€œdisappearing” hard subs
πŸ”€ includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
πŸ”ž age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
πŸ’š picks of the week

the links with my (short) comments )


This post brought to you by my lovely Patreon and KoFi supporters. No obligations and the kitties will love you either way.
DW | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


NEWBEAT - Look So Good
cw: lens flares

First comeback for these 5th gen boys. Always such a shame when these new groups struggle to afford proper clothes. πŸ˜… Most of these boys were backup dancers for A.C.E while their maknae is still in high school???? Lort have mercy....

Oh right, the song. Well, the song is pretty typical fluff dance pop but really, you're probably going to be distracted by the dancing anyway, so it's kinda whatever, right?
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


TXT (Yeonjun x Soobin) - The Killa (I Belong to You) [GayoDaejeon 240726]
cw: flashing stage lights, the hip monster's hip rolls

Live vocals for the win, but watch out for those hip thrusts, cuz both of these men are dangerous in that department, but also not for nothing we call Yeonjun a hip monster. Or, if you're not feeling quite brave enough, check them out on your preferred streaming service - this came from their minisode 3: TOMORROW album.

this pick also has writerly significance, but it's going to be weeks/months yet before that bit of fiction comes out, sigh.
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


Hongjoong (ATEEZ) - NO1
cw: aggressive flashing, false color, lens flares
CC in 10 tracks, incl ENG

There's a lot of aggressive flashing, as is pretty typical of EDM club bangers. But let's stop pretending no one knows what he meant by "girls feeling holy" okay? He knows exactly what he did.
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage
In a distressed frame (top and bottom bars only, red to blue left to right gradient), three screenshots. Leftmost, a young Korean woman (soloist Lee Youngji) in a hockey referree's outfit in the middle of an active game. In the center, three young Korean men (boy group Big Ocean), armed, left to right, with a bow, a sword, and a large flag/banner, are charging towards the screen while a large wave breaks behind them. Rightmost, a Korean woman (soloist YOUNHA) stands at a mic and electric keyboard, playing and singing, in an abandoned-ish industrial space. Title text reads Midweek New Music Roundup. Bottom text reads February 25th - March 4th.


This week has been ... kind of a lot, actually. I wasn't sure I was going to make it through the whole list at a couple points, but in the end, I prevailed! Just in time to start the whole process over again, but, you know... πŸ˜…

It's a long list this week, covering everything from dance pop and R&B to hiphop and alt rock. There's the debut of (sub)unit QQQ, the pre-debut of new boyband V01D, another collab between NMIXX and Pabllo Vittar, ENHYPEN spoiling their fans a little, a few OSTs, and a whole lot more. Want to get your dance on? There's comebacks from EVERGLOW and NOWZ to potentially feed the urge. Feeling the urge for some folk rock? Maybe Joo Yeahin or Kim Sungkyu have what you need. Looking for the freshest hiphop? Try the flows of BassHammer or TUNEXX. Need a theraputic cry? Hunt down the hanky warnings. Not sure what you want? Meander the list in whatever way feels right to you or pop on down into the comments to ask for suggestions!

So many good videos this week, I struggled to narrow down my picks, so we used the triple banner to give slots to Lee Youngji (left), Big Ocean (center), and YOUNHA (right), with my additional picks noted by πŸ’š note: I'm aware that most often I put a red flag on videos that use/are suspected of using genslop, but that's actually not the case this week.

Releases for the week of February 25th - March 4th )

key:
* content warning
+ includes β€œdisappearing” hard subs
πŸ”€ includes CC in English
⚠️ elevated content warning
πŸ”ž age-restricted by YouTube
🚩 other warning
❌ did not complete
🌟 special note
πŸ’š picks of the week

all the links and my sometimes snarky comments )


This post brought to you by my lovely Patreon and KoFi supporters. Did you know these posts take 8-12 hours/week to compile? If you've found them at all valuable, a KoFi would be much appreciated. No obligations, of course, and the kitties will love you either way.
DW | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


xikers - SUPERPOWER (Peak)
cw: aggressive flashing, supernatural elements (spirit fire, magic)
CC in 11 tracks, incl ENG

The dokkaebi are at it again, making trouble and having fun. Which means it's entirely up in the air how much of these scenes are things that are actually happening (a situation made worse by the fact that I only have a vague grasp on their lore). Dokkaebi are, after all, tricksters by nature, with powers to match (which is why certain corners translate their name to "goblin").
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


Wonho - If You Wanna
cw: aggressive flashing, f-bomb
CC in 6 tracks, incl ENG

Tell me again how pure Kpop is compared to American pop? 🀣🀣 No, of course he's talking about motorcycles and dancing and nothing naughty at all. Really.
... and if you believe that one, I've got a bridge for sale....
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


LAY - Step
cw: diamond dust glitter, supernatural elements (magic), shirtless Lay

The MJ influences are especially strong in this one and it makes my shriveled old heart happy. Our international king of dance.
It's a different dragon, but this does further wiggle open the possibility of Lay taking the power of Flight. EXO is still out of balance, but... 🀷
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


&TEAM - Back to Life
cw: arson, supernatural elements (werewolves, magic), flashing, canon-typucal violence
CC in 6 tracks, incl ENG

Korean debut for this mixed Japan-based team (4 months ago, shh). The BL levels in this one are so high, holy carp. 🀣

Anyway, the lore is lore-ing, but then of course it is. All I know about it so far is something something werewolves and magic and connected to ENHYPEN, so someone else will have to fill in the gaps. I'll around to them eventually! (I've been saying that for over a year now, sigh, but it's still on my list, I swear)
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage
Yeah, no banner because this week the entire listing is a Here Be Dragons listing - I haven't had the time to view any of these videos, but the new rule for 2026 is that I can't keep working on these roundups past Friday morning, so naked it is. Some of these will probably make it to Song of the Day at some point, but in the mean time, you're kinda on your own. But just looking at the list, there's a range of genres again, from hiphop to dance to trot, so at least there's that?

... and now I feel extra bad for the ones in the Mea Culpa section because they're getting skipped basically twice now.

Releases for the week of February 18th - 25th )

HERE BE DRAGONS! All the links, starting with the missed section )
hitokage: Suran in a white frame with rainbow hearts on the right side under plain text Abuela's Kpop (abuela's kpop)
[personal profile] hitokage


BOYNEXTDOOR - Hollywood Action
cw: surrealism, guns, aliens, flashing
CC in 9 tracks, incl ENG

I don't have the words, this is just ... insane. But in a way that my aged cheesy SF-loving heart appreciates. The fact that the song is a flirtation of pop and jazz doesn't hurt anything.
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